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Understanding What a Predictive Maintenance Program For Electrical Power Systems is

Regardless of the commercial setting you manage, a business can expect at least six hours of interruption in their electrical distribution systems annually. While all businesses today get UPS’s or generators installed to provide backup power, it’s important to ensure that your electrical system is well-maintained at all times. This can help reduce the chances of an outage by at least 66%.

New methodology

Condition-based or predictive maintenance is one of the most-efficient and least expensive methods of reducing downtime on the large-scale data centres, computing systems, and electrical equipment on your property.

In this type of maintenance model, the work is scheduled on the basis of various diagnostic evaluations which help determine when a service needs to be performed. Monitoring the equipment and its functions provides data that helps technicians anticipate what the future maintenance needs will be. Over time and with regular use, electrical equipment can break down for various reasons such as:

• Overheating
• Loose connections
• Additions to the load changes
• Environmental conditions such as high humidity
• High dirt and dust levels
• Corrosive environments
• Human error

Predictive maintenance

In an effort to avoid expensive downtimes on the systems, many companies are now transitioning from the standard preventive maintenance model to an approach that focuses on predictive maintenance. Today, there is a great advancement in sensor and software technology such as smart panels that ensure consumers have access to highly-effective monitoring methods which are more precise and affordable too.

The different approaches

The different maintenance approaches for electrical equipment are:

Assessments of power systems

Qualified and licensed electrical engineers conduct these assessments. They carry out visual inspections of the power distribution systems. If there are any weaknesses, deficiencies, defects, hazards or deteriorations in the system, these will be identified and highlighted.

Thermographic inspections

In these inspections, special infrared cameras are used in the detection of anomalies that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. In electrical settings, hotspots will be identified which could indicate potential malfunctions in the system which can result in unplanned downtimes.

Continuous online monitoring

Via this technology, all the critical connection points in the system will be monitored at points where conventional thermography can’t be utilised. This type of monitoring is one of the best ways to evaluate the current condition of the system as well as to detect abnormalities in the initial stages.

Circuit monitoring and analysis

A circuit motor records the data relating to power, current, and voltage. This helps engineers and facility managers understand exactly when and where detrimental and dangerous sags, swells and transients occur.

Insulant fluid analysis

In this approach, the chemical and physical properties of the oil-filled transformer are measured. This detailed analysis of the oil helps detect the breakdown of the system. Some of the commonest tests that are carried out include readings for dielectric strength, dissolved gas analysis, acid levels, and moisture and power factor.

Monitoring during partial discharge

This localised discharge in the insulation system doesn’t bridge the electrodes entirely. With regular use and age, the insulation systems become more prone to breakdowns such as these.

Installation of an intelligent protective device

A motor control centre and a circuit breaker are examples of a commonly-used intelligent protective device. Monitoring these systems provides engineers comprehensive information regarding the number of operations, operating times, position and identification, excess closing energy, charging time etc. A motor control centre may be monitored for aspects such as line currents, ground current , average current and thermal capacity.

If you want to know more about our power products and services, don’t hesitate to contact us at KaRaTec Power Supply Pty. You can give us a call at 612 9808 1127. You can also fill in this contact us form.

Thanks for reading,
Karatec Power Supply Pty
612 9808 1127