Strømprofilen

Strømprofilen refers to the profile of electrical current drawn by a load or system over time, typically expressed as I(t). It is a fundamental characteristic in power engineering and energy management, used to describe how current varies during operation, with implications for sizing conductors, protection devices, and energy systems. In Norwegian usage, strømprofilen is the time-dependent current signature of a device, installation, or customer group.

The shape of strømprofilen can vary widely. It may be steady if the load draws a constant current, periodic for alternating loads with a regular cycle, pulsed for switching equipment and digital circuits, or transient during events such as startup or fault conditions. Irregular profiles arise from mixed or uncontrolled loads, renewable sources, and demand-response activities. The profile is influenced by control strategies, duty cycles, voltage variations, and the inherent characteristics of the connected equipment.

Measurement and modeling of strømprofilen involve capturing current with sensors such as shunts or Hall-effect devices and recording data with loggers or power quality meters. The profile is commonly represented as a time series of current or as a normalized profile for comparison and planning. From the profile, energy consumption, peak demand, and related metrics can be derived.

Applications include load forecasting, design of electrical installations, protection coordination, transformer and cable sizing, and grid integration studies. Utilities and engineers use standardized or site-specific strømprofiler to simulate performance, assess reliability, and support demand-side management and energy optimization.