
Industrial facilities are highly dependent on electricity to operate smoothly and efficiently. Electrical problems can lead to significant disruptions in normal operation, impacting the industry's production and profits. This article will explore how electrical failures or outages can impact an industrial facility and ways to handle them.
Power Outages
Such outages can be caused by various factors, such as bad weather, short circuits, or low voltages. In some cases, the power outage can also damage equipment or processes that are running. For industries that heavily rely on electricity for heating and cooling, a power outage can be disastrous.
What to do: If there is an extended power outage, it is important to have a backup plan in place. This can include having a generator on standby or having an alternate facility to operate from. In some cases, it may also be necessary to have a stockpile of raw materials or finished products to keep the production line operational until the power is back on.
Sagging Voltage
This occurs when the voltage in a system gradually decreases over time. This can be caused by several factors, such as lightning, malfunctioning motors, or transformers. When the voltage drops below a certain level, it can cause equipment to malfunction or even fail.
What to do: To protect equipment from voltage sags, it is important to install surge protectors. These devices help minimize the damage that a sudden change in voltage can cause. It is also important to have a routine maintenance plan in place. Such preventive routines can help detect voltage sagging and eliminate major equipment damage.
Transient Currents
These are sudden changes (often spikes) in the current flowing through a system. They can be caused by many factors, such as lightning or electrical faults. In some cases, transient currents can cause equipment to malfunction or even fail.
What to do: Set the gain of your power quality meter to 125 percent of the nominal voltage. Also, get your facility manager to plot graphs illustrating each sag/swell or transitory event on an ITIC curve. After they plot the event duration and magnitude, you can assess if the event damaged sensitive equipment or not.
Electrical Harmonics
Electrical harmonics are disturbances in the voltage and current that can cause equipment to malfunction or fail. They are caused by non-linear loads, such as fluorescent lights, variable speed drives, and uninterruptible power supplies. When these harmonics increase beyond a certain level, it can cause the equipment to overheat or fail.
What to do: To reduce the effects of electrical harmonics, it is important to install harmonic filters. These devices help clean up the voltage and current, preventing the harmonics from causing damage to the equipment. It is also important to have a routine maintenance plan to help detect and correct any harmonic problems.
Consider Contacting Professionals
If you're an industrial facility owner or manager, it's important to ensure that you have a reliable electrical system in place. When there are problems with your electrical system, it can lead to significant disruptions in the normal operation of your facility. This can impact production and profits.
Consider getting in touch with a property management monterey company. These companies can help take care of your industrial property and make sure that the electrical system (and the overall facility) is running smoothly. They can also help troubleshoot any problems that may arise and prevent them from causing further disruption to the operations.
Conclusion
Managing an industrial facility is a daunting task. As an industrial owner, you'd want to spend your time on important tasks rather than chasing your facility manager for basic property management. Make sure you hire professionals to keep the above-listed issues at bay.