Most commercial and industrial electrical system installations involve an electrical power distribution system. An electric power distribution system is between the transmission station and individual industrial and commercial customers. Typically, this power is transmitted at a lower voltage than the transmission of power over long transmission lines over great distances. The distribution system tends to step down power to commercial and industrial electrical systems.

The most common electrical power distribution systems include:

• Radial Power Distribution Systems
• Ring Power Distribution Systems

What is a Radial Power Distribution System?

A radial power distribution system is used for substations or generating stations located at the center of the customer’s location. For a radial PDS In this system, the feeders push electricity from one end to the distributors located at the other end. The energy can only flow in one direction.

Advantages of Radial PDS

• Simple design and setup
• Low initial cost

Disadvantages of Radial PDS

• Not as reliable as other systems
• A fault in one feeder cuts off power to the distributor and doesn’t provide any backup feeder

Radial Parallel Feeder Distribution Systems

There is a version of the radial power distribution system called a parallel feeder power distribution system. This doubles the number of feeders within the system, which improves reliability but adds considerable expense due to the doubling of the feeders.

What is a Ring Power Distribution System?

Ring distribution systems are designed so that every distribution transformer connects with two feeders using different paths. These feeders form a loop that starts at the substation bus bars, goes through the load area feeding distribution transformers and returns to the substation bus bars.

Advantages of a Ring PDS

• Very reliable system
• Fewer voltage fluctuations at terminal locations
• Improved continuity of the power supply

Disadvantages of a Ring Main Distribution System

• High initial cost.

Looking for an Experienced Industrial or Commercial Electrical Services Provider?

Then look no further. Tri-State Electrical is one of the premier industrial and commercial electrical providers in the Southeastern U.S. Whether you are looking for an industrial electric generator installation, a solar storage solution, or PLC programming and installation services, Tri-State Electrical Contractors can deliver. For more information or to get a quote, call (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

Power distribution systems are a critical part of any electrical power system. To transfer electrical power from its source to where it is used, requires a power distribution center.

A power distribution center (PDC) regulates the distribution of electrical power to equipment at an industrial plant, homes in your neighborhood, or systems on your car.  Typically, a switchgear supplies power to the PDC.

How Do Commercial and Industrial Electricians Use PDCs

For commercial or industrial electrical work, power distribution centers tend to be large enclosures of electrical equipment housed in an electrical room, on the roof of a building, or even a separate dedicated building somewhere on the company’s property. Commercial and industrial electricians use power distribution centers to manage the raw current coming from the electrical source and feeding it to all of the systems that require it within the building or property.

Components of a Power Distribution Center

No PDCs will be exactly alike. The components within the PDC depends on the amount of energy needed, location, how the energy is being used, etc. But most PDCs have the following components:

• Housing – Most electrical equipment is delicate and requires protection from extreme weather (high-winds, torrential rain, severe heat and cold, and much more). Housings protect the equipment within the PDC, as well as keep the weather, temperature extremes, vermin, and other annoyances out.
• Transformer – Transformers convert incoming high-voltage electricity to a lower voltage to be distributed throughout the building or property. loads such as motor control centers (MCC’s). Feeder breakers for these loads will be located on the PDC. PDC’s will often contain additional protective relays, monitoring equipment, fuses, terminal points, etc.
• Motor Control Center – This component controls some or all electric motors from a central location. These can be mini-PDCs themselves using a shared power bus for each section. These may include a motor starter, fuses or circuit breaker, and power disconnect. Each section may also include push buttons, indicator lights, variable-frequency drives, programmable logic controllers, and metering equipment.
• Safety Equipment – Such as fuses and circuit breakers.

Power distribution centers are a common feature for commercial and industrial electrical projects, so it is critical to have PDC experts handling your installation. So why not hire the best commercial and industrial electrical contractors in the Southeastern US? Tri-State Electrical Contractors’ industrial and commercial electricians are licensed in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and (soon) Florida. We can handle any commercial or industrial electrical project you need to be completed quickly and competently. For more information, give us a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

Storms are the arch-enemy of your electrical service. The combination of wind, rain, and (sometimes) snow and ice can be devastating to the electrical grid.

