Power Systems Disturbances and Considerations for Power Conditioning

Recent years have seen a flood of power conditioning products on the market, especially for use with computers or microprocessor controlled equipment. In order to apply these conditioners effectively to eliminate or attenuate power-line disturbances, the electrical engineer must understand the types of disturbances likely to be encountered as well as their cause and effect. S/he must also know something about the susceptibility of the equipment being protected. In the computer and power conditioning industries, opinions vary widely as to the types of disturbances which are most likely to cause power related computer failures, and the best technology for eliminating them. For this reason, the engineer must work closely with the user and the computer or equipment manufacturer in order to determine the need for a power conditioner and the proper conditioner if needed.