Industrial Maintenence and Plant Operation

I M P O

• S E P T E M B E R

6 stable loads, is shown below. Although this fairly efficient process had pre-existing power factor levels averaging .91 prior to modifications, the resulting impact on the power quality characteristics is easily apparent. The current load demands were reduced by about 12 percent, active power demands (k W) were reduced by approximately six percent, and apparent power demands (kVa) were reduced by approximately 12 percent.

Dynamic power quality enhancement systems – these systems can measure, calculate and correct voltage imbalance at a speed of less than 1 cycle (1/60 second).

Baseline Analysis Chart Post-Treatment Analysis Chart

For the highly dynamic processes, the impact was even greater. The sawmill saw k W demand reductions of over 26 percent prior to production adjustments and over 11. 5 percent with production adjustments made during the analysis. Additionally, areas where modifications were not financially justified also saw improvements. Due to the voltage stabilization and reduction of transference of power quality characteristics between electrical circuits, a three percent savings in active power was also observed on the untreated systems after production adjustments were accounted for.

More significant was the secondary impact on the operations. By stabiliz-ing the voltage to a tight bandwidth, all previous drive issues, motor breaker trips, and phantom alerts observed were significantly reduced or eliminated after implementation. This significantly improved the operation’s production time and considerably reduced the unplanned downtime associated with these issues, which were previously not associated with power quality concerns. Although the energy savings and capacity improvements were considerable, the MRO cost savings observed far exceeded the monthly savings from utility electrical costs including power factor penalties.

For this customer, because of their ability to measure, calculate and correct voltage imbalance at a speed of less than one cycle, a dynamic power quality solution was the right choice. What is right for your facility? Whether it's capacitor banks, static or dynamic conditioning units, the best place to start is by engaging a qualified electrical power quality provider that will take long-term measurements to validate your facility's needs and provide the right power quality solution.