About Axiom
What's New?
Contact Us

Electrical Design
List of Services

Power Distribution
Lighting Design
Lightning Protection
UPS/emergency Power
Power Conditioning
Fire Alarm Systems
Telecom Infrastructure
CCTV Surveillance
Electric Snow Melting
Due Diligence Reports

Client-only Section
INSIDE Newsletter
Feature Project

Reference Library
List of Links
Info Request

Power Conditioning Systems

Types of Applications: 

• Essential-Service Buildings (fire, police, ambulance)
• Office Buildings and Hotels
• Computer and TeleCommunications Centres
• Universities, Schools, and Playground Areas
• Hospital and Military Installations
• Industrial Facilities with Large Motor Loads
• Mission-Critical Installations and Equipment

The following is a list of significant types of quality problems that are commonly found in modern installations 

• Extended Outages

 
These are usually the most recognized and are a result of a permanent electrical fault in utility distribution system(s). 
 
• Momentary Interruptions

 
As the name suggests, these are temporary total-voltage loss events that are typically caused by automatic overcurrent protection devices tripped by the utility grid while clearing faults in their distribution system(s).
 
• Sags

 
Sags are defined as events where the voltage levels on a transmission line/circuit are lower than the specified nominal level (ie 120volts, 600volts, etc) for a period of 2 seconds or less. These are usually a result of large motor loads starting or electrical faults within the local distribution system.
 
• Surges

 
These are temporary voltage increases with a duration of 2 seconds or less. Surges are typically caused by lightning or the switching of large loads.
 
• Impulses and Noise

 
These are overvoltage conditions that last for less than one-half a voltage cycle or 1/120th of a second. Since the actual waveform is a sharp rise and fall of the voltage, impulses are commonly referred to as spikes or transients. Lightning and load-switching can cause large impulses. 
 
Noise is a repetitive impulse that is superimposed on the power sine wave. Noise can be caused by radio transmitters, lighting that incorporates ballasts (fluorescent, HID, etc), battery chargers, computers, and even loose electrical connections.
 
• Harmonics

 
This distortion is actually a form of noise and manifests itself as the superposition of signals at multiples of the fundamental power frequency on the power sine wave. The most commonly known are the triplin harmonics which are notorious for damaging distribution equipment and electronics.
 
• Poor Power Factor

 
Power factor is defined as the ratio between the real power (measured in watts)  and the apparent power (measured in volt-amps or va) that must be provided to run a piece of equipment. In simple terms, power factor is a measure of the electrical efficiency of equipment or distribution system. The ideal power factor value is '1' or unity. The local utility imposes a penalty charge to clients that have power factors lower than 0.90 or 90% efficiency. A poor power factor reduces the load capacity of the affected distribution system and could result in equipment damage, overloads, and line noise. Large motor loads are the most common cause, although lighting ballasts are also a concern in larger projects. By correcting the power factor, your client could save thousands per year in utility penalty charges while increasing his load capacity.

1.   Regulating Line Filter (for voltage) - RLF

For small electrical loads, we specify RLF units to keep equipment operational through voltage sags and minor surges. The specification of these units depends on the equipment load requirements and is reserved for load-specific applications.

For critical applications such as medical equipment and industrial computers and PLCs, we recommend that ILFs be used to physically isolate the equipment from the power source, while simultaneously providing noise filtering. This type of filtering is also reserved for load-specific applications and must be carefully specified.

This is the backbone of ALL good power-quality solutions, whether external conditioning methods are used or not. The proper grounding, bonding, and earthing of electrical panelboards, wiring, conduits, and equipment is critical in solving the majority of power-quality problems. We examine the equipment and distribution configuration of each project and determine the areas that require enhanced grounding techniques. We can also specify panelboards to come complete with enhanced grounding systems to assist in facility-wide power quality solutions.

Although TVSS is a well-known term in the building and electrical industry, its proper use is not.  TVSS works best when configured in a cascaded protection system. These units can effectively cut power surges and provide integral line filtering. By placing the correct TVSS on the main incoming power supply and in key locations throughout the distribution system, the overall transient protection can be 8-10 times higher than installing a single TVSS at the main supply alone. We identify the equipment most susceptible to surges and specify TVSS units to counteract the adverse effects. We also specify TVSS units for incoming data and telecommunications lines and at critical points in the communications infrastructure.

We specify small UPS units for desktop or single-server LAN systems as part of the cascaded protection system. This ensures that the equipment and associated applications are not affected by short-term (30-60minute) disturbances.

Where outages, sags, surges, and noise needs to be addressed on a larger scale, we specify UPS units and/or emergency generator systems. Please refer to the UPS section of our list of services for additional information.
 

Click the menubar links to the left under "Services Contents" to obtain detailed information on each of the services we provide. If you'd like us to submit a Fee Proposal for your project, please go to the Fee Request Form.We look forward to working with you.