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When it comes to analyzing electrical parameters associated with distributing electricity, many electrical professionals view this task as complex engineering work and find it somewhat intimidating. Yet, for engineers, electricians, and technicians troubleshooting equipment problems — and for contractors maintaining electrical systems they may have once installed — measuring power quality is becoming as much of a necessity as using the clamp ammeter to find out why the overloaded circuits keep tripping.
The key to success in power quality measurement and analysis can be attributed to success in three key areas. Set goals and plan the survey by reviewing one-line diagrams to determine points to monitor. Learn the functions and features of the test equipment and how to use it to capture the needed values. Finally, know what to look for while observing data whether in the field or after it is downloaded to the computer.
To learn power quality measurement and analysis basics as well as how to interpret the results of a power quality site survey, read the latest article from Randy Burnett, a certified energy auditor and trainer for NTT Workforce Development Institute in Centennial, Colo., on EC&M's website.
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Industry News
According to tests recently completed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, Calif., unmanned aircraft systems (or drones) can be used effectively to assess storm damage on utility distribution systems.
Conducted at the New Mexico State University Flight Test Center, the tests involved navigating several aircraft technologies and using high-resolution video cameras to transmit images of power lines from a height of 5,000 ft to 7,000 ft — images that can be used by electric utilities to assess damage and pinpoint its location following a storm.
In the wake of a storm, damage assessment is frequently a choke point in power restoration due largely to obstacles, such as downed trees blocking roads or icy conditions that make it extremely difficult for utility crews to get to and report on distribution line damage. “Our research clearly shows that drones may provide utilities a tool that could reduce outage restoration time,” says Matthew Olearczyk, senior program manager for distribution research at EPRI. “Using live steaming video information, utility system operators would be able to dramatically improve damage assessment.”
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This practical guide explains how to identify the origin of disturbances in electrical systems and analyze them for effective mitigation and control. Transients in Electrical Systems considers all transient frequencies, ranging from 0.1 Hz to 50 MHz, and discusses transmission line and cable modeling as well as frequency dependent behavior. Results of EMTP simulations, solved examples, and detailed equations are included in this comprehensive resource.
The book is currently available for purchase via EC&M Books.
The GE Multilin EPM 9900 power quality meter is designed for monitoring critical power applications. The meter captures and records power system events at a very high speed, high resolution, and with high accuracy, enabling users to monitor, mitigate, and troubleshoot potential power quality anomalies. According to the company, users can quickly extract data with download speeds 20 times faster than conventional power quality meters. In addition, the 10-MHz sampling frequency and the 1-GB storage memory records transients as short as 1-msec to large system events spanning minutes and hours.
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