APPLICATION NOTE

Rapid Voltage Change (RVC)

Rapid Voltage Change (RVC)

A rapid voltage change is a fast rise or fall of the RMS voltage. This can be caused by
the switching on of a specific load or by a sudden change in source voltage. Sudden
source voltage changes can occur in solar grids when the sun is obscured by clouds.
Source voltage changes can also occur in wind farms when then wind speed
decreases. Load switching can cause a rapid voltage change if the rating of the load is
a significant fraction of the fault level of the supply voltage.

Definitions

Declared Voltage: The user defined nominal voltage of the system under test.

RVC Threshold: The user defined maximum acceptable deviation from the RVC Steady-
State Value. This value is displayed as a percentage of the declared voltage. This value
is used to establish the trigger to initiate an RVC event. The default value is 3%.

RVC Hysteresis: Is a value that is subtracted from the RVC Threshold. This RVC
Hysteresis is displayed as a percentage of the RVC Threshold. This value is used to
establish a new threshold value that will be the trigger to end an RVC event.

RVC Event End Threshold: The voltage level that will be used as the trigger to end an
RVC event. This value equals the RVC Threshold minus the RVC Hysteresis.

Urms(1/2 cycle): The 1 cycle voltage RMS

value calculated every ½ cycle. This is a
1 cycle RMS value that utilizes a ½ cycle
sliding window.

Megger USA - Valley Forge Corporate Center

2621 Van Buren Avenue, Norristown, Pennsylvania, 19403, USA
T. 1-610 676 8500 F. 1-610-676-8610
APPLICATION NOTE

Rapid Voltage Change (RVC)

RVC Steady-State Value: In 50 Hz systems this is the average of 100 consecutive

Urms(1/2 cycle) intervals. This value will be updated every ½ cycle. (The RVC steady
state value for a 50Hz system uses a 100 cycle sliding window with a ½ cycle slide.)
In 60 Hz systems the RVC steady state value is the average of 120 consecutive
Urms(1/2 cycle) intervals. This value is updated every ½ cycle. (The RVC steady state
value for a 60Hz system uses a 120 cycle sliding window with a ½ cycle slide.) In either
case the steady state value duration is 1 second.

Steady State Condition: A Steady state condition is achieved when 100 consecutive
Urms(1/2 cycle) intervals do not deviate more than the user defined RVC threshold from
the RVC Interval. No RVC event will be triggered until a steady state condition is
achieved.

Triggering an RVC Event

After a steady state condition has been achieved an RVC event will be triggered when a
single Urms(1/2 cycle) interval deviates by more than the user defined RVC Threshold from
the RVC steady state value.

The RVC event will end (in a 50Hz system) when 100 consecutive Urms(1/2 cycle) intervals
do not deviate more that the RVC Event End Threshold from the RVC steady state
value.

The RVC event will end (in a 60Hz system) when 120 consecutive Urms(1/2 cycle) intervals
do not deviate more that the RVC Event End Threshold from the RVC steady state
value.

The RVC end time is defined and saved as 1 second before the end of the RVC event.
This is because it takes 1 second for the RVC calculation to determine that a steady
state voltage has been re-established.

Megger USA - Valley Forge Corporate Center

2621 Van Buren Avenue, Norristown, Pennsylvania, 19403, USA
T. 1-610 676 8500 F. 1-610-676-8610
APPLICATION NOTE

Rapid Voltage Change (RVC)

Megger PQ Software Configuration

RVC Threshold (%): This value is set to a percentage of the declared voltage.

RVC Hysteresis (%): This value is set to the percent of the RVC threshold.

Megger USA - Valley Forge Corporate Center

2621 Van Buren Avenue, Norristown, Pennsylvania, 19403, USA
T. 1-610 676 8500 F. 1-610-676-8610
APPLICATION NOTE

Rapid Voltage Change (RVC)

Example for a 50Hz System

Declared Voltage = 230V @ 50Hz

RVC Threshold = 3%
RVC Hysteresis = 10%

For this example The RVC Threshold is 6.9 volts (230 x 0.03) and the RVC End
Threshold is 6.21 volts (230 x 0.03 x (1-0.10)).

After a steady state condition is achieved, an RVC event will be triggered when a 1
cycle measurement deviates more than 6.9 volts from the average of the RVC steady
state value.

The event will end when the 100 consecutive Urms(1/2 cycle) values are within 6.21 volts of
the average of the RVC steady state value

The time stamp of the event will equal the end time minus 100 ½ cycles or 1 second

Example for a 60Hz System

Declared Voltage = 120V @ 60Hz

RVC Threshold = 3%
RVC Hysteresis = 10%

For this example The RVC Threshold is 3.6 volts (120 x 0.03) and the RVC End
Threshold is 3.24 volts (120 x 0.03 x (1-0.10)).

After a steady state condition is achieved, an RVC event will be triggered when a 1
cycle measurement deviates more than 3.6 volts from the average of the RVC steady
state value.

The event will end when the 120 consecutive Urms(1/2 cycle) values are within 3.24 volts of
the average of the RVC steady state value

The time stamp of the event will equal the end time minus 120 ½ cycles or 1 second

Megger USA - Valley Forge Corporate Center

2621 Van Buren Avenue, Norristown, Pennsylvania, 19403, USA
T. 1-610 676 8500 F. 1-610-676-8610