Industrial Power Management - A Productivity Innovation for the 1990's, 1992 Engineering Conference Proceedings

The traditional needs of both industrial process and electric utility users of power distribution equipment have been for simple, stand-alone protection and metering functions implemented in discrete devices. While there have been instances in which these devices have employed electronic technology, this has been more often for the convenience of the device manufacturer rather than because of any features that electronic technology might bring.

The world is changing as we move into the 1990’s. Industry is facing greater competitive pressures which are causing an increase in the awareness of the cost impact of electrical energy on the final product. This competition results in an increasing interest in integrating electrical protection and metering functions with the objective of measuring and ultimately minimizing the electrical system cost component of the product.

This paper will address the changes that are currently taking place in power protection, metering and control applications and discuss how integrating these functions can bring value to the process. The paper will offer suggestions for future developments in integrated power protection, monitoring and control systems which will further increase their value in enhancing industrial competitiveness.