Power quality is a measure of the electrical network or grid to provide “clean” and stable power A characteristic of good electric power quality is the steady voltage supply where the frequency of the supply remains close the rated value.
Today, energy demands vary and as such, there are energy using loads that cause disturbances on the grid resulting in a deviation of voltage from the specified parameters. A number of industries suffer from poor power quality which results not only in a rise of energy and production disturbances but also higher energy costs. Sensitive equipment is the usual victims of poor power quality.
Effects of Bad Power Quality
Bad power quality can negatively impact large industrial complexes, data centers, sensitive medical machinery, or impact small businesses and even households in a number of ways. It can reduce the speed of production in businesses, it can damage sensitive equipment, and it can effect efficiency and increase costs. Bad power quality also results in increased energy consumption which isn’t good for either homeowners or business people.
Causes of Electrical Disturbances
An unstable energy load not only causes electrical and production disturbances, it also wastes energy. This is one of the major problems in the electrical environment. These are the common behaviors that cause problems:
- Harmonics – can be caused by variable speed
- Network unbalances – can be caused by variations in the load. When the load on one or more of the phases is different than the other(s), unbalanced voltages will appear.
- Transients- a change in the steady-state condition of voltage, current, or both. Transients are important because any power system must be equipped to handle peaks and other short-duration things in addition to the steady state power.
- Voltage variations –are sags, swells, dips, and brownouts occurring when the line voltage is higher or lower than the nominal voltage for a short period
- Flicker- can be caused by welding equipment, shredders, mills and EAF operation.
Power Conditioner
A power conditioner is a device that can improve the power quality delivered to electrical load equipment. Also known as line conditioner, these devices delivers proper level voltage to equipment so they can function properly. In short, a conditioner works to ensure that a smooth sinusoidal AC wave is maintained.
Power conditioners are often linked with voltage regulators, which also improve the quality of power through power factor correction, noise suppression and impulse protection. Conditioners can regulate and clean AC power by making power adjustments and removing issues such as noise, sags, surges, spikes and frequency irregularities – these are problems that can damage or really affect the performance of an equipment load.
The size and features of a power conditioner differ. For instance, there are machines developed to supply nominal voltage regulations while there are some made to protect against a range of power quality issues.
Staco Energy specializes in providing power conditioner equipment including power factor correction banks which reduce poor power factor penalties and Active harmonic Filters which eliminates broad spectrum of harmonics on a distribution circuit. Please come and visit our website at www.pentech.com or write us at sales@pentech.com. We can provide expert information on what you need to improve the power efficiency of your business or home.
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