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Chapter 9—Disturbance Monitoring 63230-300-212
About Disturbance Monitoring April 2001
© 2001 Schneider Electric All Rights Reserved
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Momentary voltage disturbances are an increasing concern for industrial
plants, hospitals, data centers, and other commercial facilities because
modern equipment used in those facilities tends to be more sensitive to
voltage sags, swells, and momentary interruptions. The circuit monitor can
detect these events by continuously monitoring and recording current and
voltage information on all metered channels. Using this information, you can
diagnose equipment problems resulting from voltage sags or swells and
identify areas of vulnerability, enabling you to take corrective action.
The interruption of an industrial process because of an abnormal voltage
condition can result in substantial costs, which manifest themselves in many
ways:
• labor costs for cleanup and restart
• lost productivity
• damaged product or reduced product quality
• delivery delays and user dissatisfaction
The entire process can depend on the sensitivity of a single piece of
equipment. Relays, contactors, adjustable speed drives, programmable
controllers, PCs, and data communication networks are all susceptible to
transient and short-duration power problems. After the electrical system is
interrupted or shut down, determining the cause may be difficult.
Several types of voltage disturbances are possible, each potentially having a
different origin and requiring a separate solution. A momentary interruption
occurs when a protective device interrupts the circuit that feeds a facility.
Swells and overvoltages can damage equipment or cause motors to
overheat. Perhaps the biggest power quality problem is the momentary
voltage sag caused by faults on remote circuits.
ABOUT DISTURBANCE MONITORING