Power Quality

Impact of Poor Power Quality

Elements of Power Quality Harmonics Power Quality Improvement Harmonic Mitigation

Power quality is the measurement of how perfect an electrical voltage/current is at any given point or time The Measurement is in terms of:

Continuity Magnitude

Frequency
Waveform

Losses on account of poor power quality Tangible Losses

Production losses due to power outages

Equipment Failure

Intangible Losses
Productivity losses

Troubleshooting
Reduced equipment life

A study was performed by European Copper Institute in 2001, covering 1400 sites in 8 countries Any given site in Europe has 5-20% probability of suffering from one or more of the problem listed.

Computer Lockups Flickering screens Flickering lights. Overheating of transformers at moderate load

The Annual losses that Industries in EU face on account of poor power quality is to the tune of 10 Billion Euros The hourly losses experienced by a few businesses in the USA

Airline reservation centers: $67,000 $112,000 ATM network and service fees: $12,000 - $17,000 Brokerage (retail): $5.6 $7.3 million Credit card sales authorizations: $2.2 $3.1 million Telephone ticket sales: $56,000 $82,000 Catalog sales centers (large retailers): $60,000 - $120,000.

Utility
Supply quality Disturbances due to other connected loads

Network
Effect of Network impedance

Load
Non Linearity

Voltage Surge Voltage Swell Overvoltage Blackout Voltage Sag Brownout Flicker Harmonics

- Over voltage that can reach thousands of volts - Lasts less than one cycle - Origin
Voltage Surge
Lightning surges Switching surges

Direct Lightning stroke Indirect lightning stroke

Arrives on the service drop

Nearby stroke
Ground potential rise

Radiation of electromagnetic fields

Capacitor switching surges

Peak transient voltage magnitude = 1.2 to 1.8 times normal voltage

Transient oscillating frequency = 300 to 1000000 Hz

Surge protecting devices will not operate

Voltage Swell
Over-voltage that lasts for a few cycles to a few seconds 20% to 30% increase in line voltage

Abnormality that remains for relatively longer duration Causes

Open neutral Abrupt reduction of load Overcompensation by Capacitors

Surge suppressors may not operate, as magnitude will be less than 2 times

Voltage sag
Line voltage less than 80% of normal voltage Equipment malfunction or shutdown of control circuits Source: faults in the feeders

Fault at F3
Dip to 0% at Load 3 Dip to 64% at Load 2 Dip to 98% at Load 1

Fault at F1
Dip to 0% at Load 1 50% dip for other

loads

Sustained under-voltage Utilities deliberately reduce the voltage to reduce power drawn Brownouts result in
Over heating of compressor motors Loss of microprocessor memory Reduced motor torque, increased stalling Overheating of motors (insulation failure) Tripping of protective devices

Zero-voltage condition that lasts for more than two cycles

Cyclic variation of intensity of lamps Repetitive sags/fluctuation of supply voltage results in flickering Causes

Loads with higher rate of

Effects

change of power like welding, rolling mills, cranes, etc. Inter-harmonics

Psychological effects like

fatigue and reduced concentration levels Disruption in production processes

Harmonics are sinusoidal components of a wave, whose frequencies are integral multiples of the fundamental frequency For the fundamental frequency 50 Hz integral multiples are 2, 3, 4,etc. So, 3rd Harmonic is 3 X 50 Hz = 150 Hz

Current Harmonics through Connected loads

Non linear loads AC/ DC Drives CFLs SMPS Electronic Dimmers

Voltage harmonics through the Utility

Non linear loads connected in nearby

industries

SMPS

6 P Drive

CFL

12 P Drive

Total Harmonic Distortion (as % of fundamental)

Total Harmonic Distortion (as % of total RMS)

