A power quality analyzer (also known as a three-phase power quality tester) is used to measure electrical power signals to determine the ability of a load to function properly at that electrical power. Without the right power supply, electrical equipment can fail prematurely or malfunction. There are many different factors that can lead to a decrease in power quality.
Power quality analyzers track several electrical parameters, including AC voltage, AC current power, and frequency. Electrical data parameters include demand and peak demand. The power requirement is the actual power used by the monitored system. The peak power requirement is the maximum amount of power that can be used. Typically, power parameters are measured in watts (W), volt-ampere (VA), and reactive voltammetry (var). Watt is a unit of electrical energy that indicates the rate of energy produced or consumed by an electrical device. Volt-ampere is equal to the current flowing in a circuit multiplied by the voltage of that circuit. A volt-ampere reactor identifies the reactance component of a voltammetry.
Power quality analyzers and power meters detect mysterious interferences: disturbances that are unsatisfactory with the operation of a process or sensitive equipment and appear to be inconsistent with any identifiable source of power interference. Things like ground loops, high-speed transients, lightning, and common-mode electrical noise come to mind. Many of these events disappear in a short period of time, making them difficult to identify unless using a power interference analyzer that uses high-speed waveforms or event capture.
It can also detect repetitive periodic disturbances inside and outside the facility. These issues will be repetitive and cyclical in nature, certainly power-related, and wire-to-wire. Examples include voltage dips and surges, transient interruptions caused by circuit breaker operation, and power interruptions.
Power quality analyzers can also measure harmonic distortion, which is an interference associated with integer multiples of the basic supply frequency (60 Hz). As we all know, this region is a subset of the power-dependent region, as harmonic currents and voltages are always present. However, finding these issues and identifying alternatives to our solutions may require special strategies.