Abstract

This white paper covers the creation and use of predefined recording templates in ProVision. PMI recording devices can be initialized with a number of configurable settings. Configurable settings include recording interval for stripchart data, voltage and current thresholds for triggering waveform captures, and many more settings. Recording templates simplify the initialization of recorders by providing presets for common power quality analysis tasks and results in the consistency of data across multiple recordings.

Templates

There are six predefined recording templates provided for ProVision users:

• Motor Starts/Voltage Sag
• Harmonics
• Flicker
• 24 Hour
• One Week
• One Month

Presets may be downloaded here. Once you have downloaded the template files, you will need to install them in ProVision. Choose “File”, then “Open”, and browse to where you downloaded the settings_templates.evm file. Select the settings file and click the “Open” button to load the presets into ProVision. It will appear in the Recorder Settings Folder in the Devices panel, as seen in Figure 1.

Motor Start/Voltage Sag

The Voltage Sag template records RMS Voltage and RMS Current with a 1 cycle interval. This interval setting provides greater time resolution for precise measurement of motor start inrush current and resulting voltage sags. This template is also useful for recording switching events such as capacitor banks operations, UPS transfers, or other events that can be initiated on demand. If the event you wish to capture cannot be triggered or is infrequent, then a 1 second interval may be more suitable. Due to the 1 cycle interval setting of this template, the harmonic and flicker stripcharts are not enabled.

The Waveform Capture settings are geared toward motor start events and other special events. The post-cycle length is increased to 120 cycles (2 seconds) to give plenty of time for a long motor spin-up, or to capture the system response to a step change in voltage from a switchover. The voltage and current channels for waveform capture are set to 3 to extend waveform length.

Harmonics

The Harmonics template is configured to detect harmful resonances on the line which may damage or otherwise adversely affect electrical equipment. Voltage and current magnitudes for odd harmonics to the 15th harmonic are enabled in this template, in addition to THD and frequency. This data will allow for the calculation of Total Demand Distortion (TDD), an important parameter for properly quantifying the amount of current harmonic distortion relative to the system size. The stripchart interval is set for 30 seconds, a good compromise between high resolution and longer recording time.

All power quantities (real, reactive, apparent power) and phase angle are also logged. Interharmonics are not selected — situations which call for interharmonic monitoring are usually complex, and the recorder should be configured specifically for that purpose. Periodic waveform capture is also enabled, to give snapshots of baseline “normal” waveforms which ProVision can use to compute more detailed harmonic parameters if needed.

In addition to the harmonic template, the Revolution supports IEEE 519 compliance recording. Click on the Daily or Weekly buttons on the Interval Graphs advanced setup screen to configure a Revolution for this type of recording. A 3 second interval is chosen, and harmonic subgroups from 1 through 50 are enabled.

Flicker

The Flicker template is used for detecting when power quality issues may become noticeable by end users in form of flickering lights. Both IEEE 1453 and the older GE flicker curve recording types are supported. The Pst value is used to quantify the severity of the flicker, while the IFL value is more useful for correlating changes in flicker level with changes in loads, to help track down the source of the voltage fluctuations. Harmonic THDs for voltage and current are also enabled, but no individual harmonics. A stripchart interval of 5 seconds provides good resolution for correlating load changes to flicker events.

24 Hour

The 24 Hour template is specifically designed for monitoring power quality over a 24 hour period, recording as much information as possible without exceeding the recorder’s internal storage. The 1 second interval is chosen for high time resolution, with all major voltage, current, and power parameters enabled (including THD, frequency, and flicker). With the use of PQ Canvass, or large memory recorders, the recording time may be significantly longer than 24 hours, while still preserving the high resolution of the 1 second interval. All power parameters, THDs, and Pst flicker are enabled, along with hourly periodic waveform snapshots.

One Week

The One Week template is designed for monitoring power quality over a 7 day period. The settings are identical to the 24 Hour template, except for a 10 second stripchart interval, and 8 hour periodic waveform snapshots. This is a good general-purpose template to use when the original complaint is vague or not much is known about the situation.

One Month

The One Month template is for monitoring power quality over a full 30 day period, and is the least detailed of the time period-specific recording templates available. The settings are similar to the One Week template, but with a 30 second stripchart interval and daily periodic waveform snapshots. This template is also useful for locations where not much is known about the specific problem (or even if there is a real problem). The longer recording time is also useful if the monitor will be left in place until the customer calls with another complaint (resulting in an unknown recording time), or if the monitor will be left in place permanently.

Use of a larger interval for a longer recording time is not as important when using a cell-connected device such as the cell Guardian or Revolution. Using ProVision, local data storage on the monitor itself is not a limitation, and finer intervals in templates like the 24 Hour or 1 Week setup may be used as needed.

Using Recording Templates

In order to utilize a recording template, you must first connect to a device in ProVision. If the device is already connected, it will appear under “Local” in your Devices panel (see Figure 2). To connect to a device not listed in the Devices panel, click “Recorder” in the main menu, then click “Recorder Communication Settings…” Click the “Add” button, and select the means of connection to the device you wish to initialize (See Figure 3).

Once connected to the device, applying a recording template is easy. In the Devices panel, click and drag the template you wish to utilize and drop it on the device you wish to initialize. You will be prompted, “Would you like to initialize the recorder with new settings?” Click “Yes” to apply the settings template, and begin a new recording.

Creating Recording Templates

Besides the templates provided by Power Monitors, any useful configuration of recorder settings may be saved as a reusable recording template. To create a new recording template, right-click on “Recorder settings” in the Devices panel, and click “Create Template Settings.” This will open the Recorder Types dialog. Select the type of recorder with which you intend to use the new template, and click OK to open the “Edit Settings” dialog (See Figure 4). Adjust settings to meet the needs of your PQ analysis, and then click the Finish button. Clicking Finish will then open the “Save settings” dialog. Type a unique name for your template in the dialog, and press OK. The new template will appear under “Recorder settings” in the Devices panel.

Conclusion

Standard templates for PQ recording save time, and also give consistency to PQ investigations. Six templates have been presented here, available for ProVision, and applicable for different recording needs. In addition to provided templates, any recording settings may be saved as their own reusable settings template.