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PropSava® - 3 Phase Power Optimisation Systems
Background:
Vanguards Power (Hong Kong) Limited (VPHK) has been involved in the design and development of single and 3 Phase Power Optimisation since 2005. Our current range was originally designed in the UK and Germany by a team of specialist engineers and since manufactured in China; with over 37,000 units installed in Asia to date. PropSava® Systems are used in virtually all forms of properties and businesses: telecoms, factories, offices, petrol stations, department stores, residential apartment blocks, leisure industry – anywhere that needs maintain a constant output voltage, save power, costs and electrical equipment from premature failure.
VPHK PropSava® is based upon a hybrid design of two system types:
• Contactless voltage regulator from 10 KVA to 600 KVA and,
• Electro-servo voltage regulator from 60KVA – 3,000 KVA.
Whatever the value of the incoming voltage (360V – 440V) into the site, whether it is over or under voltage, the PropSava will always tightly control the output voltage to +/- 1.5% of the setting. It is this powerful and rapid regulation of voltage, coupled with high quality components and build that delivers the significant power and cost savings to our customers.
Why Optimise Voltage:
By allowing appliances to operate at a higher than manufacturer specification of voltage leads to significantly higher energy consumption, increased heat losses and a reduced life span.
“A 230V linear appliance used on a 240V supply will take 4.3% more current and will consume almost 9% more energy.” (Electricians Guide 16th Edition BS7671).
Over – voltage supply creates four detrimental situations:
1. You use and pay for more electricity than you need.
2. Your equipment works harder than it should and will therefore wear out faster.
3. You will produce more carbon emissions than necessary.
4. Poor or bad power quality can cause severe damage to new electronic/electrical devices and at least shorten the life expectancy of the device.
Under – voltage supply creates three detrimental situations:
1. Some equipment will fail to operate if the voltage is too low.
2. Your equipment will demonstrate various type of malfunctions.
3. Some of your electric motors will overheat as they are not running at the correct and voltage will wear out faster and have shorter lives.
Why does over and under voltage occur?
Over and under voltage is generally a chronic problem aggravated by a number of factors beyond the end user's control. Electric utilities try to maintain voltage levels delivered to customers at ±5%. However, factors like weather, high demand and others can cause the utility voltage to fall within a ±10% range. Even under ideal conditions, most customers will see a drop in utility voltage levels over the course of the day as demand begins to increase around 8 AM and peaks around 3 or 4 PM.
Distribution system characteristics can also contribute to chronically low voltage situations. For example, customers at the end of a long distribution line may be subject to a permanent voltage drop due to line losses on top of the utility voltage variations.
Over Voltage Effect on AC Motors:
The various problems associated with over voltage on AC motors are as follows:
• Iron losses will always be higher in motors that are experiencing over voltage.
• In some cases, the motor draws excessive current and attempts to magnetise the iron core above
its design capacity. This can lead to saturation of the iron core, above which additional losses are
incurred due to eddy currents. These losses increase disproportionately with the rise in voltage
over the design voltage.
• The drawing of excessive current will cause copper losses.
• Iron and copper energy losses are released as heat.
• As a motor is put under additional stress, its lifetime will decrease.
• Small motors are more sensitive to over-voltage than large motors.
The effects of over-voltage are felt particularly on motors which are lightly loaded. In reality, all motors are specified with a frame size that is large enough for the maximum load it will ever experience, with an additional margin. So in effect all motors on sites are lightly loaded, and there is always an opportunity to make savings by bringing the voltage down to a more appropriate level.
Following a PropSava installation, the stress and losses on motors will be reduced so they operate closer to their nameplate rating whilst maintaining constant power output at the drive shaft. This will reduce maintenance costs for the lifetime of the motor. Through the more efficient operation of the motors, there will also be a reduction in the amount of reactive power (KVAR) consumed which will improve the Power Factor.
Along with over-voltage, the PropSava will also help to address phase imbalance and total harmonic distortion (THD); both these problems can lead to excessive vibration of the motor causing faster wear and tear on the bearings.
| The table below compares the behaviour of 3 phase 5 H.P. motor at different voltages: |
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| INPUT VOLTAGE |
CURRENT |
KVA |
PF |
| 400 |
7.5 A |
5.2 |
0.8 |
| 425 |
11% More |
18% More |
0.7 |
| 435 |
19% More |
28% More |
0.6 |
| 445 |
265 more |
38% More |
0.57 |
Over Voltage Effect on Lighting Systems:
Lighting loads tend to be switched on for a large proportion of the time, so savings on lighting equipment are very valuable. Incandescent lighting is particularly susceptible to losses at high voltages, and by bringing the voltage to the correct level savings can be delivered with no discernible drop in light levels. The lifetime of bulbs can also be extended markedly:
“A 230V bulb used at 240V will achieve only 55% of its rated life.” (IEE Electricians Guide)
The efficiency of any type of lighting will be improved by bringing it to the correct voltage, including systems with resistive or reactive ballasts. Fluorescent lighting is much more efficient that incandescent lighting, but nevertheless will run even more efficiently when supplied with the correct voltage. Optimisation with a PropSava will never take the voltage to a level where the light fails to strike, as the voltage will not drop below the statutory minimum.
