Power Xpert™ – Next-Generation Meters

By analyzing intricate patterns of higher order harmonics, voltage fluctuations and transient over voltages, Eaton's new technology helps operators understand electric environmental conditions, pinpoint electrical problems, ascertain proper levels of power quality and optimize energy use. The end result is a more efficient, less costly business operation.

"Our goal when designing the Power Xpert 4000/6000/8000 meter series was to demystify the process of power management," said Brandon Ekberg, business manager, Software and Meter Products, Eaton Corporation. "Our power quality meters allow operators to take highly specialized data and convert it into useful information that is available locally and over the Internet, without needing an outside consultant to decipher the information and make it useful."

With Eaton's Power Xpert 4000/6000/8000 meters, a facility's power chain information is available at the touch of a button. Additionally, the power quality meters provide value by:

• Accurately detecting fast-acting problems and power anomalies - by sampling circuit activity at the industry's highest rates (six samples every millionth of a second).
• Providing early warning of looming power-related problems - by using smart technology the meters recognize triggers and abnormal power patterns, and send instant alerts to the proper party to address the situation.
• Reducing the cost of monitoring power quality - by eliminating the need for costly outsourcing of power consultants and portable equipment.
• Supporting continuous, non-disruptive monitoring - by having a permanent, in-house monitoring solution that monitors the power chain 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Enabling remote monitoring, management and alarm notifications over the Ethernet, Internet and Web.

The Power Xpert line from Eaton is available in three separate offerings, standard power quality, enhanced power quality with disturbance capture, and premium power quality with disturbance and transient capture:

1. Power Xpert 4000 Meter - Provides core functions for monitoring power consumption and power quality. A sampling capability of 1,024 samples per cycle produces extremely accurate measurement of harmonics and other power events. Options can be added to suit specific customer requirements, such as cards for Ethernet, Internet and Web communications, additional inputs/outputs and a large LCD display that enables viewing a sub-network of up to 16 meter base modules.
2. Power Xpert 6000 Meter - Adds another level to the sampling speed of 1,024 samples per cycle for extremely accurate measurement of harmonics, flicker, transients and other events. Local LCD graphic display module and the Web interface plot these events against an industry standard ITIC curve. Optional 512MB compact flash card provides ample mass memory storage for waveform captures, which can be easily emailed as attachments, and other event data.
3. Power Xpert 8000 Meter - The premier power quality instrument within the product line. Samples at 6 MHz - 100,000 samples per cycle. This extremely fast rate provides a sample on each channel every 166 nanoseconds (six samples every millionth of a second, across three input channels and neutral-to-ground).

   "We began experiencing benefits from the Power Xpert 8000 meter immediately after installation," said Dick Harris, utility systems engineer, Penn State University. "From the consulting and purchasing process, to the installation and the start-up of the equipment, Eaton provided us with a power management solution in the most efficient way imaginable. We couldn't be happier with the results to date."