Power Quality Evaluation for:
- Equipment Protection.
- Improved Productivity.
- Reduced Maintenance.
- Safety.
Power disturbances continually beset the electrical environment of modern facilities.
Flickers, hiccups, and lighting fluctuations are practically considered routine, but they really signify
something much more ominous – the presence of gremlin-like harmonics.
The Risk
Unseen harmonics silently wreak havoc on the electrical infrastructure. They blow fuses, trip circuit
breakers, and interrupt signals and other factory-floor communications. Left unchecked, they lead to
more expensive problems:
- Overheating of cables, motors, and transformers … and then their replacement.
- Damage to sensitive equipment.. .leading to their replacement.
- Accelerated equipment aging .. .leading to premature failure.
- Compromised safety.
Power Quality Analysis
The Facts
The cause is in your facility: Contrary to popular belief, the source of poor quality is generally from
equipment operation on the load side of the service, not from the electric utility supply.
It is common: Prior to 1980, electrical loads were linear. But, the use of beneficial technology like sophisticated communications networks, fluorescent lighting, fax machines, uninterrupted power supplies, and variable speed motor drives introduces non-linear, harmonic producing loads. With the exception of the incandescent light bulb, every load today creates harmonics.
It is subtle: Most damage to electrical equipment occurs over time, not from an isolated catastrophic electrical disturbance. Lightning might strike the building wiring, causing massive failure. However, failures are more likely maintain their electrical systems and equipment.
to occur, for example, from the gradual repetitive damage inflicted by voltage transients originating within a facility. Poor power quality is usually a creeping, increasing problem.
Is Your Facility Suffering From Poor Power Quality?
Poor power quality can reveal itself in many ways.
Common signs include:
- Low power factor causing penalties on electric bills.
- Reset or locked-up process controls.
- Faulty or lost data from computer “glitches:’
- Momentary light flickering.
- Electrical problems caused by variable speed drives.
- Overheating of transformers or motors not caused by overload.
- Excessive three-phase neutral current or neutral to ground voltages.
- Frequent printed circuit board failures.
- Tripped circuit breakers and blown fuses.
The Problem
Analysis of modern electrical distribution systems requires as much detective work as it does science. An
effective analyst must not only be equipped with an array of specialized instruments, knowledge, and experience, but must also possess a sixth sense in tracking down power quality problems. Comprehensive power quality analysis requires expertise, resources and equipment that few companies possess … even if the electrical maintenance team isn’t too busy fixing the problems to prevent them.
The Solution
Electrex Industrial Solutions, Metro Detroit’s premier commercial and industrial electrical service company since 1957, provides comprehensive and cost-effective Power Quality Analysis. Customers from small shops to major industrial plants depend on us to analyze, monitor, and maintain their electrical systems and production equipment.
The Program
While some elements of an electrical system are common to any facility, the particular combination of systems and equipment in any given facility is unique, exhibiting distinct characteristics and challenges. Our skilled electrical technicians and engineers can work with you to achieve a power quality profile that is optimally suited to your electrical environment. Armed with a knowledge and understanding of your company’s systems, we can help you to solve any immediate power quality problem, make recommendations to enhance your power quality, and design a ongoing inspection program to maintain
the good power quality of your facility.
Power Quality Survey
Before launching into an actual Power Quality Analysis, our professional staff will gather as much information about your electrical systems and industrial equipment as possible. Our engineers and technicians will listen carefully to your concerns and questions, and work closely with you to
develop a thorough understanding of your electrical environment.
The results include:
- An overview of your electrical distribution systems.
- A comprehensive list of the electrical equipment used in your facility.
- A list of equipment affected by power disturbances.
- An accurate picture of symptoms exhibited by affected equipment.
- The time of initial power disturbance onset.
- The time of day and frequency of power disturbances.
Power Quality Analysis and Monitoring
Using technically-advanced instrumentation, our power quality analysis and monitoring service personnel will perform a comprehensive Power Quality Analysis of your facility. Our skilled technicians have a vast knowledge of electrical systems acquired from years of experience in a variety of electrical environments. They will devise a strategy to get to the heart of the matter quickly, avoiding false leads and wasted time. Sometimes power disturbances can be elusive, especially to personnel not trained in power quality analysis techniques. Our service technicians are equipped to tackle the most
evasive power disturbance. When warranted, our staff can place sophisticated equipment in strategic locations to monitor electrical supply over time. For most applications, we would monitor events over one seven-day business cycle to construct an accurate electrical current profile during peak and low-demand power usage periods. Our veteran service technicians know how to identify the best location for the placement of monitoring equipment, and are experienced at selecting optimal instrument threshold levels for electrical current analyses. This expertise assures that you will get a true and meaningful analysis of your electrical systems.
Maintenance Service Results and Recommendations
We follow up each service visit with a thorough written report. This vital documentation includes a summary and accurate analysis of our findings, in addition to recommendations for maintenance, repairs and modifications. This documentation is an essential component for justifying equipment upgrades and assuring safety compliance.
Historical Profile and Follow-Up
Electrex Industrial Solutions is a full-service company. Our services range from crisis management to prevention to electrical systems enhancement. In emergencies, we can be at your facility on short notice to get your plant up and running. For the long-term, we can design and implement a custom designed, comprehensive Preventative Maintenance Service Program (PMSP) to keep your facility running smoothly.
Our Power Quality Analysis of your electrical systems and equipment, especially when coupled with our PMSP, will give us a precise picture of the electrical environment of your company. As you partner with us over time, we will develop an accurate historical profile of your electrical infrastructure – system and equipment changes, maintenance history, and trends – arming us with the knowledge required to meet your evolving company needs.
The Results
Protect your employees and equipment; eliminate unexplainable production interruptions and downtime; improve productivity, while reducing loss. Call Electrex Industrial Solutions, your partner in power quality assurance. 1-800-973-9266.
