What is a Power Quality Analyzer?

A power quality analyzer (also known as a three-phase power quality analyzer) is used to measure a power signal to determine the ability of a load to function properly under that power. Without the right power supply, electrical equipment can fail or malfunction prematurely. There are many different factors that can lead to a decrease in power quality.

Power quality analyzers can track many electrical parameters, including AC voltage, AC current power, and frequency. Electrical data parameters include demand and peak demand. The power demand is the actual power used by the monitoring system.

The peak power requirement is the maximum amount of power that can be used. Typically, power parameters are measured in watts (W), volt-ampere (VA), and volt-ampere reactive power (var). A watt is a unit of electrical energy that represents the rate at which an electrical device produces or consumes energy.

Volt-ampere is equal to the current flowing in the circuit multiplied by the voltage of the circuit. Voltammetry reactors identify the reactive component of voltammetry.

Power quality analyzers and power meters can detect mysterious disturbances: those who are dissatisfied with the operation of a process or sensitive equipment that seem to be inconsistent with any identifiable power source. Ground loops, high-speed transients, lightning, and common-mode electrical noise come to mind.

Many of these events disappear in a short period of time, making it difficult to identify them unless using a power interference analyzer that uses high-speed waveforms or event capture.

Power quality analyzers can also detect repetitive, periodic disturbances inside and outside the facility. These issues are repetitive and cyclical in nature and are certainly related to power and wire-to-wire. Examples include voltage dips and surges, transient interruptions due to circuit breaker operation, and power interruptions.

Power quality analyzers can also measure harmonic distortion, i.e. interference associated with integer multiples of the base supply frequency (60 Hz). It is known that this region is a subset of the electricity-related regions because harmonic currents and voltages are constantly present. However, it may be necessary to adopt a special strategy when looking for these problems and identifying alternatives to our solutions.

A power quality analyzer (also known as a three-phase power quality analyzer) contains instruments for devices that process the results of various electricity measurements in order to analyze them qualitatively and quantitatively to comply with current standards and requirements. It also often includes equipment for recording and storing events of regulatory violations. It is often used in conjunction with a device used to measure the amount of electricity, such as an energy meter.

They are also known as electrical analyzers.

Designed to determine whether the power quality meets the technical specifications, standards and contractual conditions in the case of a single inspection inspection and continuous monitoring. Very useful for troubleshooting and energy distribution systems. By design, power quality analyzers can be both portable and stationary.

The choice of one type or another type of analyzer depends on the scope of the task to be solved. Typical applications for handheld analyzers are:

conducting energy surveys (energy audits);

developing an energy balance;

Network balancing through feeders and stages;

Select reactive power compensator;

Monitor the functionality of energy systems and networks, identify and eliminate faults and violations.

Modern power quality analyzers, combined with fuel gauges, operate on the principle of gating or sampling (sampling from English). The current and voltage in the network are measured multiple times in a short period of time during the network frequency cycle. To facilitate subsequent processing, the number of measurements per cycle is usually equal to the integer power of 2 and can reach 512 or greater.

As a result, an array of data is received at the input of the analysis device regarding the instantaneous values of current and voltage and their dependence on time. This allows the use of mathematical algorithms to calculate various parameters of power quality, as well as to calculate the amount of electricity that passes through the connection points of the device at a given time.

Power quality analyzers record a large number of indicators, starting with power quality indicators that are normalized to current standards. Quality standards for electrical energy in general power supply systems. Although the power quality metrics normalized by these criteria are essentially the same, the recommended calculation methods and formulas can vary significantly.

As a result, power quality analyzers designed for one country may not always be fully applicable to another.

Power Quality Indicators:

stable deviation of the voltage from the normal value;

voltage variation amplitude and scintillation dose;

the distortion coefficient of the sinusoidal voltage curve;

the coefficient of the nth harmonic component of the voltage;

Opposite stress asymmetry coefficients;

stress asymmetry coefficient of the null sequence;

frequency deviation from normal value;

voltage dip duration;

impulse voltage; transient overvoltage coefficient;

In addition to the above, a power quality analyzer usually allows you to determine a large number of other parameters that allow you to evaluate the quality of the grid, the optimal distribution of loads, etc.

A very important parameter determined by almost all modern power quality analyzers is the amplitude of the phase shift between current and voltage. The presence of such an offset indicates the reactivity of the load in the circuit.