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Data on US Mains Power & Expensive Options

EERecordist

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In the world of utilities and engineers we measure and ensure power quality. It is measured by power quality recorders like a Dranetz. Data center power engineers buy or rent these.

How good is utility power? Really good, here is the science:


If you are a lab designing power supplies, one piece of test equipment you might have is an adjustable AC power source. Here is one that can generate 2-4kW AC and also run your DC power bricks. It starts at $6000.


ASR-3400HF_F_E_22091414952.png


They also have an APS series. There would be several makers of similar equipment. You could also if you wanted to spend even more money put a Topaz transformer in front of it. Sometimes you can find a Topaz used when tech buildings decommission their electrical systems. They are very heavy.
 

sam_adams

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In the world of utilities and engineers we measure and ensure power quality. It is measured by power quality recorders like a Dranetz. Data center power engineers buy or rent these.

How good is utility power? Really good, here is the science:


If you are a lab designing power supplies, one piece of test equipment you might have is an adjustable AC power source. Here is one that can generate 2-4kW AC and also run your DC power bricks. It starts at $6000.


ASR-3400HF_F_E_22091414952.png


They also have an APS series. There would be several makers of similar equipment. You could also if you wanted to spend even more money put a Topaz transformer in front of it. Sometimes you can find a Topaz used when tech buildings decommission their electrical systems. They are very heavy.

@amirm needs one of these. It's even ASR branded!
 

kemmler3D

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How good is utility power? Really good, here is the science:
Seems like great data but it's 20 years old by now. Do we have any reason to think power quality might have changed over time? I also noticed that this data was collected from utility equipment and not homes, but I assume the quality at the two points must be related.

To be honest the main thing I took away in that report was that THD of the power waveform is only 1% on average... even some audio equipment is worth than that.
 

Blumlein 88

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Old simple electric wall clocks were good enough, but not always super accurate. They simply worked on 60 hz. One of those odd things in this century they do such a good job of keeping an average of exactly 60 hz, such old clocks are now very accurate.
 
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