Unveil Your Voltage - The Importance of Power Quality Analysers

In this blog, TMG shows you why a power quality analyser should be in your toolkit.

Why Are Power Analysers Important?

The prevalence of highly energy-dependant technology in commercial and industrial settings continues to rise. Consequently, ensuring equipment is functioning at optimum efficiency is of growing concern. Power quality plays a vital role in a machine’s efficient performance, but this is too often overlooked, resulting in an annual cost of around 400 billion AUD globally.

It is no secret that lower power quality equals increased energy costs. Not only will low power quality increase your equipment’s energy usage, but it can also lead to financial penalties for excessive peak power demands.

A lesser-known effect of poor power quality is equipment problems. Without decent quality power, your equipment can fail or even incur damage, increasing the cost of maintenance/repairs. However, there is a solution - this is where the power quality analyser comes in. Power quality analysers belong in every tool kit for maintaining/troubleshooting electronic equipment.

What Does a Power Quality Analyser Do?

Power quality analysers are designed to measure the quality of the power flow in an electrical system. They work by analysing a sample of the AC voltage from various segments along a waveform. From there, a power analyser can display the power measurements for your system, including true RMS, voltage and current. Some power quality analysers can process more than the standard power measurements, providing analyses such as:

• Efficiency mapping
• Fast Fourier Transform and harmonic analysis
• Fundamental power and RMS values
• Polar diagrams and symmetrical components
• Space vectors and DQ-currents

With a comprehensive power analysis, you get an understanding of where your system is working and where it is failing. However, it is important to bear in mind that not all power quality analysers do the same job. When looking for a unit, be sure to know which one accommodates your system’s design and maintenance. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when choosing a power quality analyser:

• What is the total power of your system? Is it single-phase or three-phase? Are you using solar power?
• Do you require logging or connectivity capabilities?
• What values do you want the device to display?
• What voltage events are you assessing (e.g., dips & swells, flickers, harmonics, transients, etc.)?
• Are you interested in other parameters or calculations, such as crest factor, power inverter efficiency, etc.?

TMG’s Latest Addition

Tekon 570 Touch Screen Single and Three Phase Power Quality Analyser

The Tekon 570 Power Quality Analyser is a handheld instrument that accurately measures, diagnoses and analyses electrical power characteristics and the parameters of power distribution for communication related systems.

With a 7-inch touch screen and a flexible coil clamp as standard, this lightweight unit is one of the most user-friendly analysers on offer. It has the capability to measure power and electrical parameters simultaneously, and displays how to conduct wiring and measurements on the touchscreen. The intuitive user interface allows you to download, view, and analyse the stored data, and create reports in an EN50160 format.

Remember:

Poor power quality means increased energy costs. Discover the difference the Tekon 570 can make for the efficiency of your equipment!

Contact TMG Today

TMG has been providing Australia’s data and telecommunications industries with cutting edge network test equipment for over 30 years. To speak to one of our friendly, experienced team members today, head to the contact section of our website.