Application Note

ManualsBrandsFluke ManualsPower Quality AnalyzersFluke 437 Series

Utility

power

480 V

Ground

system

Main switchgear

UPS

PDU

Servers

480 V

panel

Starter Disconnect

Disconnect

Power

factor

correction

capacitors

Motor

Disconnect

Adjustable

speed motor

drive

Motor

Transfer

switch

480 V/

277 V

panel

120 V/

202 V

panel

Lighting

Transformer

Emergency

generator

Receptacle

000124

CAT II

300 V

CAT III

1000 V

CAT IV

600 V

From the Fluke Digital Library @ www.fluke.com/library

Productivity is the key to survival in today’s globally competitive environment. When

you think about the basic inputs to production—time, labor, and materials—you can

see there isn’t much room for optimization. You have 24 hours per day, labor is costly,

and you don’t have much choice in materials. Thus, every company must use automa-

tion to gain more output from the same inputs, or perish.

So, we rely on automation, which in turn relies on clean power. Power quality

problems can cause processes and equipment to malfunction or shut down. And the

consequences can range from excessive energy costs to complete work stoppage.

Obviously, power quality is critical.

Application Note

The costs of poor

power quality

Summary of content (4 pages)

PAGE 1
The costs of poor power quality Application Note Productivity is the key to survival in today’s globally competitive environment. When you think about the basic inputs to production—time, labor, and materials—you can see there isn’t much room for optimization. You have 24 hours per day, labor is costly, and you don’t have much choice in materials. Thus, every company must use automation to gain more output from the same inputs, or perish. So, we rely on automation, which in turn relies on clean power.
PAGE 2
The interdependence of various systems adds layers of complexity to power quality issues. Your computers are fine, but the network is down so nobody can book a flight or file an expense report. The process is operating correctly, but the HVAC has shut down and production must stop. Mission-critical systems exist throughout the facility and throughout the enterprise—power quality problems can bring any one of these to a grinding halt at any time. And that will usually be the worst possible time.
PAGE 3
Useful kilowatts (power available) Reactive (unusable) power Kilowatts made unusable by unbalance issues Kilowatts made unusable by harmonics Neutral current Total cost of wasted kilowatt hours Energy costs To reduce your power bill, you need to record consumption patterns and adjust the system and load timing to reduce one or more of the following. 1. Actual power (kWh) usage 2. Power factor penalties 3.
PAGE 4
Saving money with PQ You’ve tallied up the costs of poor power quality. Now, you need to know how to eliminate those costs. The following steps will get you there. • Examine design. Determine how your system can best support your processes and what infrastructure you need to prevent failure. Verify circuit capacity before installing new equipment. Re-check critical equipment after configuration changes. • Comply with standards. For example, examine your grounding system for compliance with IEEE-142.