Fault analysis through power quality metering

The combination of continuous power and energy monitoring with disturbance detection is a very cost-effective way to ensure that unpredictable power quality disturbances, such as those caused by lightning, can be recorded and analysed. The information such a system provides can result in substantial savings for demand penalties and equipment costs. For industrial power systems, the value added by intelligent power monitoring is very high. A good power quality monitoring system is essential to pulp and paper mills, and fills the need for the wide spectrum of information that is required to keep the costs down and the plant running smoothly. The use of such a system at the Mead Publishing Paper Division plant in Rumford, Maine, is discussed