ELECTRICAL FUNDAMENTALS FOR MECHANICAL SERVICES

Prepared by: Quentin Wilson / Elliot Alfirevich Date: October 2012

vital experience in acoustics | civil | electrical | ESD | fire | hydraulic | lifts mechanical | property asset management | structural | underground power Albany, Brisbane, Busselton, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Shenzhen, Sydney E: wge@wge.com.au W: www.wge.com.au

Introduction
MOST POWER CONSUMED IN MECHANICAL SERVICES SYSTEMS IS CONSUMED BY ELECTRIC MOTORS: - FANS - PUMPS - COMPRESSORS - DAMPER MOTORS - CONTROL VALVES PASSIVE DEVICES CONSUME THE BALANCE OF THE POWER: - ELECTRIC HEATER BANKS - CONTROL SYSTEMS: - RELAYS - CONTACTORS - CONTROLLERS - MONITORING DEVICES - COMPUTER DISPLAYS AND PRINTERS

Typical Consumption

Electrical Terms
Voltage (Volts, V) Current (Amps, A) Direct Current (DC) / Alternating Current (AC) AC Power (kW, kVA) and Power Factor (PF) Single Phase (1ph) / Three Phase (3ph)

Voltage (Volts, V)
Volts is the SI measurement unit of electrical potential difference or electromotive force. Ability to do work! Its a potential difference and therefore always measured between two points. Voltage is most commonly referenced to the neutral or earth potential which is termed 0 volts. Water pipe analogy voltage is like the pressure drop across the circuit. Western Power is like a variable speed pump which maintains a constant pressure differential (voltage drop) across a varying load (grid).

Current (Amps, A)
Amps is the SI measurement unit of current or electric charge flow at a specific point in a circuit. Water pipe analogy current is like the water flow through a pipe. Western Powers variable speed pump (power station) increases the water flow rate (current) to maintain a constant pressure differential (voltage drop) across the varying load (grid). Cables are sized based on current carrying capacity and voltage drop, the same way ducts and pipes are sized on flow rate and pressure drop.

Direct Current (DC) vs Alternating Current (AC)

Direct current (DC) occurs as the result of direct voltage. Alternating current (AC) occurs as the result of alternating voltage. An AC incandescent light globe actually flickers 50 times per second in Australia!

DC

AC

AC Power (kW, kVA) and Power Factor ()

Apparent Power (S) in kVA is the voltage (V) multiplied by the current (I) or mathematically S = VI. Easy to remember from the units kVA! Real Power (P) in kW is the voltage (V) multiplied by the current (I) and Power Factor (PF) P = VI*PF. Reactive Power (Q) in VAr is the difference between the S and P and is the power temporarily stored by the load. Usually <20%. Electrical Engineers use kVA because their cables need to supply total power needed by the load. Mechanical Engineers are concerned with kW because they need to cool the real power (rejected heat) from the load.

Power Factor = 1
Purely resistive loads like: Heater bank Electronic switch-mode power supplies (e.g. computer, electronic ballast in a fluoro) Variable Speed Drives (electronics) Can be usually be switched with less expensive AC-1 rated contactors as making & breaking currents are less and shorter duration.

ALMOST ANYTHING WHICH THE PREDOMINANT LOAD IS ELECTRONICS

Power Factor = 0.8

Inductive loads like: Induction motors (without VSDs) Power transformers Usually need to be switched with more expensive AC-3 rated contactors as making & breaking currents are higher due to the inductive characteristic of the load. I.e. causes arcing of the contacts.

ALMOST ANYTHING WHICH HAS WINDINGS

Single Phase (1ph) / Three Phase (3ph)

Single Phase AC Power (e.g. 230VAC 50Hz in Australia) Single Phase = Fluctuating Power Input/Output!

Single Phase (1ph) / Three Phase (3ph)

Three Phase AC Power (e.g. 415VAC L-L 50Hz in Australia) Three Phase = Constant Power Input/Output!

WE MAINLY DEAL WITH 50 HZ AC MOTORS. EITHER 240V SINGLE PHASE OR 415V THREE PHASE. THE MOTOR INDUSTRY CONSIDERS THESE TO BE LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS. HIGH VOLTAGE MOTORS: 1,000V 22,000V. WE HAVE MEPS TO HELP US ENSURE WE ARE USING THE MOST EFFICIENT ELECTRIC MOTORS.

Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) Regulations in Australia

MEPS
APPLIES TO 3 PHASE MOTORS, 0.73 kW 185 kW. 2006 HIGH EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS WERE UPGRADED. E3 Equipment Energy Efficiency From 1 October 2012 Enforced through GEMS Greenhouse Energy Minimum Standards http://www.energyrating.gov.au/programs/e3program/meps/about/ http://www.climatechange.gov.au/media/whatsnew/gems-legislation-introduced.aspx

Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) Regulations in Australia

MEPS

TYPES OF AC MOTORS

TYPE AC INDUCTION (SHADED POLE)

ADVANTAGES LEAST EXPENSIVE LONG LIFE LOW POWER HIGH POWER HIGH STARTING TORQUE LONG-LIFE

DISADVANTAGES ROTATION SLIPS FROM FREQUENCY LOW STARTING TORQUE ROTATION SLIPS FROM FREQUENCY AC ROTATION INSYNC WITH FREQ MORE EXPENSIVE

TYPICAL APPLICATION SMALL FANS

AC INDUCTION (SPLIT-PHASE CAPACITOR) AC SYNCHRONOUS

APPLIANCES

INDUSTRIAL MOTORS CLOCKS AUDIO TURNTABLES TAPE DRIVES

EFFICIENCY IS A DESIGN FUNCTION!

