A New Numeric Technique of Accurate Frequency and Harmonics

Estimation for Power System Protection and Power Quality Applications

L.ASNIN
V.BACKMUTSKY
Holon Academic Institute of Technology
52, Golomb St.,58 102 Holon, Israel

Abstract. It is well known that a desynchronization

This paper presents a new method of a between signal and generator of samples is an
measuring a magnitude I frequency spectrum of important cause of errors in signal's spectrum
periodical signals, based on Discrete Fourier analysis by means DFT. Those errors appear due to
Transform (DFT). The main purpose of this method the frequencies of harmonics are not equal to zeros
is to reduce the leakage errors under condition of of frequency response of the FIR filter with
desynchronization between the signal and the rectangular window, which is used in algorithm
generator of samples. Digital modeling of the DFT. There are two effective methods for reducing
suggested method shows that accuracy of the these errors: quasi - synchronous interpolation [l],
estimation of magnitudes of the signal frequency [2], [4] and an optimization of the frequency
components increases by factor 10-100 if one response of the window [;I. The first method
compares this method with well known others based provides an ideal synchronization, but errors of the
on the interpolation of samples. This method can be spectrum measurement are caused by the
used especially in power system dynamics interpolation and grow if the ratio f,I f s
investigation (power quality, relay protection, UPS
increases. The optimization in the second method
tuning, etc).
results from connection 4 FIR filters with
1. Introduction.
rectangular windows. This connection provides low
In this paper we consider the case of digital
value of its frequency response within frequency
spectrum analysis of the periodic multifrequency
intervals near fOk, but this method needs to use
signal with main frequency f, and sampling
number of samples greater by factor 4 as compared
frequency f,. The spectrum of the signal consists
with usual DFT. Therefore. improvement of this
of k harmonics with frequenciesfoA = kf, (h= approach, achieved by the suzgested technique. is
very desired.
0,l. ...,M ) that are placed within [0, f , ] ,where f, -
2. Principles of the suggested algorithm.
Nyquist frequency.
The algorithm of measuring ma-miNdes of
 harmonic components of periodical signal by means the main cause of measurement errors in the case of
of DFT uses following operations (Fig. 1): desynchronization.
- - __ - - - - - - - - - - -:,.. h'rrr.
The main idea of the suggested method is to use

1 FIR filters with K m =0, forf = f,,2f ,..., f,, in

spite of desynchronization. Such filter consists of
:. i: ' 'i -
.. I N simple FIR filters of order 2 ( N is an integer
L
w'tk,~.
-2
I : part of the ratio N/2). It is well known, that
L - - - - _ - - - - - <--U_ --.(
. .
frequency response of FIR filter with window [l,b,
Fig.1 Block scheme for DFT algorithm realization.
.I] has zero at frequency f, , if

b, COS(^& / f,) .
The desired FIR filter constitutes a connection of

h' FIR filters of order 2 with different

-
b, = 2 ~ 0 ~ ( 2 n k/ f,),
f , k 1 , 2 ,..., N . Samplesof
the window of this filter can be easily obtained by
a = l if k=O, a=2 if k>O; preliminary calculation of the coefficients of the
A, =Js: +c,2 ; polynomial

(4)
2N
where u(n)- samples of the signal, k- harmonic's P(z)= Cc,z-' =
i=n
number, N- number of samples in the period T, of
N
signal, i.e. integer part of ratio N , = f, i f o . It is = n , z - >+ 2 c o s ( 2 ~ " i f , ) z - +' l ) . (5)
,=I
obvious that the spectrum of signals (1) and ( 2 )
consists of frequency components Since K@)=l it is necessary to multiply cj by the
O,f,,,2f,,,..., f,. Values S, ,cI are two samples
of output signals of FIR filters F with rectangular
coefficient k, = (Cc,
,=n
)" . Thus samples of the

windows (the width of the window is N samples),

window of Fare
which aim is to suppress frequency components
& = k,c,. (6)
f n . 2 f",...,f N of the signals sIandc, .
Examples of the window and the tiequency
In the case of synchronization, N,=N ,
response of F. if N = 13, N, =27.3 are shown in
frequency response of F, K(n = 0 for
Fig 2,3.
...,f N
f = f,,2 f,, and thus only the frequency
The suggested algorithm consists of following
components w i t h p 0 pass through the filters. In the
steps:
case of desynchronization the mentioned above
- measurement of f,;
undesirable components pass through the F. This is
 - calculation of the samples of the window of F,

wi according to (5),(6); 1 SIGNAL 1 1

- calculation of usx( n )and uck(n) according to

(1)Q);
"SIGNAL 2
- calculation of the values : Fig.4 Realizations of multifrequency periodical
signal, THD=20%.
The generalized results of the measurement are
shown in Table 1. An accuracy of the measurement
is estimated as a maximum of values
-
A, = [ A , - A , l / A , % , where Ai is an
- calculation of the magnitudes A, according to estimation value of A , . Two methods with similar
(4). length of the windows are compared: the suggested
algorithm (upper line in Table I) and the
0.05
I interpolation method (lower line). For the estimation
2s 0.025o of f, in both cases IZC method [4] was used. A
0 5 10 15 20 25
frequency deviation was chosen from 49.5 Hz to
50.5 Hz ( Af = f0.5Hz).
An accuracy of the measurement may be
W)
increased by factor IO, if we use connection of 2
0
FIR filters with K(t) =0 at frequencies f,= yoor
FIR filter F with quasi-triangular window, but

length of this window is equal to 2 N .

