 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contact Us |
Home |
| |
Industries |
| |
Products |
| |
About Us |
| |
White Papers |
| |
Articles |
| |
FAQs |
| |
Resources |
Frequently Asked QuestionsProblems & Issues
AVC Application
AVC Cost & Financial Considerations
AVC Installation & Environment
AVC Performance
Other
Problems & IssuesA: Voltage sags are caused by many different things.
A: Typically single sags do not cause immediate damage to production equipment. Some equipment can be damaged due to increased current when the voltage dips. Continuous variations of voltage cause damage over time. Very deep sags can cause an immediate failure.
A: It can be, severe voltage unbalance >3% does cause premature motor and electronics failures. Unbalanced voltage results in motors drawing more current than needed. Balancing voltages will reduce your electricity consumption. The AVC corrects voltage balance continuously.
A: See our cost and payback calculations works sheets by clicking here.
A: The key is to record data on voltage variations over a period of time. We can then determine the size of the problem See our Cost per Event calculator which you can use. Once we have voltage data and the size of the load to be protected in kVA we can issue a quote and financial justification can be made.
Q: At what voltages can the AVC be applied? A: The AVC is available for installations from 208V to 36kV.
A: Usually not; an AVC can be sized to protect a complete facility, however unless 80-85% of the kVA in the plant needs to be protected it does not make economic sense to protect all the loads. Instead we recommend targeting specific loads within your facility that are particularly sensitive or a very valuable part of your process. This results in the lowest cost to you and the best paybacks.
A: Yes, the AVC will operate in a 3 or 4 – wire configuration. A: Yes, the AVC is a very cost effective tool to reduce or eliminate flicker. Flicker is due to voltage variations AVC is applied only to those loads where flicker is a problem, provides clean constant voltage to these and eliminates flicker. The AVC does not add VARS so is very compact and efficient. Please review our technical bulletin – Voltage Regulation and Flicker Control
A: No, the AVC is a three phase 3-wire unit. It does correct for single phase line-neutral sags.
A: Yes, the AVC has the ability to handle regenerating loads (option). Most other power protection products cannot handle a regenerating current.
A: The AVC is a load dedicated device. It will correct all voltage anomalies that occur on the supply line and protect the load. However it does not correct current at all and therefore has no effect on Power Factor. Options for Power factor correction are available from Omniverter, click here.
A: Yes, the AVC is designed to work without affecting Power Factor capacitors.
A: This is ultimately your choice. Due to our internal bypass only 5% of our customers have installed wraparound bypass schemes at low voltage. However at medium voltage if the AVC is used at the service entrance to the facility it is mandatory per the NEC and CEC to install a bypass switchgear scheme.
A: No the AVC is voltage correction device. It does not change frequency or voltage. If you require frequency conversion please click here to view our Frequency converters.
Q: How much does the AVC cost to operate? A: The AVC consumes about 1% extra energy when operating
A: There is no ideal amount. This will vary based on the process you are running and also the frequency of the events that take place. In our experience almost all industries that fit the description of “high cost, high speed or continuous process” can achieve very fast paybacks
A: See our cost and payback calculations works sheets by clicking here.
A: Please contact us at 416-849-2299 or for a quotation
A: On an annual basis the power terminals need to be checked for tightness. IR scan is acceptable. No other work is required. A: Many reasons - an AVC typically has extremely good financial paybacks to our customers. Some customers have paybacks better than 3 months with most being less than a year. Our customers have shown large reductions in maintenance costs after the unit is installed. Employee morale is improved as equipment continues to function normally when needed.
Q: What is needed for installation of an AVC? A: The installation of the AVC is relatively simple. It is inserted between the load feeder breaker and the load. Usually this is a very easy installation: 3 wires in, 3 wires out plus ground.
A: The AVC can be installed right on the productions floor due to their very small footprint requirements and ruggedness.
A: We do have installation outdoors. We supply the AVC in an outdoor equipment house when this required.
A: No, the AVC is an industrial solution. It is rated for 40°C (50°C with de-rating) and 95% humidity, non-condensing.
A: AVC’s are very small for their kVA rating. E.g. a 75kVA is 2 feet x 2 feet and 3 feet high.
Q: If the AVC fails do I drop my load? A: No, the only component between your load and the utility supply is the coil of a transformer. This is inherently a very reliable device. The unit has a static switch and an electro-mechanical fail safe switch to take the electronics out of circuit if the unit fails. The integrity of your load is thus preserved.
A: The AVC starts to correct the voltage in less than one millisecond.
A: The majority of units we have sold will correct 60% 3-phase voltage to 90% of nominal and 40% 1-phase voltage to 90% of nominal. We have other options available
A: Yes, the AVC is certified to SEMI F47 see certificate, click here.
A: As with regeneration we have an option for removing overvoltage
A: The AVC is a constant kW load, as voltage drops the current increases. For the duration of a voltage sag, the AVC draws additional current from the line to provide voltage correction.
A: The AVC corrects voltage vectors and thus correct any and all events so that voltage is maintained within 1%. It is an ON-line device correcting on a continuous basis and does not wait for the voltage to drop to a threshold level before operating. A: The AVC has 30 seconds of sag correction capability. It cannot correct for complete power outages. As power outages are less than 7% of all events, the AVC is an excellent tool to correct the typical utility voltage problems. Most competing devices that have ride through provide only a few cycles of protection and historically very few outages last only a few cycles. A: The AVC is >98.5% efficient for Medium Voltage solutions including all heating and ventilation losses. Low voltage units are typically 99% efficient.
A: An UPS is certainly a solution for the majority of problems. However they are inherently very expensive, not only to purchase but to operate and maintain. The AVC is typically 6-8% more efficient, has very little maintenance on an annual basis and is significantly less expensive to buy. Based on North American data it will correct for >93% of all events at your plant. This provides you with a very good payback and the ability to protect your process equipment and not just your PLC’s and communications systems.
A: There is no storage in the AVC at all; therefore it has no capacity to feed an upstream or downstream fault.
A: No, the AVC incorporates a unique correction regime that ensures down stream transformers will not saturate. It has no storage capacitors so will not cause resonance.
Q: I would like to get some references. Who can I call to discuss your solution to my power problems? A: Call us at (416) 849-2299
A: We are able to deliver systems >2MVA in size in a very short 16 weeks. Medium voltage units can be delivered in a similar short period. A: The Grid Connect Interface is a device that connects in parallel to the line and can interface any form of storage to the utility grid. It can also be used for VAR support and correction. It is a very flexible and .customizable product. Please see our product page for more information on the Power Flow Controller click here.
|
|
|||
Home | Industries | Products | About Us | White Papers | Articles | FAQs | Resources |
||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||