Consulting-Specifying Engineer - September 2007 - (Page PP17)

Quality Power for Security Systems Security system reliability is essential—and greatly depends on optimum power quality and reliability. BY JAY ADAMS, Applications Engineer, Transtector Systems, Hayden, Idaho Reliable operation of security systems is essential to protect company assets and ensure human safety. Episodic equipment malfunctions plague security systems and compromise system integrity. These malfunctions often are related to the power quality environment. As data and communication equipment become more electronically sophisticated, they demand a higher quality electrical environment to ensure optimal performance and uninterrupted operation. To resolve common power quality problems that can cause equipment malfunction and damage, it is crucial to understand the electrical sensitivity of various elements of a security system, best practices for a proper grounding system and fundamentals of quality surge protection devices. Figure 1 — A typical secure site contains sophisticated electronic equipment distributed outdoors on poles or sides of metal buildings. Buried and overhead cable runs are susceptible to damaging lightning-induced surges. Several sources cause changes in the characteristics of the power supply to the components of a security system, including: ● Lightning activity ● Utility grid switching ● Utility power factor correction ● Start-up or shutdown of equipment within a facility. These occurrences last only a short period of time; however, when injected into power and data circuits, they cause equipment damage or destruction and create safety hazards. There are best practices to remove these power-related problems to keep a site electronically secure. The single, most effective means of assuring a safe electrical environment is a highintegrity grounding system. Improper grounding can account for up to 40% of power related problems that result in costly downtime. Equipment malfunction, damage and destruction can be avoided through the following: ● Implementing a single-point grounding system ● Following the National Electric Code when installing the safety ground and grounding electrode systems ● Following the use of properly designed and appropriate integration of surge protection devices (SPDs). http://www.csemag.com | 17 http://www.csemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer - September 2007

Contents M/E Roundtable Cover Story: Airborne Superbugs Third-Party Liability Back to School Product Spotlight Codes & Standards Professional Practices How To New Products Jobs/Cliassifieds Specifier’s Notebook Pure Power Supplement New Technologies, Same Old Transmission Problems Wireless Battery Recharging Solar Concentration Renewables Tracking System A Mighty Wind The Importance of Load Bank Testing Quality Power for Security Systems

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - September 2007

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