What is power quality, and how important is it? Good power quality saves money and time, ensures a safer workplace, prolonged equipment life and increased efficiency. On the other hand, poor power quality often leads to reduced energy efficiency, and various other downsides.
The topic of Power Quality has become increasingly prevalent. Power Quality is also such a vast topic that can be discussed at length.
In this series, we’re scratching the surface of Power Quality (PQ) to give you a basic understanding on the aspects that contribute to poor PQ, and what you can do about them:
- Understanding Power Quality
- Understanding Power Quality issues and what to do about them:
a) Voltage instability
b) Harmonics
c) Poor power factor
We’re kicking off the series by discussing the basics of Power Quality. Click on the links above to catch the full series.
Understanding Power Quality
‘Power Quality’ is a big buzz word in the industry. By definition, power quality relates to the ability of electrical equipment to consume energy being supplied to it. In order for electrical systems to function in their intended manner, and without significant loss of performance or life, they require a supply of electricity that is of good quality.
Characteristics of Clean Power
‘Clean power’ is the term used to define power that is of a good quality. In order to understand what makes electrical power ‘clean’, we must first understand traits associated with it. Good quality electrical power has several characteristics:
- No harmonic content
- No interruptions
- Low variation in voltage magnitude (dips and spikes)
- Low transient voltages and currents
Consequences of Dirty Power
Electricity that is considered to be of poor quality is termed ‘dirty power’. Poor power quality has a number of consequences, including:
- Higher energy usage and costs
- Equipment instability and failure
- Higher maintenance costs
The basics of power quality issues
From the illustration above, you can see that there are a number of factors that impact on power quality. The most common issues that we repeatedly see in South African industries include:
1. Voltage instability
This is in part a side effect of the high or low voltage electricity supply from the network. High voltage does not increase equipment power and is detrimental to equipment performance and longevity, and low voltage can cause reduced productivity. Voltage optimisation ensures the voltage supplied to the system is stable, as required by the equipment on site.
2. Harmonic voltages and currents
These are introduced by a range of common electrical devices which distorts the AC wave form and increases power usage. By introducing harmonic filters or reactors, the result is more efficient power usage and cost savings.
3. Poor power factor
This refers to an excess of reactive power in the system. This reactive power does not perform any real work. As such, it is wasteful and costly. Power Factor Correction (PFC) reduces and can almost eliminate this reactive power, reduce energy costs and stop equipment overheating, nuisance tripping and motor failure.
Learn more
Click here to watch this informative video from Schneider, on the various power quality issues!
a-eberle's PQ-Box 150
Power quality takes a huge leap forward with a-eberle’s PQ-Box 150 power grid analyser. The PQ-Box measures voltage quality according to stringent requirements for low, medium and high voltage networks. Furthermore, the device is equipped with a number of triggering options which enables them to quickly identify faults in the power grid.
For more information, watch a video on this incredible device.
Eaton's Essential Line Interactive UPS
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Turn to Eaton’s Essential Line Interactive UPS for unparalleled protection against power outages and poor power quality!
For more information, watch our quick video!
Need a Power Quality solution for your facility, click here to chat to one of our electrical experts now!