SINGLE PHASE 230V 50Hz

CHEAP TO BUY AND INSTALL CHEAP TO SPEED CONTROL 60W 4 KW SPEED IS CALCULATED BY FORMULA: N = 120 X FREQUENCY / NO. OF POLES 2 POLE 4 POLE 6 POLE 2900 RPM 1400 RPM 920 PRM

P (WATTS) = V (VOLTS) x I (AMPS) x POWER FACTOR P (WATTS) = 230 x I (AMPS) x 0.8

THREE PHASE MOTORS 415V 50Hz

370W 160 KW 2 POLE 4 POLE 6 POLE 8 POLE 10 POLE 2900 RPM 1400 RPM 920 PRM 720 RPM 600 RPM

MORE EFFICIENT SMALLER FOR THE SAME POWER EASY TO CHANGE DIRECTION NO CAPACITOR START EASY TO SPEED CONTROL (VSD/VFD) P (WATTS) = 3 x V (VOLTS) x I (AMPS) x POWER FACTOR P (WATTS) = 3 x 415 x I (AMPS) x 0.8

Motor Starting and Sizes

Different methods of starting motors: - Direct On-Line (DOL) - Star-delta Starters - Autotransformer Starters - Soft-starters / Variable Speed Drives / Inverter

Direct On-Line (DOL) Starting

OK for motors < 3kW (9kWr @ COP = 3). High thermal & mechanical stress, few starts per hour. Simplest, least cost (Contactor + Overload) High starting current (5-10x Rated Current) High starting torque (~2.5x Rated Torque)

Star-Delta Starting (Old)

OK for motors < 8kW. Lower starting current (2-3x Rated Current) Low starting torque (0.2-0.5x Rated Torque) Lower thermal stress, 2-3x more starts per hour. Doesnt work for all motors - requires winding terminals. Not good when starting on load (e.g. pumps)

Autotransformer Starting (Old)

OK for motors > 8kW. Lower starting current (1.7-4x Rated Current) Lower starting torque (0.5x Rated Torque) Low thermal stress, 3-4x more starts per hour. Ramps up voltage in discrete steps replaced by solid-state Soft Starters and VSDs with almost infinite steps!

Soft-starters / VSDs / Inverters

Varying the frequency (from 50Hz) varies the speed! OK for most motors except shaded pole induction. OK for all types of load. High starting torque (configurable). Low (or no) starting current (configurable). Low stress, many starts per hours. Inbuilt control and protection (VSDs) Can be higher harmonics and PF(=1) back to the electrical infrastructure

Tips for using VSDs

Keep the VSD close to the motor. Use a shielded/screened cable between the VSD and the motor to avoid RF interference. Can be single-phase input and three-phase output to run small 3-phase motors on 1-phase power supplies! Check the settings. weve seen motors stalling at startup because of incorrect settings. Can seriously damage the motor and VSD. In-built protection helps to save motors and VSDs. In-built protection should be disabled for fire mode operations.

SOLID STATE RELAYS CLUNK FREE

SOLID STATE RELAYS CLUNK FREE

Advantages No noise No moving parts or mechanical wear No arcing (OK for hazardous environments!) Reliable high operation count. Low turn-on voltage and current (no interposing relays!) High speed switching! Disadvantages Higher cost (especially for larger relays) Higher heat output (may require a heatsink) Come in many types be sure to select the right one! Ideal Applications Single phase loads <40A, heater banks, small fans and motors, things that start and stop often.

Electrical Codes and Wiring Rules

Federal Legislation Building Code of Australia State Legislation WA Electricity Act 1945 Australian Standards - Wiring Rules (AS3000:2007) EnergySafety - WA Electrical Requirements Mechanical Electrical Contractors are required to comply with these Regulations, and all mandatory referred Standards and Regulations. The onus is on Contractor who holds the license. However Safety in Design! How does this effect Mechanical Engineers? - Switchboard Clearances and Design - Provision and Location of Isolators - Power (LV) and Communications (ELV) Segregation

Switchboard Clearance and Accessibility

Switchboards over 3m require 2 paths of escape. Minimum clearance of 600mm around doors and panels. Must be safely accessible not in ceiling spaces etc.! Must be enclosed in a smoke sealed, non-combustible cupboard if located in the path of travel to an exit.

