Power System studies may include Protection Coordination studies, Load Flow and Short Circuit analysis, Arc Flash Safety analysis, and more complex scenarios such as Transient analysis for stability, and Harmonic analysis for power quality.
Power System and Protection Coordination studies are not limited to greenfield sites. Sporadic plant expansion or upgrades over many years with no new protection coordination design often result in overloaded feeders, inappropriate settings and major unnecessary power losses for minor problems. In such cases, the protection coordination study needs to be revisited with a site-wide review to improve the safety and reliability of the system.
Working on or around equipment with high fault levels requires the highest levels of risk control. Persons in control of a workplace are required by law to provide a safe working environment. Usually, specially trained competent persons are required to provide an electrical access permit for any works on or near electrical equipment, after performing the required switching. Even then, the operators need to be aware of the specific risks in any approach to live
Fast-acting Electromagnetic Transients require a more detailed waveform analysis when compared to other types of RMS Power system studies. Power electronics, high voltage DC transmission (HVDC), flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS), traction power systems and complex controllers require a dedicated Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMT) for simulation and analysis, as well as a deep understanding of the fundamental principles and experience in interpretation of the
Harmonic Analysis is often considered one of the more advanced studies in power systems, but that does not mean that it is not critical. There are many causes of power harmonics, including an increase in the percentage of Variable Frequency Drives or other electronic motor control systems, Static Converters (e.g. Rail Traction systems), Inverter Based Resources (IBR, as used in Renewable Power Systems), extensive use of UPS or other equipment with Switch Mode Power Suppl
Appropriate power protection coordination of various elements ensures minimal disturbance in isolation of a fault event. Major shutdowns caused by nuisance tripping and poor coordination cost money in lost production and possible spoiled product (as an example, a typical large mine may lose $100k to $150k per hour through an unscheduled power interruption, or about $1,600 to $2,500 per minute! Through detailed cascading design considerations and system simulations from H
Load Flow is a fundamental principle of Power System Analyses. Voltex Power Engineers will run studies of your Power System to ensure that under all foreseeable conditions, equipment and cables are not overloaded, that voltage drop and power quality remain within acceptable limits, and where issues arise, to explore mitigation options such as power factor correction or load management and redistribution. Short Circuit analysis allows us to determine fault currents and au
