Electrical Power System Problems and Solutions

Problem Description Duration Cause Effect Possible Solution

Switching Operations
Momentary Interruption attempting to isolate ƒ Equipment trips off
Very short planned or UPS or standby power
0.5 cycles to 3 sec electrical problem and ƒ Programming is lost
accidental power loss supply(SPS) for critical loads
maintain power to your ƒ Disk drive crashes
area
ƒ Equipment failure
Temporary Interruption/ Planned or accidental ƒ Temporary (3 sec- ƒ Contractors digging into
Long-term outage total loss of power in a 1min) underground conductor Uninterruptible power supply
System shuts down
localized area of the ƒ Long-term (over 1 wires (UPS) for critical loads
service area min) ƒ Vehicle hitting pole
ƒ Storms

ƒ Memory loss
0.5 cycles to 1 minute. ƒ Major equipment start- ƒ Relocate equipment to
Sag/Swell ƒ Data errors
Sags or swell longer up or shut-down different electrical circuit
Brief reductions or ƒ Dim or bright lights
than 1 minute are called ƒ Short circuits (faults) within facility
increases in voltage ƒ shrinking display
under voltages or over ƒ Undersized electrical ƒ Power conditioners or UPS
screens
voltages wiring Systems for Critical Loads
ƒ Equipment shutdown

Sudden change in
Surge ƒ Lightning Install surge suppressor at
voltage up to several ƒ Processing Errors
ƒ Turning major main panel (best when used in
thousand volts (also < 1msec ƒ Data loss
equipment on or off combination with branch circuit
called impulse, spike, or ƒ Burned circuit boards
ƒ Utility switching surge suppressor)
transient)

ƒ Electromagnetic
interference from
Noise/Harmonic ƒ Use a noise filter designed
appliances, machines,
Distortion ƒ Continuous distortion for application (sometimes
Continuous distortion of radio, and TV
Steady State of normal voltage incorporated with surge
normal voltage broadcasts
ƒ Random data errors suppressors)
ƒ Harmonic distortion
ƒ Power conditioner
from nonlinear loads
(computers, lights)