Mechanical Consultant to Coordinate:

Advise power supply requirements: - Location - Volts (Single Phase 240V or Three Phase 415V) - Amps (Full Load Amps & Starting Amps or kVA and Starting Method) - Termination Requirements (Cables for MSSB, Isolator or Socket) - Safety/Essential Requirements (Fire-essential or Generator or both!) - Understanding of the system operation and power supply diversity! Advise communications requirements: - Location - Type of communications (e.g. phone line for dialer or ADSL?) Advise fire shutdown signal requirements: - Location (MSSB preferred) - Type of signal (Zone or General Alarm) - Fire/AS1668.1 control requirements Request BMS Points including meters and interface type.

Electrical Consultant to Coordinate

Confirm power supply requirements are documented. Including confirmation of the power supply: - Capacity (e.g. Three Phase 400A) - Termination details (cable size and entry) - Fault Level at the MSSB!! Advise BMS system & Metering requirements (Points Schedule): - Location (e.g. Electrical DB location) - Type of Point (Volt-free contact, Meter Pulse, Meter HLI) - Meters HLI Communication Protocol (e.g. MODBUS/LON/N2) Pulse-type meters are the past! Its often best for the Mech-Elec Contractor to supply HLI meters which suit the BMS protocol (Johnson N2/LON/BacNet) for installation by the Electrical Contractor with final programming/ commissioning by the Mech-Elec Contractor!

Fault Levels
Fault level is expressed in kA kiloamps (thousands of amps) The current that occurs when you short out the phases! Bigger (or more) power transformers, higher the fault level. Closer to the supply transformer, higher the fault level. Make sure the Electrical Contractor or Consultant has advised the fault level. Mechanical switchboards need to be constructed suitable for the fault level.
4-10kA domestic/commercial <250A 25kA for 1000kVA TX 50kA for 2x1000kVA TX 150kA up for mines!

BOOM!

Form Rating
Compartmentalising switchboards You may need to work on some services while keeping others running go for a higher form rating! Form rating is all about concurrent maintainability!

DO YOU NEED AN MSSB?

OPTION 1: BUILDERS ELECTRICIAN GIVES YOU A POWER SUPPLY AND ISOLATOR TO ALL MECHANICAL PLANT. WORKS OK WHEN PLANT HAS INTEGRATED CONTROLS E.G. WALL SPLITS, CASSETTES. OPTION 2: BUILDERS ELECTRICIAN PROVIDES SUB-MAIN TO MSSB. WORKS OK WHEN: - LARGE AND VARIED MECHANICAL PLANT - 240V AND 415V EQUIPMENT. - DDC CONTROL SYSTEM

RULES OF THUMB FOR SINGLE PHASE AIR CONDITIONING ELECTRICAL LOADS:

MEPS REQUIRES EER (ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATING) OF 2.75 EER (COOLING) = RATED COOLING CAPACITY OUTPUT (KW) COOLING INPUT POWER (KW) COP (HEATING) = RATED HEATING CAPACITY OUTPUT (KW) HEATING INPUT POWER (KW) ELECTRICAL INPUT (kW) = COOLING (kW)/EER APROXIMATELY: kW = 1/3 OF THE COOLING CAPACITY CURRENT: E.G.: FLA = 1.5 TIMES THE COOLING CAPACITY 14.5 kW 1 PH R/C INV. FUJITSU DUCTED SPLIT EER = 2.8 kW = 5.18 (Rule of Thumb = 4.8) FLA = 21.6 (Rule of Thumb = 21.75) BEWARE OF MANUFACTURER CIRCUIT AMPS!

RULES OF THUMB FOR THREE PHASE AIR CONDITIONING ELECTRICAL LOADS:

MEPS REQUIRES EER (ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATING) OF 3.10 EER (COOLING) = RATED COOLING CAPACITY OUTPUT (KW) COOLING INPUT POWER (KW) COP (HEATING) = RATED HEATING CAPACITY OUTPUT (KW) HEATING INPUT POWER (KW) ELECTRICAL INPUT (kW) = COOLING (kW)/EER APPROX: kW = 1/3 OF THE COOLING CAPACITY CURRENT: FLA = 2/3 OF THE COOLING CAPACITY E.G.: 26.8 kW 3 PH R/C TEMPERZONE DUCTED SPLIT EER = 3.12 kW = 8.59 (Rule of Thumb = 8.9) FLA = 12 (Rule of Thumb = 18) BEWARE OF MANUFACTURER CIRCUIT AMPS!

How do you convert Harvey Norman HP to kW (Cooling)??

1 HP = 746W (MOTOR kW) EER = 3.0 Therefore: A unit with a 1 HP electrical motor will provide: 0.746 x 3.0 = 2.2 kW(R) of cooling.

 CASCADE IS THE KEY TO DDC CONTROL..

Cascading of current is the key to DDC Control. Computer output via transistor:

Transistor switches relay.

Which switches a contactor

which starts the motor!

DDC equipment is located on the Extra Low Voltage (ELV) side of the MSSB. Digital and Analogue Inputs trigger Digital and Analogue Outputs.

The power side of the DDC system is located on the Low Voltage (LV) Side of the MSSB. A single digital output Closes the contactor and starts the heater.

HIGH LEVEL INTERFACE: KWH METERS CHILLERS VSDs

Thank you