Understanding power quality and its importance

According to Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standard IEEE 1100, power quality is defined as "the concept of powering and grounding sensitive electronic equipment in a manner suitable for the equipment".

POWER QUALITY STANDARDS

Poor power quality affects generators, distributors, and end-users of electric power. There are several standards and guidelines to aid in understanding poor power quality from the end-user's point-of-view. End-users such as commercial and industrial facilities use these standards as power quality metrics.

These metrics are used to assess the impact of their own equipment on the serving distribution grid. They are also used to assess the susceptibility of the end-user's own process, instrumentation and control equipment to both internally and externally generated poor power quality events.

Some important standards include:

EN 50161: Characteristics of the voltage (PQ) in public electricity supply networks.

IEEE 519: Recommended Practices and Requirements for Harmonics Control in Electrical Power Systems.

IEC/EN 61000-2-4: Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC): Ambient conditions; compatibility level for low frequency, conducted interferences in industrial plants.

IEC/EN 61000-4-30: Testing and measurement techniques – Power quality measurement methods.

Measuring helps to find out what equipment within the electrical distribution is causing Flicker, so as to minimise its impact.

POWER QUALITY MONITORING (PQM)

Power Quality Monitoring (PQM) is the process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting raw measurement data into useful information. PQM is often done to improve system-wide power quality performance and includes:

• Power Quality metering, monitoring and onsite measurements
• Temporary and Permanent power quality monitoring to facilitate problem solutions
• Documenting and trending system performance to increase system reliability

Benefits of Power Quality Monitoring (DIN EN 50160)

The ability to review stored, continuously recorded waveforms helps in the diagnosis of problems before an unwanted event recurs. Power quality analysis can also be used for pre-function testing to look closely at systems and their responses and to simulate transients and other events.

Power quality analytics could pinpoint what the root cause was e.g. an electrical spike, or a floating ground. Thus, PQM offers many benefits. These include:

• Secure, high-availability power supply
• Assured quality of the electrical energy through continuous monitoring and analysis
• Avoidance of overload situations
• Avoidance of production stoppages
• Maximisation of operating time
• Ensuring product quality and stable processes
• Production-related quality assurance by monitoring the local power quality
• Optimisation of maintenance costs

JANITZA AND POWER QUALITY MONITORING

For efficient power quality monitoring, power measurement and analysing, Messung presents Janitza's UMG 512 PRO - a fixed digital energy meters, universal measurement devices, power quality analyzers, peak demand management systems, RCM devices, etc. have placed them amongst the leading suppliers in this market.

In India, as it becomes mandatory for industries, infrastructure projects, data centres, etc. to install power quality meters and analyzers as per the latest IEEE 519-2014 and IEC 61000-4-30 standards, Janitza’s advanced yet cost-effective technology is increasing in relevance.

Janitza’s state-of-the-art solutions, backed by Messung’s in-depth knowhow and support, can help customers implement the optimal system - that fulfils mandatory requirements and helps you ensure power quality, maintain supply stability, protect assets and reduce costs.