In your or your customer’s plant, there are various machines. Most of them run on electricity. Generally utility company assures certain level of voltage. Some voltage fluctuations are often observed in the electricity supply. The voltage fluctuations are due to uneven demand of electricity or uneven loading pattern on the supply transformer.We shall see how these are connected to cost saving and energy saving overall.
Over Voltage
In case of over voltage, the system voltage rises up than a certain safe voltage level. This generally happens when the load on the utility supply transformer is less. Due to over voltage higher current flows through the appliances. Sometimes this current may exceed the safe value for which the appliances are designed and this may burn the appliances.
Apart from this, excess voltage draws more current through the cables and so there are more heat loss. More heat loss means more energy waste.Moreover, excess voltage results in saturation of iron core of the motors, wasting energy in eddy currents and increased hysteresis losses. So to save energy, one must keep the system voltage within optimum range.
Under Voltage
In case of under voltage, the system voltage falls down than a certain safe voltage level. This generally happens when the load on the utility supply transformer is more. When there is under voltage condition and appliance load requirement is constant, higher current flows through the appliances. Sometimes this current may exceed the safe value for which the appliances are designed and this may burn the appliances. Due to this high current, the copper losses or hating losses in the cable are higher. These heat losses are waste of energy. So to save energy, one must keep the system voltage within optimum range
Single Phase Fault
When any one phase of three phase supply fails, it is called as single phasing or single phase fault. When there is single phasing, the motor keeps running due to rotor inertia and two phase rotating magnetic field.So the other two live phases, draws more current than the safe value through the motor winding. This results in more copper losses and hence more energy waste. This may sometimes damage the winding and you may face breakdown of the machines or appliances.So to save energy, we must trip the device in case of single phase fault.
Voltage Unbalance Fault
When the voltages in all three phases have difference in value more than 10%, it is considered as voltage unbalance fault. In this case too, if there is three phase load, there will be uneven currents flowing through each leg. This current may cause heating losses in the cable. If we maintain the unbalance within limits, we can save energy.
So hope that the need of voltage optimization is clear now. Now how to do it? We, at SYCON, have a product called voltage relay in our product basket. This protects the appliances form all above faults. Moreover the appliance is protected from phase reversal. Please click here for more information.
You may install this devices in their plants for a greater universal cause of Energy Saving and to protect your appliances from above faults.
Good Luck !!
