Cem Güler  
Monitoring Device Product Engineer  
Aktif Mühendislik

What is Energy Analyzer?

Spending high electric energy brings that savings and efficiency responsibility. It is necessary to constantly monitor the used system in order to ensure proper operation. As a result of this monitoring, power quality parameters can be monitored along with many other parameters. Disturbing effects are too high in high energy consumption networks like factories. These disruptive factors should be monitored and prevented. As the main measurement parameters such as voltage, current, active/reactive power, as well as high level parameters such as harmonics, flicker, voltage collapse and rising can be measured. These devices called energy analyzer (Network Analyzer) which can make measurements described at the top. These defined energy analyzer devices require auxiliary power supply and they can connect to measurement point via current and voltage transformers.

What are Energy Analyzer Types?

Especially, energy analyzers should be chosen as monitoring equipment according to the measuring point. We can define the analyzer types used here into 4 main classes.

a) Main Distribution Points

We can say as examples for these measurement points to distribution substation centers, medium voltage Switchgears and main distribution panels. Especially in these points where energy distribution is high, the highest measurement technologies are preferred. Higher memory power quality recorders beyond the analyzer are preferred for this.

Major Measurement Parameters;

• Voltage
• Current (True neutral current measurement)
• Network frequency
• Power factor
• Active / Reactive / Apparent power
• Active / Reactive energy (Import / Export)
• Voltage interruptions
• Voltage sag & swells
• Harmonic Distortion (One by one and Total)
• Transient
• Transient
• Flicker
• Graphically and table recording memory

These parameter measurements are continuously monitored and recorded by device according to the limits specified in accordance with EN50160 standard.

b) Intermediate Distribution Points;

In wide and large systems, high power distribution node points are formed after the main distribution points. These intermediate points are junction nodes which are fed to the secondary panels.

The main measurement parameters used in the devices are;

• Voltage
• Current
• Network frequency
• Power factor
• Active / Reactive / Apparent power
• Active / Reactive energy (Import / Export)
• Voltage interruptions
• Voltage sag & swells
• Harmonic Distortion (One by one and Total)

c) Secondary Measurement Points

Generally, it is the local feed points that have low power consumption. The main measurement parameters used in the devices are;

• Voltage
• Current
• Network frequency
• Power factor
• Active / Reactive / Apparent power
• Active / Reactive energy (Import / Export)
• Harmonic Distortion (Only Total)

d) Supply Points of Devices

Sometimes it is necessary to monitor the specific importance devices. The main parameters required for analyzers which are plugged into the supply inputs of these devices;

• Voltage
• Current
• Network Frequency
• Power Factor
• Active / Reactive power
• Active / Reactive energy

Analiz Software

All these defined network analyzers from the mainline to the last point can be read manually by eye. Today, when such a measurement system is installed, it is connected with the communication infrastructure. Thanks to this communication infrastructure, instant readings can be monitored with a centralized software. With this software, all parameter measurements can be recorded at specified time intervals. Receive records can be displayed in tables and graphs, and even special algorithms can be created to make different analyzes. Within the software it is possible to create alarms according to these analyzes.

Main Requirements of These Analysis

The main issues that can be monitored with this system are;

• Voltage sag and swells
• Rapid current changes
• Active / reactive power changes
• Active / Reactive Energy consumption or production values
• Need for compensation according to reactive energy
• Need filter according to harmonic levels
• Loss / Leakage analysis
• Flicker effects
• Transformer losses
• Energy efficiency by Demand Values

With these and similar analyzes, it is easier that to produce solutions for happen or probable failures. To monitor the excessive rise and fall of voltage and current levels and to take precautions before general hardware failures, do not be exposed to reactive energy penalties by monitoring the state of insufficient compensation, to kept harmonic and flicker levels below EN50160 limits, prevent electronic system malfunctions and many more saving solutions will be possible. In places like factories and workshops where high energy expenditure is being produced, the best way to prevent expensive hardware failures and provide energy savings is to take precautions. Measuring and monitoring are essential for taking precautions.

RESOURCES