Some types of lighting control system for high-frequency lighting carry out voltage optimisation electronically anyway, so the savings on these will be lower than simple lighting systems. Optimising with a PropSava would reduce the need for such controllers, as lighting load would be considerably more efficient. Lighting controllers and HF ballasts are also responsible for generating high levels of harmonic distortion.
The table below compares the behaviour of a single phase 60 watt lamp at different voltages:
| VOLTAGE |
CURRENT |
WATTS |
LUMINOUS INTENSITY |
LIFE IN HOURS |
| 230 |
0.26 |
60 W |
710 |
1000 |
| 240 |
0.27 |
65 W-8.3% More |
820 |
575 |
| 250 |
0.28 |
70.6-17.6% More |
943 |
338 |
| 260 |
0.29 |
75.4-25.6% More |
1073 |
200 |
| 270 |
0.31 |
83.4-39% More |
1213 |
100 |
Technology:
Contactless System - Control & Management System:
The PropSava is a pure linear contactless system based upon electromagnetic induction principles. This system is used in our single and three phase systems. The contactless system is managed and controlled by our newly developed computer chip and software system. The computer chip controlled system and software is the key to the consistent efficiency of our contactless voltage regulator; making some 8 million calculations per second. This extremely fast measuring of all data allows the PropSava to rapidly identify, measure, and implement the necessary control changes to ensure that the outgoing voltage is maintained at the pre-set limits within 0.042 seconds – 42 milliseconds.
SCR:
To ensure that the PropSava voltage control system keeps up with the speed of the onboard computer chip system and software, we have used the latest German designed silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR). SCR’s have no wear out mechanism related to number of switching operations so much higher switching rates can be used bringing higher speed, smoother power delivery and flexibility.
Our ongoing development with the manufacturers of these advanced SCR’s has not only increased the speed and reliability but has also eliminated the wave distortion characteristics of other manufactures types to less than 0.1%.
Electro-Servo System:
For most applications our Servo Electronic - Electro Mechanical Ranges have proved to be a very reliable and cost-efficient, being able to accommodate an input voltage swing of in excess of 40% whilst still delivering accuracy on the output. Comprising a transformer having its secondary winding connected between the mains supply and the load, the primary voltage is automatically controlled through a motor driven variable transformer. Electronic Servo stabilisers do contain moving parts with only a low-level of ongoing maintenance required; being deliverable by universally readily available skill sets.
PropSava Features and Benefits:
The VPHK range of PropSava® provide the following benefits:
1. Reduce KWH electricity costs and carbon emissions by up to 17%, (depended on incoming voltage and equipment condition).
2. Can reduce reactive power, improve power factor and suppress harmful harmonics (subject to assessment of KVAR and installation of an additional Power Factor Correction system).
3. Increase the lifecycle of the electrical equipment and reduce the maintenance costs.
4. Protect electrical equipment from transients (spikes and surges).
5. 10 year guarantee and a 25-40 year life cycle.
6. No maintenance on Contactless system – 5 year, 1 hourly inspection on Electro-servo systems.
7. Fast response time - less than 42 milliseconds.
8. Maximum possible efficiency at full load - greater than 98%.
9. High efficiency, high standard and extensive safety range of industrial grade components.
10. The ability to sustain severe temperature, humidity, vibration and dirty environments.
11.Transformer windings are of high quality enamelled copper wire.
12. Low output and RFI radiated noise.
13. Fast response to input and output changes.
14. Inexpensive.
15. Reliable.
16. Manual bypass function
17. Automatic bypass function
18. Surge protection
19. Input and output isolated
Vanguards Power (Hong Kong) LIMITED Copyright Vanguards Power (Hong Kong) Limited-No reproduction or copying permitted-VP is a Registered Trademark VP Asia Sales office
Phone: +86 755 2664 7764
fax : +86 755 2664 8864
email: sales@vanguardspower.com
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