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SOLUTION IN CASE OF LOSS OF NEUTRAL IN AN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

The loss of neutral in an electrical system can occur under a variety of conditions, such as a faulty connection or damaged cable, problems with transformers, switches or circuit breakers, extreme weather conditions, accidents or other incidents on the electrical network.

Loss of neutral is a critical situation, as it can lead to safety problems, power surges and malfunctions of equipment connected to the electrical network. Electrical installations must be properly designed, maintained and monitored to avoid such problems.

The technical team at Nyx Hemera Technologies has taken this possibility into account in the development of TLACS, and the system can, to a certain extent, avoid the disadvantages of losing neutral for the lighting system.

Solutions from Nyx Hemera Technologies

Once properly installed, TLACS enables the lighting system to be supervised, but since loss of neutral is unpredictable, the safety of users may be compromised if several luminaires go out due to loss of neutral on the network.

In a three-phase electrical system at 277 VAC, the neutral is generally used as a reference for the three phases. If the neutral is lost, this can have several consequences, including:

  • Unbalanced voltage: Loss of neutral can lead to voltage imbalances between phases, which can affect the normal operation of electrical equipment.
  • Overvoltage : Surges can occur on unbalanced phases due to loss of neutral. This can damage equipment connected to the network.
  • Safety issues: Loss of neutral can also create dangerous conditions, as the voltage potential with respect to earth can increase on unbalanced phases.
  • Abnormal operation of equipment : Some sensitive electronic equipment may not work properly in the absence of a stable neutral.

A key element of TLACS, the local LPC controller, installed in each luminaire, controls and powers the LED driver. It was essential for Nyx Hemera Technologies to quickly resolve problems related to the loss of neutral to prevent damage to equipment and ensure the safety of the electrical system.

Appropriate protective devices, such as voltage relays and monitoring devices, can be used to detect and react to such situations.

As the LPC supports voltages from 120 to 480 VAC, if the neutral is lost in a 277-volt environment, the voltage will increase to 480 V. Nyx Hemera Technologies has designed a mechanism to protect the LED driver. The system will not be affected, but an alarm will still be raised so that the maintenance team can fix the problem according to the cause.

For the moment, this version of the LPC 480 is available by special order.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the loss of neutral in an electrical system could, in certain environments, represent a risk to the correct operation of equipment. The solutions developed by Nyx Hemera Technologies, such as TLACS and the LPC local controller, offer protection against the consequences of this problem. With appropriate monitoring and response devices, the system can detect the loss of neutral and take action to protect equipment. The design of the LPC 480 maintains system stability under loss-of-neutral conditions, providing a reliable solution for customers facing such challenges.

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