Using fixed gear mounted power quality monitors to perform a power factor and harmonic analysis

Industrial plant electrical engineers are installing gear-mounted power quality monitors for monitoring power usage and demand for processes within their facility. Engineers also monitor and trend power quality-related parameters to detect equipment misoperation or potential power system trouble. This paper briefly describes an actual plant-wide gear-mounted power quality meter installation at a tire manufacturing facility. Just after the monitoring system was functional, power system engineers initiated a power factor correction/harmonic analysis of the plant. The power quality monitoring system provided harmonic voltage and current magnitudes throughout the electrical distribution system. The authors focus upon the contribution and advantages of a fixed gear-mounted power quality monitoring system to complete a power factor and harmonic study.