ENERGY SAVER

Battery powered vehicle, is it really clean and green?

2012-03-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

Are battery powered vehicles really lessens environmental pollution?

- Partially yes, if renewable energy source like solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro power are used to generate electricity to charge the batteries. Battery itself will become environmental pollutants after its useful life.

- No, if fossil fuels are used to generate electricity to charge the batteries. The battery powered vehicles itself will not emit pollutants but the power generating plant will. The national fuel consumption will even increase considering losses in energy conversion and losses in transmitting energy from electric power plant to end user (battery operated vehicle).

Correcting Power Factor in AC Electrical System

2010-10-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Power Factor

In AC electrical system, Power factor is the ratio of the Real Power and Apparent Power. Real Power is the electrical power that is being consumed by the electrical resistive load, usually converted into heat, mechanical, or other form of energy. Apparent Power is the vector sum of Real Power and Reactive Power- the stored energy in the reactive component reactor and capacitor. Power Factor is a value between zero and one.

Significance of correcting Power Factor

The aim of correcting Power Factor is to minimize or lessen the Reactive Power of the system. A Power Factor of one or unity Power Factor lessens the power losses in the feeders and will incur less energy expenses to electric energy consumer, this will also result in less investment in terms of acquisition of electric generating equipment and transmission lines on the part of the Electric Utility companies.

Correcting Power Factor by adding capacitive component

Most of electrical loads have either or both resistive and inductive component. Resistive component are responsible for converting electric energy into a usable form while inductive component are the one that causes a decrease in Power Factor. To compensate the presence of inductive component in the electrical loads, a capacitor is added in parallel. Capacitor will provide the capacitive component that behaves opposite the inductive component of the load.

The economics of correcting Power Factor

Utility Company imposes penalties to electric energy consumers with a Power Factor less than their required limits and gives premiums to those consumers with a Power Factor above their set limits. The investment in acquiring a Power Factor correcting equipment can be recovered in less than one year provided that proper ratings and designed in accordance to the character of the loads. Investment can be recovered from the premiums plus the difference between the electric bills before correction of the Power Factor minus the electric bills after the correction of Power Factor.

The advantage of installing Ammeter to monitor the performance of a three phase Induction Motors

2010-10-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Electric motors and electric current are respectively the muscles and blood of an industrial plant; no matter what kind of industrial plant it is, it may have one or several electric motors that drive blowers, water pumps, or whatever equipments that delivers linear or rotational motions. Because Electric motors consist of moving and non-moving parts which are the stator, rotor, and ball bearings; it is always subjected to wear and tear, especially during plant operations.

Electric current that the electric motor draws is directly proportional to the conditions of the moving parts of the electric motors, aside from the load of the equipment it is driving. Electric current is one of the electrical parameters in which the conditions or performance of electric motors can be determined thru an installed ammeter.

Common type of Ammeter installations

Ammeter can either be installed direct on line or thru a current transformer but for reliability and safety purposes, it is much better to install ammeter thru a current transformer. Installing the ammeter direct on line presents a possibility of a three phase electric motors running on single phase, a condition which may burn the stator winding, specifically if the electric motors are running on full load.

Advantage of Installing Ammeter

Some electric motors are located in places which are not favorable for frequent inspection by maintenance personnel of the plant, such as the electric motor driving the cooling fan of a cooling tower; in this case, the only way to determine the condition of the motor is thru an ammeter installed on motor control center or control panel.

Ammeter may affect the efficiency and economy of plant operation in the sense that it can indicate whether the electric motor is running at or above its rated current. When the electric motor is running above its rated current, maintenance can be immediately scheduled to prevent damage to the electric motor itself and prevent down time during normal plant operation. Further, energy lost because of the abnormal condition of the electric motor can immediately be corrected and minimize the cost of wasted energy.

Save 20% of Energy consumption without investing on expensive energy saver gadgets

2010-09-25T01:29:00.000-07:00

1 – 10% by good habits
• Turn off unnecessary appliances/equipment.
• Make a habit to totally unplug appliances/equipment with standby mode option.

2 – 10% by energy efficient equipment

Electrical Energy Saving Device

2010-09-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Electrical energy is a common form of energy used during energy transfer from source (power plant / generator) to energy conversion unit.

The basis of most Energy Saving Device is the capability of capacitor to oppose the effect of inductor in an energy conversion unit.

Power Conductors as Energy Saving Device Signal Medium

2010-09-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

Researchers are utilizing electrical conductors installed in every home as medium for future energy saving device sensors that gathers information regarding the state of electrical loads. SNUPI - Sensor Nodes Utilizing Power-line Infrastructure (more details).

Composition of Electrical Power System

2010-09-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Generators/Alternators – Is electromechanical equipment that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. Electrical energy is produced by two field windings, the stator and rotor. The rotor field is rotated by a prime mover and exited by a direct current electrical source. Prime mover is the source of mechanical energy; it may be internal combustion engine, gas turbine, hydraulic turbine, or wind power.

Transmission Lines - Is a network of electrical conductors which transmit electrical energy from generating plant to distribution stations.

Distribution Stations - Distribute electrical energy to Industrial/Commercial and Residential thru overhead or underground distribution feeders.

Usable and Non-usable Electrical Energy

2010-08-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

Alternating current (AC) type of electrical energy comprises of usable energy and non-usable energy. Energy conversion unit utilizes the usable energy thru its resistor component and converted it to another form of energy (light, heat, mechanical energy) while the non-usable energy are stored in its inductor component and dissipated as heat. Both usable and non-usable energy are billed by utility company to consumers.

Alternating Current

2010-08-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Electricity supplied by utility company to residential and industrial/commercial consumers uses alternating current (AC) type for reasons that it can be easily changed from lower to higher voltage and vice versa with the use of power transformer and economically transmitted to longer distance at higher voltage.

Basic Electrical Component

2010-08-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Basic electrical component that an Energy conversion unit may contain:
• Resistor - ( filament of electric bulb, coil of electric stove )
• Inductor - ( coil of transformer/electric motor, ballast of fluorescent )
• capacitor - it opposes the effect of inductor in an energy conversion unit and it lessens the non-usable energy in the system.

Energy Conversion Units

2010-08-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Energy conversion unit converts electrical energy to usable form of energy, example Light bulb (coverts electrical energy to light), Audio Amplifier (converts electrical energy to sound), Heater (converts electrical energy to heat), Electric motor (converts electrical energy to mechanical energy), etc.