1 – Introduction
a) What’s Power Quality (PQ)?
b) Why are we concerned about PQ issue?
2- Power Quality Problems.
a) Voltage Unbalance
b) Frequency Variation
c) Voltage Fluctuation
d) Short Duration Voltage Variation
e) Long Duration Voltage Variation
f) Transients
g) Waveform Distortion
What is Power Quality (PQ)?
“Any power problem manifested in voltage, current, or
frequency deviations that results in failure or mis-operation
of customer equipment”
Why are we concerned about the PQ issue?
a) Newer load equipment, with microprocessor-based
controls and power electronic devices, which are more
sensitive to power quality variations than were
equipment used in the past.
b) The increasing emphasis on overall power system
efficiency has resulted in continued growth in the
application of devices to reduce losses. This is resulting
in increasing harmonic levels on power systems.
c) New industrial technologies require a pure sinusoidal
source, any disturbance may cost the factories massive
cost (Loss of production, loss of raw material, long time
required to restore electrical service).
d) End users have an increased awareness of power quality
issues.
Sags Undervoltage
Voltage
Swells Overvoltage
Unbalance
Short Duration
Long Duration
Voltage Variation
Interruptions Voltage Variation
Sustained
Power Quality Interruptions
Frequency Problems Voltage
Variation Fluctuation
Waveform
Transient
Distortion Oscillatory
Noise
Impulsive
Notching
Harmonics
Problem:
Description:
Presented as a percentage of the maximum deviation from the
average of a 3-phase voltage or current, over the average of
the 3-phase voltage or current.
Causes:
- Unbalanced phase loading conditions, e.g. large single phase
loads
- Ground faults in under-grounded systems.
- Blow fuses in one phase of a 3-phase capacitor bank.
Effects:
- Equipment to mis-operate.
- Three-phase motors to draw unbalanced current.
- High thermal and mechanical stresses and hence failures of
motors and transformers due to overheating.
Problem:
Description:
The deviation of the power system fundamental frequency
from its nominal value of either 50Hz or 60Hz.
Causes:
- faults on the bulk power
transmission system.
- disconnection of large
block of load.
- shutting down of a large
source of generation.
Effects:
- Malfunctioning of timing circuits.
- Severe damage to generator and turbine shafts due to the
subsequent large torques developed
Problem:
Description:
Deviations of the voltage or random voltage changes, which
ranges between 0.9 pu to 1.1 pu .
The term flicker is the impact
of voltage fluctuation on
lamps such that they are seen
as unsteady light shines by
the human eyes.
Causes:
- Load currents which change rapidly in magnitude such as
electric arc furnaces, electric welders, large wood chippers, etc
Effects:
- Flickering lights which is never pleasant to the human eyes.
- Data errors, memory loss, motors stalling or stopping and
reduced motor life.
Deviations in the voltage at power frequencies for a period
of time of less than a minute
Instantaneous Momentary Temporary
(0.5-30 cycles) 30 cycles-3 secs. 3 secs.-1 minute
until protective devices operate to clear the fault
Voltage Sag Voltage Swell Interruptions
Problem:
Description:
Short duration reduction in rms voltage at the power
frequency to a range of 0.9pu to 0.1pu for a duration of 0.5
cycles (10 milliseconds) to 1 minute
Causes:
- Faults (short circuits) on
the utility system
- Starting of large motors.
Effects:
- Overheating of
equipment, motor stalling,
and power-related Duration= 0.117 sec, Min= 74.7,
computer system failures. Ave= 94.11, Max= 98.58,
Problem:
Description:
Short duration increase in the rms voltage at the power
frequency between 1.1 and 1.8 pu for durations from 0.5
cycle to 1 minute.
Causes:
- Single-line-to-ground faults on
an ungrounded system.
- Switching off a large load or
energizing a large capacitor
bank.
Effects:
- Failure of components in
electronic equipments.
- Transformers, cables, buses, switchgears, CTs, PTs, and
rotating machineries may suffer reduced equipment life over
time.
Problem:
Description:
The supply voltage or load current decreases to less than 0.1
pu for a period of time not exceeding one minute.
Causes:
- Power systems faults, equipment
failures and control malfunctions.
Interruptions are normally
measured by their duration which
depends on the utility protection
devices and most reclosing occurs
within 30 cycles from the fault
Effects:
- Loss of production, loss of raw material, long time required
to restore electrical service.
Deviations of the rms voltage at power frequencies for a period
that is longer than one minute
Under-voltage Sustained Interruption Over-voltage
Problem:
Description:
Decrease in the rms ac voltage to lower than 0.9pu at the
power frequency for a period longer than one minute.
Causes:
- Switching on of large loads
(overloaded circuit).
- Switching off of capacitor banks.
Effects:
- Increased heating loss in induction motors.
- Speed changes can occur for induction machinery.
- Errors in computers, electronic devices, electronic
controllers and sensitive equipment used in control and
measurement and hardware damage.
- Low efficiency and reduced life of electrical equipment.
Problem:
Description:
Increase in the rms ac voltage to greater than 1.1 pu at the
power frequency for a period longer than one minute.
Causes:
- Switching off a large load or
energizing capacitor banks.
- Incorrect tap settings on the
transformer.
Effects:
- Electronic devices may experience immediate failure during
over voltage conditions.
Problem:
Description:
Happens when the supply voltage has been zero for longer
than a minute.
Causes:
- Power systems faults, and
equipment failures
Effects:
- Stop a production line from operating completely, leading to
excessive financial lost.
That part of the change in a variation that disappears during
transition from one steady state operating condition to another
Impulsive Oscillatory
sudden, non-power frequency involves both the positive
change in the steady-state and negative values
condition of voltage, that is
unidirectional in polarity, and
are caused by lightning Low F Med. F High F
(<5kHz) (5-500kHz) (0.5-5MHz)
1.2 x 50µs 2000V impulsive transient
Steady state variation from an ideal sine wave of the power
frequency
Problem:
Description:
Periodic voltage distortion caused by normal operations of
power electronics devices when the current is commutated
from one phase to another.
Causes:
- Power electronic devices.
Problem:
Description:
Unwanted electrical signals with broadband spectral content
lower than 200kHz superimposed upon the power system
voltage or current in phase conductors.
Causes:
- Power electronic devices, control
circuits, arcing equipment, and
switching power supplies.
- Improper grounding can
intensify this problem as it fails to
conduct the noise away from the
power system.
Effects:
- Disturbing electronic devices such as microcomputer and
programmable controllers.
Problem:
Description:
Sinusoidal voltages or currents which has frequencies that are
integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. It’s common
to use a single quantity, the Total Harmonic Distortion “THD”
as a measure of the effective value of harmonic distortion .
Fundamental Frequency
Distorted wave
5th harmonic order
Causes:
-The general categories of harmonic producing loads
(nonlinear loads) are:
1- Power electronic equipment (drives, rectifiers,
computers,…etc)
2- Arcing devices (welders, arc furnaces, fluorescent lights,..etc)
3- Iron saturating devices (transformers)
4- Rotating machines (generators)
Effects:
- Increasing neutral current, thus increasing losses (heating).
- Fuses and capacitor banks failure.
- Mis-operation of protective and metering devices.
- Excessive winding heating in transformers and motors.
- Magnetic interference with communication circuit.
- High stresses in insulating materials.
- Resonance at some odd harmonics (3rd).
- Problems in PC affecting the software.
And generally harmonics are considered as the main cause of
KW losses in cables and transformers/ inefficiency (motors),
low power factor, utility imposed penalties.
Portable
Fixed