Most important features of automatic voltage regulators
Automatic voltage regulators provide a constant voltage level for electrical devices that require a consistent, reliable power supply. Because there are a variety of voltage regulators available, it can be difficult to choose the best one for your equipment. It’s important to know what to look for in an automatic voltage regulator, or your equipment will be damaged, costing you time and money. Below is a list of the five most important features of a quality automatic voltage regulator to help you find the best regulator for your application.
What is an automatic voltage regulator?
An automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is an electronic device that maintains a constant voltage for electrical equipment with the same load. The AVR regulates voltage fluctuations to ensure a constant, reliable power supply. Without an automatic voltage regulator, voltage drops, spikes or surges can occur, damaging electrical equipment. Visit also: AVR for Industry
When is an automatic voltage regulator used versus ladders?
Automatic voltage regulators are generally used where voltage regulation cannot be achieved by changing the size of the conductor or power source. In electrical equipment, such as generators, the load may change suddenly. In this case, the excitation system must also be changed to ensure a consistent voltage under the new load conditions. The automatic voltage regulator operates in the exciter field and changes the exciter output voltage and field current.
How to select an automatic voltage regulator?
The most important features of a quality automatic voltage regulator to ensure you find the best solution for your application is given below.
1. VOLTAGE REGULATION
Optimal voltage regulation occurs when the voltage value matches all electrical loads. Several factors can affect voltage regulation, including wire and cable size and type, transformer reactance and cable, motor starter, circuit design, and power factor. Regardless of these potential obstacles, voltage regulation must be selectable with ±1% accuracy. This requirement eliminates three-phase unbalance problems and minimizes voltage deviations.
2. INPUT VOLTAGE RANGE
The first step in selecting the best automatic voltage regulator is to determine the input voltage range. The input voltage range should be wide and shifting as line voltages drop more than they rise. This feature allows for low correction rather than high correction. Also, the automatic voltage regulator can be better configured to buck or boost, providing maximum voltage correction for extreme cases.
3. LOW IMPEDANCE
Impedance is the resistance of a component, measured in ohms, to the flow of electric current. The goal of an automatic voltage regulator is to achieve low impedance. The interaction between the load current and the source impedance can result in low voltage, harmonic distortion, and voltage unbalance. Ideally, your automatic voltage regulator would avoid all of this if it had low impedance.
4. LOAD COMPATIBILITY
Voltage regulation solutions must be compatible with the specified load to ensure its operation and not interfere with the operation of other loads connected to the same power source. High-performance automatic voltage regulators should be capable of handling loads with high starting currents, all power factors, and high crest factors. To avoid instability, the regulator’s response speed must be designed to work with the electronic power supplies used in many of today’s devices.
5. VOLTAGE ACCURACY
The main purpose of an automatic voltage regulator is to make voltage levels more accurate, but what is the optimum level of accuracy for your application? Voltage accuracy depends on the critical load requirement. Typically, automatic voltage regulators are used in circuits where voltage regulation cannot be achieved by changing the conductor size. The five features listed above are critical to ensuring that an automatic voltage regulator operates reliably in demanding applications. For applications where voltage pulses, spikes, and transients are important, also consider transient suppression as an important feature.
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