Mar 16 2009
Eurotherm, a leading manufacturer of industrial instrumentation for process control and data acquisition, has published a white paper on the use of predictive load management (PLM) to improve motor performance for SCR controllers through even power distribution and load balancing strategy, reducing energy costs for manufacturers by thousands of dollars annually.
The white paper details how Eurotherm’s EPower™ SCR Controller with its PLM function helps manufacturers reduce energy costs, lower operational expenses, and get a cleaner and balanced power supply.
SCR Controllers firing in phase angle degrade the power factor, affecting the Demand Charge from utility companies and drive up energy costs. Most utility companies apply a surcharge when the power factor goes below 0.9 (or 90 percent), resulting in costs in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the installation.
The power factor is improved through an easy and reliable transition from phase angle to zero cross firing, while eliminating concerns about flicker effect and potential overload caused by high power peaks. Its PLM function balances the power, regulating disparity between individual heating zones and evenly distributes power to eliminate additional disturbances. Dynamic and fully adjustable load shedding capability is embedded within this load balancing strategy to monitor and control power demand not to exceed maximum capacity of the main supply.