While modern industrial facilities are enjoying huge benefits from the evolution of power electronic devices in terms of productivity, quality or cost-reduction, their high sensitivity and little ride-through capability to common power quality disturbances result in significant economic losses. There is still a gap when facing to apply some of these power quality solutions in high power industrial processes, for several reasons (investment, space, long-term energy losses cost, high temperatures or dirtiness, regenerative loads), since most of them were developed for IT industries. When immunizing against disturbances, purchasing cost, return on investment versus saving, maintenance cost, efficiency, size, reliability or availability are the key decision criteria to industrial decision makers.
In order to clearly identify responsibilities for voltage quality disturbances on the point of connection (POC), voltage and current requirements have to be available at the POC. So the relation between inrush currents, flicker severity levels and grid impedances in the low voltage grid should be explained. Furthermore maximum harmonic currents at the POC in low voltage grids are determined by using these grid impedances.
J Cobben explains how he and his team developed a very simple ABCDEF classification to help everybody having a common tool to assess power quality requirements.
Power Quality cost analysis is always subject to different vision within the same site or company. Amir Broshi explains why such difference of point of views exists and are linked to one’s partial vision of a global problem. As a conclusion he offers a tool, a simple check list to have a complete overview of poor power quality costs impacts for electricity professionals as well as the decision makers, financial & site managers.
In this interview, Keiichi Hirose from NTT Facilities, presents the first trial to take place in Japan in the area of power quality concepts and solutions. This field
demonstration of a multiple power quality supply system is leaded by NTT
Facilities. It has developed and installed a multiple power quality supply system that has the capability to feed four classes of alternative current (AC) and one of direct current (DC) power while meeting various customer requirements. The system also has three types of distributed generator (DG): gas engine sets, fuel cells, and photovoltaic panels. NTT Facilities started the project in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 and plans to continue it for four years. A review of the project’s first three years was done @EPQU’07 conference.
Bart Franken & Erwin Hoeskma from Kema explain what regulators need to consider in establishing an effective voltage quality regulatory framework for distribution networks. In particular, they consider the regulation of five voltage quality dimensions: short interruptions, voltage dips, flicker, supply voltage variation, and harmonic distortions. Their work assesses the most appropriate regulatory control method and presents practical experiences through a number of case studies.
Zbigniew Hanzelka from AGH University in Krakow presents his research group, the EPQU periodicals (Journal & Magazine), the Power Quality book as well as future trends on effective utilisation of electrical power.
European utilities have a great impact on liberalization, globalization, regulations and environmental issues. Technology and Innovation has become the key drive to offer added value to its final clients and its strategic advantage over competitors. Eduardo Mascarell explains how Endesa is going to enhance a traditional maintenance model based on corrective and preventive tasks, into predictive models where the key word is “reliability”.The aim is to consider what are the critical tasks and its periodicity to achieve the best performance of the equipments.
In the last two decades, the customer’s urge for good quality of power supply has increased due to the use of more sensitive electronic devices which on the other hand might influence the electricity network too.
At present, no definite responsibility with respect to power quality (PQ) aspects at the point of connection (POC) is defined in the European standard EN50160 or other standard.
So Sharmistha Bhattacharyya explains why voltage quality regulation is needed in today’s electricity infrastructure.
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