Power quality analyzers (also known as three-phase power quality analyzers) are used to measure electrical power signals to determine the ability of a load to operate normally at that electrical power. Without the correct power source, electrical equipment can fail prematurely or malfunction. There are many different factors that can cause power quality to degrade.
Power quality analyzers track several electrical parameters, including AC voltage, AC current power, and frequency. Electrical data parameters include demand and peak demand. Electrical demand is the actual power used by the monitored system. Peak power demand 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 (VAR). A watt is a unit of electrical energy that expresses the rate of energy produced or consumed by electrical equipment. Volt ampere is equal to the current flowing in a circuit multiplied by the voltage of that circuit. A volt-ampere reactor identifies the reactive component of the volt-ampere.
Power quality analyzers and power meters detect mysterious disturbances: disturbances that are unsatisfactory with the operation of a process or sensitive equipment, and appear to be inconsistent with any identifiable source of power disturbances. Things like ground loops, high speed transients, lightning and common mode electrical noise come to mind. Many of these events disappear within a short period of time, making them difficult to identify unless using a power disturbance analyzer that uses high-speed waveform or event capture.
Power quality analyzers can also detect repetitive periodic disturbances inside and outside the facility. The problems will be repetitive and periodic in nature, definitely power related, and line-to-line. Examples include voltage dips and surges, momentary interruptions caused by circuit breaker operation, and power interruptions.
Power quality analyzers can also measure harmonic distortion, which are disturbances associated with integer multiples of the fundamental power frequency (60 Hz). It is well known that this region is a subset of the power-dependent region because harmonic currents and voltages are constantly present. However, finding these issues and identifying alternatives to our solutions may require special strategies.
