Description:

Most industrial electrical loads are designed for 3 phases of current at either 480 volts or 600 volts. A 600 volt motor is optimized when it receives 3 phases of current at 600 volts. Often, electrical systems can become destabilized and each phase will deliver current at a different voltage such as 570, 580 and 590 volts respectively. Even minor imbalances can generate heat and electrical losses.

Traditional Solution:

Minor imbalances are generally left uncorrected and major imbalances are fixed by expensive projects such as rewiring equipment and balancing loads between phases, replacing motors and adding transformers.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Stabilizes voltage across all three phases using a combination of LRC tank circuits and phase shifting reactors. In the above example, the voltage in all three phases will be balanced to 600 volts +/- .5% to 1%. Balancing the voltage across all three phases reduces heat and electrical losses.

 

 

Description:

Unbalanced loads can cause phase currents, thus creating negative voltage sequences and circulating currents. This can result in higher equipment maintenance costs and failures. Additionally, imbalanced loads may generate higher demand charges from the utility if the utility is billing demand on the highest phase.

Traditional Solution:

Minor fluctuations are generally left un-corrected. Significant un-balanced loads can be re-wired to equalize the load between phases.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Balances the load over three phases and mitigates phase currents, thus reducing negative voltage sequences and circulating currents. This minimizes equipment maintenance costs and failures. Current balancing can often reduce demand charges from the utility.

 

 

Description:

Voltage may also fluctuate due to large inrush currents caused by motors that draw large currents during startup.

Traditional Solution:

Minor fluctuations are generally left uncorrected. If significant fluctuations occur additional capacitor banks can be added and transformers tapped to higher voltages. However, traditional capacitor banks may actually magnify the fluctuations and increase resonance harmonics and destabilize voltage. Additionally, UPS boxes can be installed to protect critical equipment from low voltage sags.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Improves voltage within each phase and decrease fluctuations and allow motors to run more efficiently. Additionally, PowerKureTM uses LRC tank circuits and zigzag reactors to capture and recycle losses as needed.

 

 

Description:

Voltage may also fluctuate within a single phase. Depending on the loads, the phase can be measured within a range with a maximum, a minimum and an average voltage. Motors and equipment are designed to be most efficient at a set voltage and any minor fluctuations, up or down, will decrease the motor’s efficiency, generate heat and electrical losses. Significant voltage fluctuations can cause equipment to shut down or fail.

Traditional Solution:

Minor fluctuations are generally left uncorrected. If significant fluctuations occur, additional capacitor banks can be added and transformers tapped to higher voltages. However, traditional capacitor banks may actually magnify the fluctuations, increase resonance harmonics and destabilize voltage. Additionally, UPS boxes can be installed to protect critical equipment from low voltage sags.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Improves voltage within each phase and decrease fluctuations and allow motors to run more efficiently. Additionally, PowerKureTM uses LRC tank circuits and zigzag reactors to capture and recycle losses as needed.

 

 

Description:

Electrical surges, transients and spikes, can burn out motors, harm computers and lighting and significantly damage plant equipment.

Traditional Solution:

Traditional surge protectors chop voltage spikes at a preset level and send them to ground.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Captures minor surges and recycles them to usable energy. Extreme surges are sent to ground.

 

 

Description:

Most AC electrical equipment in North America is designed for AC electricity at 60 Hz or alternating cycles per second. Any electrical current above 60Hz is called a harmonic. Harmonics are not only wasted power but can also damage equipment.

Traditional Solution:

Traditional methods of correcting harmonics include capturing the harmonic and sending it to ground or using power to generate the inverse harmonic to cancel out the original harmonic.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Captures broadband harmonics or electrical frequencies above 60 Hz and then recycles the wasted electricity back to 60 Hz. This reduces electrical losses and improves equipment longevity.

 

 

Description:

In alternating current (AC) systems with inductive loads, i.e. motors, the current waveform often lags the voltage waveform. The greater the variance, the lower the power factor, the more energy wasted. Additionally, utilities apply a power factor penalty to electric bills if power factor drops below a predetermined efficiency.

Traditional Solution:

The traditional method to improve power factor is to add capacitor banks. However, capacitor banks can increase resonance, surges, transients, harmonics, and increase KW and KWH as a result of increased motor torque and inrush currents.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Optimizes the power factor between .95 and .99 without traditional capacitor banks and their associated side effects. PowerKureTM will monitor the power factor and add capacitance, as needed, to maintain it at a predetermined level.

 

Description:

A brownout is a temporary voltage decrease from the supply. Brownouts can damage equipment and can also shut down operations.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Increases and maintains voltage during temporary brownouts, reducing equipment shutdowns. This is an optional feature that can be incorporated into the PowerKureTM system.

 

 

Description:

A momentary supply interruption is a temporary loss of voltage. These types of failures can shut down entire facilities and cause production malfunctions. They are generally caused by the utility company switching loads, lines, and source supplies. These types of switching events generally cause a complete loss of supply for several cycles. Momentary interruptions are generally less then 3 seconds. Temporary interruptions are generally between 3 seconds and one minute. Long term interruptions generally last longer then 1 minute.

PowerKure^TM Solution:

Supplies continuous voltage during momentary supply interruptions of short durations, generally 0.5 seconds (30 cycles) or less. This is an optional feature that can be incorporated into the PowerKureTM system.