This white paper describes using a motor soft-starter to reduce the effects of line changes due to high current in-rushes on AC induction motors. We'll start with the basics of…
White Papers
Browse our library of power quality technical resources.
435 white papers
Distributed Generation Power Quality Standards
The dramatic proliferation of Distributed Generation (DG) deployments began before power quality (PQ) standards were in place to ensure compatibility in the grid. IEEE 519-2014, a recommended practice for limiting…
Riding Through Voltage Sags with the IEEE 1668 Standard
Voltage sags are the most common power quality issue, and also the most costly for industrial power users. It's not practical for a utility to eliminate all sags, so industrial…
Variable Frequency Drives and Harmonics
Abstract A VFD, or Variable Frequency Drive, is a device which takes in a 3 phase AC signal and outputs a somewhat arbitrary waveform using pulse width modulation. This is…
PQ Monitoring for Controlled Environments
The Tensor is an innovative PQ analysis tool introduced by Power Monitors. Inc. Equipped with cellular and WiFi communication options, the Tensor allows for continuous measurements wirelessly streamed for analysis…
Best Practices for Photovoltaic Monitoring Setup
The increasing development and use of solar power generation using Photovoltaic (PV) systems introduces new power quality perspectives and challenges. Understanding common analytic avenues with regard to PV systems can…
Sizing a Backup Power Source
Sizing a backup power source is tedious. In an ideal world, every piece of equipment you need to protect would come with a spec sheet correctly detailing its power needs.…
Harmonic Calculations
In a normal distribution network, the fundamental frequency is that of the voltage driving source, nominally 60Hz. Steady state deviations from the ideal 60 Hz sine wave shape are “periodic,”…
Introduction to Voltage Sags
Voltage sags are short-duration power quality nuisances that can wreak havoc on sensitive electrical equipment. Identifying and classifying sags (as well as identifying their sources) can be a tedious and…
PQ Canvass — Getting Started
Power Monitors’ PQ Canvass is the premiere way to view and analyze power quality data. Born from Canvass, our first generation cloud-based system, PQ Canvass is a power platform to…
Using Python and Jupyter Notebooks to Analyze CPOW Data
Continuous Point on Wave (CPOW) data can be, by its very nature, exceptionally difficult to work with. The data sets can be in the hundreds of terabytes and the resolution…
Tensor, Simplifying a Complex Enviroment
PMI has introduced the Tensor, a next generation plugin power quality analyzer. The Tensor (Figure 1) is designed to plug in to any standard 3-prong receptacle. This white paper will…
