Energy and Power
Many engineers advocate the use of multiple-transfer switches
Automatic transfer switches are primarily used for emergency and standby power generation systems. These transfer switches may incorporate overcurrent protection and are designed and applied in accordance with the NEC, Articles 230, 517, 700, 701,702 and 710, and other applicable… Read more
Mar 23, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
4 Low Voltage Switchboard Partitioning Forms Defined By IEC 61439-2
There are 4 main reasons for partitioning a switchboard. To protect persons against direct contact with dangerous parts. The minimum degree of protection must be IPXXB. To protect the switchboard against the penetration of solid foreign bodies. The minimum degree of protection must be… Read more
Mar 20, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Eleven major causes of power system failures
To gain a broader understanding of power system reliability, it is necessary to understand the root causes of system faults and system failures. A description of major failure modes is provided below. Underground Cable Transformer Failures Lightning Tree Contact Birds… Read more
Mar 18, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Electronics
Should We Blame Supplier For Voltage Dips and Transients?
Voltage dips and transients are usually blamed on the supplier, but this is often unfair. There are many potential on-site causes; for example, starting of heavy loads may cause voltage dips and switching of inductive loads will generate transients. Let’s… Read more
Mar 11, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Why it’s important to know which type of power factor correction to use
It’s important to understand where the capacitors are to be installed for a better exploitation of such advantages. There are no general rules applicable to every type of installation and, in theory, capacitors can be installed at any point, but it… Read more
Mar 09, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Nine Recommended Practices for Grounding
Grounding and bonding are the basis upon which safety and power quality are built. The grounding system provides a low-impedance path for fault current and limits the voltage rise on the normally non-current-carrying metallic components of the electrical distribution system…. Read more
Mar 06, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Impulse withstand voltage test performed on assemblies
Only optional in the past, the impulse test which allow defining the rated impulse withstand voltage Uimp, is now a necessity thus demonstrating the strategy of the Standards directed to increasing the importance of such performance. In addition to the… Read more
Mar 02, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
6 recommended practices for increasing the power quality
Power quality concerns have traditionally focused on harmonics, which are generated by nonlinear loads, although there are many other concerns regarding isolating sensitive loads from transient disturbances, uneven ground potentials, or phase imbalances. Poor power quality affects the reliable operation of computers and… Read more
Feb 27, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Cables
4 practical approaches to minimize voltage drop problems
The NEC states in an Informational Note that a maximum voltage drop of 3% for branch circuit conductors, and 5% for feeder and branch circuit conductors together, will provide reasonable efficiency of operation for general use circuits. For sensitive electronic… Read more
Feb 25, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Smart Load Management Strategies To Save Energy
As part of their drive towards synchronizing the consumption and production of electrical energy over the long term, energy distribution companies tailor their rates to encourage consumers to reduce their requirements during peak periods. A number of different strategies are… Read more
Feb 18, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
How can I select the right capacitors for my specific application needs?
Once you’ve decided that your facility can benefit from power factor correction, you’ll need to choose the optimum type, size, and number of capacitors for your plant. There are two basic types of capacitor installations: individual capacitors on linear or… Read more
Feb 13, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Ring Main Unit (RMU) as an important part of secondary distribution substations
Before getting into “What is RMU” question, let’s say a word about the distribution system where RMU is often used. Distribution systems encompass power lines that transport energy from the transmission network or other sources to consumers, along with the… Read more
Feb 11, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
A real life analogy of the jurisdiction of the protection relay
Formally, a relay is a logical element which processes the inputs (mostly voltages and currents) from the system/apparatus and issues a trip decision if a fault within the protection relay‘s jurisdiction is detected. A conceptual diagram of relay is shown… Read more
Feb 09, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Datacenters
Emergency Lighting Power Supply in Data Center
Lighting is defined as emergency lighting when it is intended for operation when standard lighting fails. Emergency lighting must be powered by an independent energy source (typically a central power supply system) and is classified by the UNI EN 1838 standard… Read more
Feb 06, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Energy and Power
Voltage Imbalance Protection of Synchronous Generator (ANSI Code 60)
In an apparatus protection perspective, generators constitute a special class of power network equipment because faults are very rare, but can be highly destructive and therefore very costly when they occur. If for most utilities, generation integrity must be preserved… Read more
Feb 04, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