Falling Trees

The rain saturates the ground making it less stable for trees, and when combined with strong winds, they fall, taking out power lines and the occasional transformer. To lessen the impact of power loss during storms, you should look at hiring a commercial or industrial electrical company to install a backup generator to keep your business going when everything else comes to a standstill.

Lightning Strikes

Lightning is one of the most potent forces on the planet. If it strikes anywhere near your business, the resulting power surge can damage all electronic devices connected to your wiring and sometimes non-electronic appliances that are simply plugged in at the time of the strike. Therefore, all businesses should protect themselves from lightning and surges by having a commercial electrical contractor install a lightning arrester to route the electricity away from your company and into the ground. These strikes can also damage breakers in your electrical system.

Flooding

Although the occasional flooded basement may occur during a severe downpour, a more common problem occurs when water seeps into your building during heavy rain and comes into contact with your wiring, it may short circuit, causing power loss or possibly starting a fire. When this happens, get a reliable commercial and industrial electrical services provider to fix the issue to keep your business safe from further damage. Unfortunately, short circuits can be difficult to track down and needs expert help to make the repairs.

Tri-State Electrical Contractors Provides Electrical Repairs After Storms

Our industrial and commercial electricians know how what to look for and how to fix it after a damaging storm. Tri-State Electrical Contractor has you covered whether it is tracking down a hard-to-find short circuit or installing a new generator for your industrial or commercial business. We are licensed in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and (soon) Florida. To learn more about how Tri-State Electrical can help you with your commercial electrical project, give us a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

Programmable Logic Controller  (PLC) programming is an essential component of any commercial or industrial control system. It can be programmed by a user to perform many different functions, such as:

• Input/Output Control
• Logic
• Timing
• Counting
• Communication
• Data processing
• File processing

This makes programable logic controllers very useful for many different industries.

HVAC Industry

Controlling the air temperature and quality in any large building is a daunting challenge for anyone, especially if you have multiple tenants with different temperature preferences. Heating, cooling, and ventilating processes require numerous sensors to keep the temperature at a comfortable level and possibly even protect sensitive products or equipment such as IT infrastructure. An HVAC system with one central point of control supported by multiple PLCs can save a business thousands of dollars in energy costs.

Oil Production and Refining Industry

Oil and gas production and processing processes are extraordinarily complex and rely upon exact mixtures of chemicals, temperatures, and pressures. For the right chemical processes to happen, there needs to be precise control of many variables. And PLCs are the perfect technology for handling these tasks.

Glass Industry

To produce glass, the material ratios need to be precise and follow in-depth procedures to ensure that the final glass products meet specifications.

Paper Industry

PLCs are helpful in the paper production process. They also help manage the operating speeds of rollers and giant offset printing presses that require precise timing to ensure that the final printing is perfect.

Cement Industry

The mix must have the correct proportions of many raw materials in a kiln to produce high-quality cement. PLCs help ensure that these materials are added, mixed, and monitored to make high-quality cement. Cement companies must use a distributed control system that includes PLC controls to manage coal kiln, ball milling, and shaft kiln.

Other Industries

Almost every manufacturing industry relies on PLCs to automate tedious or error-prone processes that can produce millions of dollars of waste each year. Here is a sampling of the other industries that use PLC technologies extensively:

• Aerospace
• Food production and processes
• Health care
• Plastics
• Textile manufacturing
• Packaging and labeling
• Transportation systems
• Warehouse fulfillment
• Traffic control
• Mining
• Steel production

The use of PLCs during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many businesses to continue work as usual despite the difficult circumstances.

Let Tri-State Electrical Contractors Automate Your Workflow

We provide a complete range of industrial electrical services that can result in considerable savings. Our PLC retrofits improve your efficiency and reduce your energy costs. To learn more about how Tri-State Electrical can help you with your industrial electrical project, give us a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.