Power Quality Projects

Power quality is a major concern for both power providers and users. With ever-increasingly sophisticated manufacturing processes, computer equipment, and microprocessor-based controls, power disturbances are becoming even less tolerable. This issue — combined with power users’ ability to select their own power provider — has caused many utilities to focus on power quality enhancements. S&C’s Power Systems Services has developed methodologies for simulating and studying a wide range of power quality phenomena. We can provide a total-solutions approach for power-quality-related issues, including engineering analysis, equipment monitoring, equipment installation, and system maintenance. One of the first steps in diagnosing a power quality issue is analysis of system conditions at the time of the event. This often involves modeling the system to see how it performs under transient or contingency-operating conditions. The results are used to determine the next step: additional analysis, equipment monitoring, or implementation of the proposed solution.

An example of Power Systems Services’ total-solutions approach can be seen at a microprocessor manufacturing facility in the southwestern U.S. This customer was constructing a major expansion and was searching for ways to ensure that reliable power would be available at all times. The slightest power system disturbance — such as voltage sag due to an upstream fault — could cause sensitive electronic equipment to drop-off line, ultimately leading to millions of dollars in scrapped product, equipment downtime, and personnel overtime. S&C devoted a considerable amount of time determining the best possible solution: a combination of an S&C PureWave® Source-Transfer System and a PureWave UPS™ System. Typically, one or the other is used for this type of application but, due to the extremely critical nature of their processes, this customer wanted additional levels of protection. Backup generators were installed as well to provide a third line of defense against system disturbances. Because this triple-redundant protection system could have unforeseen interactions, S&C performed additional studies to ensure that the system will respond as intended. Since Power Systems Services was awarded the project on a turnkey basis, the next step was to engineer and design the system, while managing the associated installation requirements. This work included equipment layouts and foundations, cable and conduit schedules, equipment procurement, customer-specific site safety procedures, and other project management tasks. Today, Power Systems Services continues to serve the customer by monitoring the system via a phone line.