Amplitude Frequency Phase Crest Factor

Ratio of the peak Value to the RMS value

R Fundamental Second harmonic +120o +240o -120o +360o 0o

Y 0o 0o 0o 0o 0o

B -120o -240o +120o -360o 0o Negative sequence Zero sequence Positive sequence

Third harmonic

R Y B

Positive sequence

Negative sequence Zero sequence

IEEE 519-1992 Standard:

Harmonic odd numbers (<11) Harmonic odd numbers (>35)

Ratio Iscc / Iload

ITHD

< 20 20 - 50 50 - 100

4.0 % 7.0 % 10.0 %

0.3 % 0.5 % 0.7 %

5.0 % 8.0 % 12.0 %

>1000

15.0 %

1.4 %

20.0 %

Heating of neutral conductors Overheating transformers On motors

Triple-N harmonics are additive Neutral current may rise up to 150% to 210% of the phase current

At high frequency eddy current will be high Increased neutral current because of triple-N harmonics In delta circulating currents will be more (3N harmonics)

Heating because of eddy current, skin effect Uneven torque results in mechanical damage of shaft

Low voltage at end loads

Because of increased voltage drop along the line

Distorted voltage

Harmonic current results in harmonic voltage drop, which distorts the supply voltage Higher harmonic frequencies may interfere with the data and communication line that are laid near
Capacitors offer low impedance for higher frequencies So heavy harmonic current results in capacitor damage
Most portable do not measure true RMS value and can underestimate non-sinusoidal current by 40% Frequent tripping of relays and circuit breakers

Communication problems Over-stressing of PFC capacitors Current measurement problems

DC current flow

Low frequency AC current flow

High frequency AC current flow

The effective area of the conductor, available for current flow, reduces as the frequency of the AC current increases. Hence, the resistance of the conductor increases, as the frequency increases

Mal-operation

Nuisance tripping

Trip level set lower than the fundamental value. The relay should trip as the fundamental value is higher than the trip level. But the presence of harmonics has reduced the peak value. Hence the protective relay will not trip.

Trip level set higher than the fundamental value. The relay should not trip as the fundamental value is lower than the trip level. But the presence of harmonics has increased the peak value. Hence the protective relay will trip.

Capacitive Reactance is inversely proportional to the supply frequency Offers a low impedance path to the harmonic currents resulting in harmonic amplification Can be observed through the change in THD levels before and after switching on capacitor banks

Resonance occurs when XL=XC

Impedance will be minimum

Maximum current flow

Resonance occurs when XL=XC

Impedance will be Maximum

Minimum current flow

Surge suppressor Voltage regulators UPS

Voltage surges

Voltage swell Voltage sag Brownout Flicker Voltage swell Voltage sag Blackout Brownout
Blackout Brownout

Generators

Transformer

Disturbing equipment

Sensitive equipment

Disturbing Sensitive equipment equipment

Disturbing equipment

Sensitive equipment

Not recommended

Better

Excellent

Harmonic filter

Passive harmonic filter

Active harmonic filter

Hybrid filter

Detuned filter

Tuned filter

7%

14%

Harmonic filter comprises of a Reactor (L) in series with a Capacitor (C) Such a filter has a unique resonance frequency FR at which inductive reactance of reactor equals capacitive reactance of capacitor. FR = 1/(2LC)

Below FR the filter is capacitive

Above FR the filter is inductive

Detuned or Harmonic Suppression Filters Resonance Frequency FR< 90% of lowest dominant Harmonic frequency Tuned or Harmonic Absorption Filters

Resonance frequency FR within 10% of the frequency of the Harmonic to be absorbed

Standard detuned filters have a fixed percentage tuning factor p

Percentage tuning factor %P= (XL /XC )*100 Standard detuned filters are available for 7% tuning factor The resonant frequency of the filter fR is related to tuning factor p by fR = fS/ (p/100) = 189 Hz for 7% filter

Linearity
One of the most important factor that

affects the performance of a filter Linearity: Change in inductance/Change in current

Q factor
Ratio of the Tuning frequency to the

Bandwidth

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