Applying predictive maintenance to power quality

The purpose of this paper is to explain how predictive maintenance can be used to prevent and therefore avoid power problems in electrical distribution systems. The greatest benefits of predictive maintenance are realized when multiple monitoring instruments are placed at various critical locations on the electrical infrastructure to continuously monitor power. This paper also discusses how predictive maintenance can also be accomplished with a single portable instrument that is moved around critical locations to monitor for a limited time. This paper also discusses the use of a power quality index that takes into account all of the various elements of power disturbances such as impulses, transients, sags and swells. By trending this power quality index over time it becomes possible to provide advance warning of deteriorating electrical components that would lead to system failure. This paper also presents scenarios showing how these tools can be used to allow electrical engineers to become proactive to achieve the goal of system reliability.