3. Simulation results. It is necessary to mark, that counting samples q.

A simulation program in MATLAB has been
used to estimate properties of the suggested
algorithm. The program generates multifrequency
periodical signal with fn=50 Hz. M=8 harmonics.
of filter's window in accordance with (5) in
MATLAB leads to inadmissible enom if N >20.
Considerably hener result can he obtained by using (5).

Magnitude of the first harmonic A , =1, if variable k changes randomly in interval ( 1, N ).

An accuracy of the frequency measurement by
magnitudes A , of high harmonics are randomly
IZC with its further improvements was considered in
distributed ,but our last publication [SI. One can show, that under
JAi +...+Ai, quite acceptable conditions this accuracy is not less
THD = = const
than 0.005 Hz. It is enough for all accurate harmonics
AI
estimation by QSl (Quasi-synchronous Sample
for each realization of the signal . Some realizations
Interpolation) or resampling and for suggested
of this signal are shown in Fig 4.
method, but as it is shown above, the harmonic
estimation by suggested method is more accurate, at
least for the static case, i.e. slowly changed
frequency.
Table.1
acquisition method for application in power systems
with variable frequency”. Proc.of Boston Conf. on
Signal Processing Application and Technoloe. USA.
1994,pp.415-419.
[ 5 ] L.Asnin, V.Backmutsky, M.Gankin, J.Blashka and

1 fs(Hz) I 2000 I 3000 1 4000 1 5000 ’ I M.Sedlachek.”DSP methods for dynamic estimation
of frequency and magnitude parameters in power
0.0131 0.0013 0.0036 0.0018 systems transients”,2001 IEEE Porto Power Tech
AJ =o.l 0.4900 0.2280 0.1651 0.0912

I q- I ;:;O;; I
I
=o.2
I I

0.0103
0.3350
I
I

0.0019
0.2707
I
I

0.0018
0.4040
I
I Conference, September, Porto, Portugal.

Biography
I 4f =o,3 1 0.0124
1.5231
1 0.0160
0.7015
I 0.0044
0.2070
1 0.0013
0.2440
I Dr L.Asnin .MSc. from University of Electrical
Communication , Tashkent, USSR,1960, PhD from
I
I
~f=o,4 1
I
0.0128
1.0013
I

I 0.0291
1.2609
1

1 0.0032
0.1964
I

1 0.0043
0.0765
I
I
Polytechnical 1nstiNte in Samara, USSR, 1972.
From1968 to 1987 - senior lecturer at University of

I ‘f =0’5
1 0.0138
1.2270
I 0.OlOl
0.9953
1 0.0031
0.0975
I 0.0021
0,1006
1 Elecmcal Communication in Samara, USSR, from 1998
up to now - research worker in laboratory of
microprocessors at Holon Academic Institute of
Technology, Electricity and Electronic Dpt., Israel.
The main professional interests and publications are in the
field of DSP (Digital Signal Processing), especially for
Power System Applications, and in the field of Digital
4. Conclusion. Communication Systems.

Obtained results show that above mentioned

technique is much more accurate than regular
sample interpolation (resampling). Influence of
dynamic errors of frequency change prediction will
be investigated separately because of its separate
role in power system dynamics investigation.
Dr. V.Backmutsky, IEEE member #01003474, MSc from
Lvov University, USSR,I957, PhD from Lvov
Polyiechnical InstiNte,USSR,1968. From 1988 up to now
~ senior IecNrer at Holon Academic Institute of
Technology, Electricity and Electronic Dpt.. Israel. The
main professional interests and publications are in the field
of DSP (Digital Signal Processing), especially for Power
System Applications.

REFERENCES

[I] T.Grandke. “Interpolation algorithms for

Discrete Fourier Transforms of weighted signals”.
IEEE Trans. on Instrum. and Meas.,vol.36, pp. 350-
355, June 1983.
[2] Jiangtao Xi, Joe F. Chicharo, “A new algorithm
for improving the accuracy of periodic signal
analysis”.IEEE Trans. on Instrum. and Meas., vo1.45,
N.4, August 1996.
[3] X.Day. R. Ciretsch, “Quasi-synchronous sampling
algorithm and its applications”. IEEE Trans. on
Instrum. and Meas., vo1.43, N.2, April, 1994.
[4] Backmutsky V.,Zmudikov V. “A DSP and data