Power Measurement for Sustainable High-performance Manufacturing Processes

Global competitive pressures force companies to employ more sustainable, more integrated, and more productive manufacturing technologies and systems. While high performance machining and processes are considered to be important enablers, their reliable assessment depends on the availability of suitable measurement data. In this context power monitoring allows for the quantification of energy efficiency, the curbing of expensive peak power use, and the control of the process stability. The monitoring of high-performance processes however is challenging and can benefit from high-frequency, high-sensitivity measurement devices. This research paper provides a basic introduction into power and energy measurement for three phase power and discusses the advantages of high-frequency power monitoring. Challenges faced when deploying power monitoring systems in industrial settings are outlined. Several case studies explore phenomena not detectable by conventional approaches and investigate resulting improvements in energy measurement accuracy.