POWER - FEATURE
3 Connectivity Tips for Switchgear and UPS Power Quality Monitoring As more and more electrical equipment is used in industrial applications, the need to protect these critical systems also increases. Unexpected power outages lead not only to higher maintenance costs of your electrical equipment but also to lower operational efficiency, productivity, and overall business revenue. To ensure a stable power supply, you need to monitor the power quality in your application to protect your electrical equipment from unwanted interruptions and damaging fluctuations. Switchgears and uninterrupted power supplies (UPSs) are two essential pieces of equipment to consider when developing
a comprehensive power quality monitoring plan. In general, switchgears are the first stop when utility power flows into your factories and data centers. These devices transform voltage, monitor power current, and protect your industrial equipment from abnormal fluctuations in electricity. As a result, you need to constantly monitor the status of circuit breakers, surge protectors, current transformers, and power quality meters used inside your switchgears. In addition, UPSs are used to provide nonstop power supply when the main power source fails and your backup power supply, such as a generator, is not immediately available. To monitor the real-time status of your application’s power quality, switchgears and UPSs need to connect with an energy management system (EMS) so that operators can make instant decisions to minimize system downtime. Establishing a reliable communication system in between allows you to monitor power quality and respond to emergencies in time. Here are three tips you can consider when developing your communication systems for power quality monitoring applications. First, your communication system needs to withstand high EMI. As for your electrical equipment, communication systems for power quality monitoring also need to be protected to ensure operators can receive the real-time status of power quality. Your communication devices are usually located near power systems that generate high EMI, which can easily interrupt network communications.
32 09 | 2021 BISinfotech
