Top Traits of Automatic Voltage Regulators (AVR)

An automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is now an integral part of homes, Industries, and commercial institutions. The automatic voltage regulator is an electromechanical device that protects your costly devices, computers, machines from unwanted low or high voltage generated in the distribution system. Automatic voltage regulators (AVR) maintain a steady voltage level to electrical equipment loads that need a steady, safe voltage supply. With a variety of voltage regulation tools to choose from, it can be challenging to select the best one for your equipment loads. It is necessary to know what to look for in an automatic voltage regulator. Automatic voltage regulators can be designed for single-phase or three-phase applications. It is common for utilities to use single-phase automatic voltage regulators ganged together to provide voltage regulation for the three-phase. Here, we list the top four traits of a high-quality, automatic voltage regulator to help ensure you get the best match for your application.

Automatic voltage regulators operate where voltage regulation cannot be obtained by adjusting the size of the conductor or the source. In electrical equipment such as alternators, the load can shift quickly. In this case, the excitation system must also change to provide steady voltage under the new load condition. The automatic voltage regulator functions in the exciter field and changes the exciter output voltage and the field current. 

How to select an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR)?

Here, we list the top four traits of a high-quality, automatic voltage regulator to help ensure you get the best match for your application.

  1. Voltage regulation

Optimal voltage regulation is reached when the value of voltage is equal to all electrical equipment loads. Many factors can affect voltage regulation, including wire and cable size and type, transformer reactance and cables, motor starter, circuit configuration, and power factor. Although of these potential obstacles, voltage regulation must be selectable to an accuracy of ±1%. This requirement excludes three-phase unbalance problems and minimizes voltage deviations. 

  1. Input voltage range

The first step in selecting the best automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is specifying your input voltage range. The input voltage range must be broad and shifted because line voltages drop more than they increase. This feature allows for more moderate correction, rather than high correction. It also provides the automatic voltage regulator to be more configurable to all buck or boost, giving its highest voltage correction for extreme conditions. 

  1. Low impedance

Impedance is the protection of a component to the flow of electrical current, measured in ohms. The goal of an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is to obtain low impedance. Interaction within the load current and source impedance can produce low voltage, harmonic deformity, also voltage unbalance. Ideally, your automatic voltage regulator would avoid all of this if it had low impedance.

  1. Load compatibility 

Voltage regulation solutions must be compatible with the specified load to ensure its operation and to avoid preventing the action of other loads connected to the same power source. High performing automatic voltage regulators should be able to handle loads with high starting currents, all power factors, and high crest factors. To prevent instability, the regulator’s speed of response must be designed to work with the electronic power supplies applied in much of today’s equipment.

The things listed above are important for an automatic voltage regulator to operate reliably in demanding applications. In applications where voltage surges, spikes, and transients are a major concern.

AVR phases and phase regulation

For three-phase loads, it is normally more cost-effective to use a three-phase AVR. A three-phase automatic voltage regulator might regulate all three phases concurrently or it might manage each phase individually, depending on the configuration of the AVR. The three-phase AVR is based on a three-phase voltage selector system that is a quality, low-cost system that automatically controls the selected phase voltage while allowing a constant power supply to be delivered to the load. The system is designed and developed using components such as autotransformers that perform voltage regulation and high-power relays that perform the task of switching between steps. 

Right Power Technology now has the superior distinction of being a significant player in the industry, education, and commercial fields and we provide the full range of heavy-duty and high-performance Industrial Automatic Voltage Regulators (AVRs), ranging from 800VA to 1000KVA. To know more about us, visit our official website.