During power supply operation, we sometimes encounter situations where the three-phase voltage is insufficient. The role of a voltage regulator is to solve the problem of unstable or low voltage. Let's take a closer look.
1. What is a Three-Phase Voltage Regulator?
A three-phase voltage regulator is a power device used to stabilize three-phase AC voltage. It belongs to the category of compensated voltage regulators and is manufactured by companies such as Beijing Beidiao Jiexiang Industry & Trade and Changzhou Chuangwen Electric. It is mainly used in industrial machinery, medical equipment, communication systems, and transportation facilities to solve equipment malfunctions caused by grid voltage fluctuations.
This device adopts sinusoidal energy distribution technology and a modular structure design, supporting ±15% input voltage fluctuations, with an output accuracy of ±0.5%~1% and a response time of less than 0.03 seconds. Internally, it is equipped with industrial-grade components and has five protection mechanisms including overvoltage, phase loss, and short circuit protection. It can operate continuously in environments ranging from -20°C to 45°C. By using aluminum conductors to reduce size and weight, and employing an air-cooled heat dissipation system and H-class temperature-resistant coil design, it achieves low-noise operation of ≤65dB under full load and an efficiency of over 98%. Its power range covers 10KVA to 3000KVA, supporting independent three-phase regulation and 150% overload conditions, suitable for high-power industrial applications such as CNC machine tools, laser cutting machines, and generator sets.
2. Some characteristics of three-phase voltage regulators
2. High efficiency and excellent characteristics: Utilizing high magnetic flux and low iron loss silicon steel sheets minimizes no-load losses and no-load current, maximizing efficiency under full load, allowing the voltage regulator to perform at its highest efficiency and reducing power loss.
2.2 Wide AC power input range: The system design can withstand a wide input range and can still operate normally under poor AC input power. All components are specially selected to withstand instantaneous high voltage and high current.
2.3 Tolerance to harsh environments: Composed of high-efficiency and wide-safety-range industrial-grade components, it can withstand harsh temperature, humidity, vibration, and polluted environments.
2.4 Simple Maintenance and Repair
The internal modular design ensures all components are standardized. The main structural coils require only internal cleaning and no further maintenance.
2.5 Small Size and Light Weight
Utilizing new manufacturing processes and precision machining, along with easily heat-dissipating aluminum conductors, this product achieves maximum capacity in a smaller size and lighter weight.
3. What are the effects of low voltage on equipment?
3.1 Low voltage reduces the capacity of power transmission and distribution equipment, decreases the charging power of transmission lines, causes large-scale power outages, shortens equipment lifespan, and may even burn out electrical components.
When the voltage is too low (below 5%), the motor shortens, the voltage square relationship decreases, resulting in a significant drop in starting torque and difficulty starting the motor (slow start or even failure to start).
3.2 If the load on the operating motor is constant (under heavy load or rated load), the rotor should maintain the necessary electromagnetic shortening to balance the load's resistance torque.
This forces an increase in rotor current, leading to an increase in stator current, causing motor overheating, increased temperature rise, shortened motor life, and even motor burnout.
Low voltage starting and operation of motors are common occurrences; therefore, load reduction or intermittent use should be minimized. Motor voltage fluctuations are generally allowed within a range of 10% to -5%. If the power supply voltage is 380 volts, the motor can operate for extended periods between 418 and 36 volts.
4. Solutions for Low Equipment Voltage
4.1 In addition to reinforcing the incoming lines, it is necessary to check if the power factor of the electrical equipment is relatively low, causing increased voltage drop. If it is a power factor issue, reactive power compensation will suffice.
4.2 Energy-saving retrofits can also be implemented on some equipment, such as replacing motors with more efficient ones. Energy-saving equipment consumes less power and can solve the low voltage problem.
4.3 Install a three-phase fully automatic compensated power regulator, which is an automatic autotransformer. This device can stabilize insufficient voltage and improve power compensation.
5. Is a voltage regulator useful for low three-phase voltage?
One of the functions of a voltage regulator is to control the output voltage of appliances with large current fluctuations within a certain range, thereby ensuring smooth circuit operation and normal appliance use. Voltage instability can be solved with a voltage regulator; the answer is definitely yes!
If the three-phase voltage is too low and exceeds the voltage regulator's range, please use a step-up booster. It's more effective than a voltage regulator, as the regulator will trip its own protection mechanism when the three-phase voltage is too low, resulting in no output voltage.
Which are the best voltage regulator manufacturers?
Siemens
A long-established company and a giant in the field of industrial automation. A household name, involved in multiple fields. A large international enterprise. Products are mainly used in industrial automation, drive systems, and process industries.
Toshiba / Mitsubishi Electric
A renowned Japanese company, known for its high-precision, high-stability machines with very reliable quality.
Delta: Primarily used in industrial automation, data centers, renewable energy, and communication power supplies.
Siemens: A large international company. Its products are mainly used in industrial automation, drive systems, and process industries.
Huawei: A large, well-known company with leading technology.
IDEALPLUSING: A leading global provider of power management and thermal solutions with an extremely broad product line. As one of the leading domestic power technology brands, IDEALPLUSING has gained favor with many customers due to its advantages in customization, and its price-performance ratio is relatively high among imported brands.
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