Improving Energy Efficiency and Productivity in Industrial Plants Using Dynamic Voltage Management

Conservation voltage reduction (CVR) is an established practice of having the distribution system loads operate at the lower end of the accepted limits based on the standard ANSI C84.1 to provide reduction in power consumption. This standard stipulates optimal voltage levels where the customer equipment is expected to operate with normal performance. CVR has been implemented traditionally by utilities by controlling the voltage on a distribution circuit to the lower end of the tolerance band defined by this standard. The effects of conservation voltage reduction are quantified by a metric called CVR factor (CVR_f). Some references have pointed out that utilities may have a concern about potential reduction in revenue they might incur due to conservation voltage reduction. CVR factor on an average at the distribution feeder level has been discussed to be 0.8. This research investigates the mechanism of saving energy in industrial plants and suggests measures to quantify the CVR factor. The requirements of a device for voltage management are explained. The proposed solution employs coaxial winding transformers whose salient features have been discussed. Existing solutions may have significant issues. Their limited fault handling capability makes them less robust to handle the forces and this may lead to destruction of the equipment or they may experience other issues including sluggish response or low efficiency.Ph.D