Electric Power System Quality

Module

01
Power Quality Problems

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Introduction
Any power problem manifested in voltage, current, or frequency deviations that results in
failure or mis-operation of customer equipment.

AC power systems are designed to operate at a sinusoidal voltage of a given frequency

or 60 Hz and magnitude. Any significant deviation in the wave form magnitude,
frequency, or purity is considered as power quality problem.

The power supply system can only control the quality of the voltage; it has no control over
the currents that particular loads might draw. Therefore, the standards in the power
quality area are devoted to maintaining the supply voltage within specified limits.

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.

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POWER QUALITY PROBLEMS :

i) Voltage Unbalance.
ii) Frequency Variations.
iii) Voltage Fluctuations.
iv) Short Duration Voltage Variation.
- Sags
- Swells.
- Interruptions.
v) Long Duration Voltage Variation.
- Under Voltage.
- Over Voltage.
- Sustained Interruptions.
vi) Transients.
- Oscillatory.
- Impulsive.
vii) Waveform Distortions.
- Harmonics.
- Inter-Harmonics.
- Notches.
- Noise.
- DC Offset.

VOLTAGE UNBALANCE

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Description :
Presented as a percentage of the ma4imum deviation from the average of a
5- phase voltage or current, over the average of the 5-phase voltage or current.

82 Vab2 + Vbc2 + Vcae

2

Voltage Unbalance * e
e
=
average voltage
Vabe = Vab − (average voltage)
average voltage = (Vab + Vbc + Vca)/3

Causes :
- Unbalanced phase loading conditions, e.g. large single phase loads
- Ground faults in under-grounded systems.
- 7low fuses in one phase of a 5-phase capacitor bank.

Effects :
- Equipment to mis-operation.
- Three-phase motors to draw unbalanced current.
- High thermal and mechanical stresses and hence failures of motors and
transformers due to overheating.

FREQUENCY VARIATIONS

Description :
The deviation of the power system fundamental frequency from its nominal value
of either 50 Hz or 60 Hz.
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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

VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS

Description :
Deviations of the voltage or random voltage changes, which ranges between .:
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.

- Electric arc furnaces, electric welders, large wood chippers, etc

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Effects :

- Flickering lights which is never pleasant to the human eyes.

- Data errors, memory loss, equipment shutdown, motors stalling or stopping and
reduced motor life.

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SHORT DURATION VOLTAGE VARIATION

A Voltage Sags

Duration= 0.117 sec, Min= 74.7,

Ave= 94.11, Max= 98.58,

Description :
Short duration reduction in rms voltage at the power frequency to a range of
.:pu to .1pu for a duration of . cycles 1 milliseconds) to 1 minute

Causes :

- Faults short circuits) on the utility system

- Switching on large motors.

Effects :
- Overheating of equipment, motor stalling, and power-related computer system
failures.

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B Voltage Swells

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, 3Ts, and rotating machineries may
suffer reduced equipment life over time.

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C Interruptions

Description :

The supply voltage or load current decreases to less than 0.1 pu for a period of
time not e4ceeding 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.

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, LONG DURATION VOLTAGE VARIATION

A Under Voltage

Description :

Decrease in the rms ac voltage to lower than 0.9 pu at the power frequency for a
period longer than one minute.

Causes :

- Switching on of large loads, switching off of capacitor banks, and overloaded

circuits.

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.

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B Over Voltage

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 energization of capacitor banks.

- Incorrect tap settings on the transformer.

Effects :

- Electronic devices may e4perience immediate failure during over voltage

conditions.

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C Sustained Interruptions

Description :

Happens when the supply voltage has been zero for longer than a minute.

Causes :

- Network’s faults

Effects :

- Stop a production line from operating completely, leading to e4cessive financial

lost.

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TRANSIENTS

That part of the change in a variation that disappears during transition from one
steady state operating condition to another.

Oscillatory

Involves both the positive and negative values

Impulsive

Sudden, non-power frequency change in the steady-state condition of voltage, that

is unidirectional in polarity, and are caused by lightning

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WAVEFORM DISTORTIONS

Steady state variation from an ideal sine wave of the power frequency

Harmonics

Fundamental Frequency

Distorted wave

5th harmonic order

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.

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)

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Effects :

- Increasing neutral current, thus increasing losses (heating).

- Fuses and capacitor banks failure.
- Mis-operation of protective and metering devices.
- E4cessive 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.

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A Inter-Harmonics

Description :

Voltages or currents having frequency components that are not integer multiples
of the fundamental frequency.

Causes :

Static frequency converters, cyclic-converters, induction motors, arching devices

and power line carrier signals.

Effects :

- Affects the signaling in power line carriers.

- Induce visual flicker in display devices such as cathode ray tubes CRT) in
televisions.

B Notches

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.

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C. Noise

Description :

Unwanted electrical signals with broadband spectral content lower than 200 kHz
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.

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CAPACITOR TESTING

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