Specifying and designing medium voltage enclosed capacitor banks

Posted on September 21, 2015 by admin

We provide solutions based on strong technical merits and a professional approach to our business. An example of our approach can be found in our solution for enclosed capacitor banks as described in this article. We understand that buyers, users and suppliers all have somewhat different histories and preferences, and we aim to provide a clear description of the most important things to look out for in the specification, procurement, design, manufacturing, delivery and operation of enclosed medium voltage capacitor banks. We would be delighted to discuss this in more detail with you.

Recertification of Quality System

Posted on August 20, 2015 by admin

We support our power industry customers from concept designs, power system analysis, product selection and all the way through their project delivery. Our specialists are available to provide you with all the detailed product and application information you need for optimised, best quality solutions.

These are not empty words. Our recent recertification to ISO 9001:2008 demonstrates that all our activities are governed by our quality system. Our customers see the benefits of dealing with a lean, technically expert supplier that does not compromise on quality when advising on, designing, or delivering reactive power compensation solutions.

Contact us at any time and we will work hard to optimise your network.

Need active harmonic filters? We have the best.

Posted on July 1, 2015 by admin

What do you get when you combine the best performing active harmonic filter on the market with on-site evaluation and detailed application engineering support? The MaxSine Compact: it ticks all the boxes:

Modular design from 50 A to multiples of 100 A
Flexible mounting in OEM panels, wall or floor mounted cubicles
Several control options for fast and super fast (<1 ms) compensation
Neutral current compensation
Reactive power compensation
Powerful yet simple setup by means of web browser interface

Applications range from anywhere with electronic loads that are sensitive to power disturbances like hospitals and office blocks, to any fast changing linear or non-linear load.

Optimised Network Equipment has the necessary measurement equipment to evaluate your requirements on site, and can carry out efficient studies to confirm your exact requirements for harmonic filtering – active or passive – no matter what your location or application.

Zero power harmonic filters

Posted on November 25, 2014 by admin

Harmonic filters remove harmonic current from the network and improve load power factor. Some applications require harmonic mitigation without any significant reactive power contribution, for example when non-linear loads operate at close to unity power factor and the network cannot accept leading reactive power.

ONE has designed, delivered and tested solutions based on harmonic filters that draw current only at harmonic frequencies, and describe the design and steady state and transient performance in a technical note. The outcome is a passive filter circuit that is an effective solution of harmonic distortion yet that draws almost no fundamental frequency current, and has no onerous switching requirements.

Please contact us if more information is required.

Selecting current transformers for capacitor bank protection

Posted on November 11, 2014 by admin

Medium and high voltage capacitor banks require protection against faults in the capacitor units and in the associated equipment such as feeder cables, series reactors, overhead structures and conductors connecting the various parts of the capacitor bank.

Faults inside capacitor units are generally cleared by internal fuses. The operation of these fuses must be monitored to allow for appropriate alarm and trip instructions to be issued based on voltage stress levels in the capacitor units. The same applies for unfused units with unbalance current providing an indication of the number of shorted elements. Such protection depends on very sensitive detection of relatively small currents in the star points of capacitor banks. External faults are either phase to ground or phase to phase and require more conventional over current and earth fault detection.

Both of these types of protection require current transformers to provide the necessary detection of current in the primary circuit. Appropriate selection of protection current transformers is therefore essential for safe operation of capacitor banks. This selection must be done to assure correct operation of protection while minimising cost and avoiding any false operation of protection, i.e. ensuring continuity of operation wherever possible.

ONE has prepared a brief application note describing this selection process to assist our clients in this process. Please contact us if more information is required.

Experts in harmonic filter design

Posted on October 20, 2014 by admin

Harmonic mitigation can take many forms and Optimised Network Equipment can assist you in selecting the most appropriate solution, whether that relates to alternative network designs, active filters or passive filters.

Passive filters are very efficient solutions and can reduce harmonic emissions up to 90%.

The art of harmonic filter design is to select the shape of the filter impedance to modify the network impedance in such a manner that the necessary reduction in harmonic current is achieved without causing amplification of other harmonics, taking into account the possible variations in network impedance, and to produce this solution at the lowest possible cost.

We have summarised some important aspects of filter design, including the nature of loads in modern electricity networks, practical harmonic measurements and guidelines on passive filter design in an application note. Please see our downloads area for articles and other technical content.

Training for Vestas Singapore

Posted on January 6, 2014 by admin

In early December 2013 we presented a training course on harmonic filters to specialist engineers from Vestas in Singapore. The intention of the course was to extend the knowledge of engineers on practical and theoretical aspects of harmonic analysis, filter design, and component ratings. The course was attended by a truly international audience, with Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Venezuela and Vietnam represented. The training lasted three days and included real world examples of filter design for wind farm connections.

We are passionate about our field of expertise and welcome any opportunity to share our knowledge with customers and their consultants. Contact us if you would like to know more.

ONE participates in the DIgSILENT User Group meeting in Sydney on 5-6 September 2013

Posted on September 9, 2013 by admin

Having the right tools for the job is essential, and when the job is to carry out complex harmonic filter design studies then the choice of the best power system analysis tools is critical. At Optimised Network Equipment we make extensive use of DIgSILENT PowerFactory for network analysis, allowing us to offer services ranging from compliance studies, conceptual design of solutions, and all the way to detailed engineering design covering aspects of harmonic filter component rating, switching transient analysis and stability analysis. Our infinite bus license enables us to tackle any problem, no matter how complex.

As a demonstration of our commitment to this aspect of our business and to share our experience with other users of the software we recently presented a paper on harmonic filter design to the bi-annual user group meeting in Sydney.

The paper can also be found in the Download section of the site. We would welcome any comment to this contribution.

Magnetic fields around air core reactors

Posted on May 17, 2013 by admin

Air core reactors are commonly used as shunt reactors, fault current limiting reactors, tuning reactors in capacitor banks, or as thyristor controlled reactors in static compensators. They don’t saturate, are virtually maintenance free and are light and easy to install.

The magnetic field established as a result of the current flowing through the reactor is not constrained to a core as is the case with iron core reactors — instead air core reactors are surrounded by a magnetic field that requires some care in design and application.

We have produced an application note that will assist end users of air core reactors and their consultants in the process of procurement, substation layout design and operation of the equipment.

Optimised Network Equipment has the necessary experience, analytical tools and engineering resources to assist you in all aspects of your air core reactor application.

Protection relays for capacitor banks and harmonic filters

Posted on January 26, 2013 by admin

Optimised Network Equipment is now a registered distributor of the range of protection relays provided by Strilke Technologies.

The RLC relay is an industry icon – a protection relay that was specifically designed for line side and unbalance protection of capacitor banks, including capacitor banks with series-connected reactors.

The RLC04-B Protection Relay provides comprehensive protection for the capacitive, inductive and resistive elements of three phase medium voltage and high voltage shunt capacitor banks and harmonic filter circuits.

The RLC04-B also has protection features such as for fundamental and harmonic overcurrent and overvoltage, as well as over temperature conditions and residual earth currents.