{"id":16612,"date":"2024-12-04T15:24:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T15:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/?post_type=case_study&#038;p=16612"},"modified":"2025-11-24T22:39:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T22:39:17","slug":"diagnosing-solving-load-imbalance-in-a-flash-with-power-system-analysis","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/case-study\/diagnosing-solving-load-imbalance-in-a-flash-with-power-system-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Diagnosing &amp; Solving Load Imbalance In a Flash with Power System Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"background-color:#f0f5f7\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Project Summary<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list numbered-list\">\n<li style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Challenge: <\/strong>Voltage load imbalance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Project Type: <\/strong>Power system analysis and simulation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Equipment: <\/strong>PQube<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> 3 and PowerAct Active Harmonic Filter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Situation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From power factor penalties to uncontrolled inrush currents, voltage imbalance can spark runaway costs, fast. Such was the case for an American manufacturer of lighting poles and traffic structures. Its fabrication process relied on flash welding, a technique that bonds metal parts using an electric arc. The catch? The flash welding machines\u2014running on single-phase AC power\u2014were used in sporadic durations and intervals throughout the day, causing significant system strain and load imbalance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the manufacturer\u2019s current facility, a dedicated medium voltage (MV) feed kept this imbalance barely perceptible upstream. But the manufacturer planned to move its welding operations to a new facility\u2014one without a direct MV feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suddenly, their reliable setup was facing a critical power quality dilemma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to the unpredictable nature of the flash welding power requirements, the new facility\u2019s local utility said \u201cno way\u201d to supplying a direct low voltage 480V 3 phase feed. Instead, a medium voltage substation was specified to handle the load\u2014an extremely expensive and time-consuming investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, even with the MV substation, the issues of voltage imbalance would not be corrected. Without getting to the root cause of the imbalance and taking corrective action, the issue could lead to voltage instability and cause potential upstream issues for the utility grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enter Powerside\u2019s full <a href=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/services\/power-system-analysis\/\">Power System Analysis<\/a>. This comprehensive three-step service not only provided a deep dive into the manufacturer\u2019s existing power systems to identify specific issues\u2014it also simulated captured data against the future facility\u2019s power profile to provide tailored next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group multiline-list--pl-4\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 1. PQube<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> 3<\/strong> <strong>Deployment<\/strong><br>Powerside deployed PQube<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> 3 advanced power quality analyzer to the existing facility. After easily plugging the PQube 3 into the power system, the device captured the trending load and high-fidelity waveforms of the facility&#8217;s power profile under real-world conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 2. Monitoring and Analysis<\/strong><br>Over two weeks, the PQube<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> 3 monitored and logged every electrical fluctuation, spike, and dip. This rich dataset uncovered the root of the load imbalances, giving Powerside a clear view of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step 3. Simulation and Solution Development<\/strong><br>Powerside took the captured data and simulated it against the environment of the planned facility, testing different scenarios to find the right technical fix. After considering various solutions, Powerside identified the <a href=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/products\/power-quality-corrections-solutions\/poweract-low-voltage-active-harmonic-filter\/\">PowerAct Active Harmonic Filter<\/a> as the ideal match for load balancing and mitigating the unique challenges of the flash welding process.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PowerAct-Harmoic-Filter-min.webp\" alt=\"powerAct Active Hamonic filter details displayed as a swiss army knife \" class=\"wp-image-16570 lazyload\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PowerAct-Harmoic-Filter-min.webp\" alt=\"powerAct Active Hamonic filter details displayed as a swiss army knife \" class=\"wp-image-16570\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size: 13px; text-align: center; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 700;\">Figure 1:<\/span> The PowerAct Active Harmonic Filter is a multi-tool for power quality, helping to maintain effective load balance, prevent equipment malfunctions, and boost overall efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Designed to mitigate various power quality phenomena, the PowerAct Active Harmonic Filter\u2019s load balancing capabilities were ideal in this scenario. Harmonic filtering, power factor correction, grid compliance, resonance dampening, and more were simply added benefits that will continue to lend value to the manufacturer\u2019s long-term operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Milbernd-Simulation-graphs-min.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16564 lazyload\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Milbernd-Simulation-graphs-min.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16564\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size: 13px; text-align: center; font-style: italic;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 700;\">Figure 2:<\/span> The simulated data shows the striking difference in voltage sags before and after the active filter is placed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the PowerAct Active Harmonic Filter in place, the manufacturer gained immediate and measurable benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Enhanced Load Balancing:<\/strong> Voltage sags were cut down (Fig. 2), bringing load imbalance from &gt;10% to &lt;3% and well within utility compliance requirements.<span style=\"font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;\"><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Cost Savings:<\/strong> By balancing the load and improving power quality, the PowerAct filter ultimately bypassed the need for an expensive, dedicated substation, delivering 4X cost savings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Time Savings:<\/strong> No more waiting on new infrastructure\u2014the filter made the move seamless, cutting down the time to go operational in the new facility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moving forward, the PowerAct Active Harmonic Filter will continue to correct the load imbalance caused by the flash welding process \u2014 all while adding extra protection against harmful power quality issues that could arise in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even the most complex electrical challenges have straightforward solutions. Uncover and solve your power quality issues with a Power System Analysis today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-63375db1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/powerside.com\/contact-us\/\"><strong>Request Analysis<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":16613,"template":"","categories":[109,123,129,118,115,119,131,120,137,130,121],"class_list":["post-16612","case_study","type-case_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commercial-industrial","category-low-voltage-active-harmonic-filter","category-power-analyzer-monitoring-software","category-power-factor-correction","category-power-issues","category-power-quality-analysis-improvement","category-power-sensors","category-power-trends","category-pq-edge-power-monitor","category-pqube-3-power-analyzers","category-products-software"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_study\/16612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case_study"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}