ANA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

MANAGEMENT STUDIES

POWER QUALITY

Presented by – MOHD. TAUSEEF ALI

Guided by – PROF.MR. MAYUR AGARWAL
 CONTENTS

1. DEFINITION
2. SCOPE
3. POWER QUALITY EVENTS AND BLACKOUTS
4. VOLTAGE SAG
5. SHORT AND LONG TERM INTERRUPS
6. VOLTAGE SPIKES AND VOLTAGE SWELL
7. HARMONIC DISTORTION AND VOLTAGE SURGE
8. VOLTAGE FLUCTUATION
9. NOISE AND VOLTAGE UNBALANCE
10. CONTROL TECHNIQUES
11. ISOLATION FILTER AND NOISE FILTER
12. CONCLUSION
13. REFRENCE
 DEFINITION
• The IEEE defines POWER QUALITY as
the ability of a system or equipment to
function satisfactorily in its electromagnetic
environment without introducing intolerable
electromagnetic disturbances to anything in
that environment.

PQ mainly deals with

1. Continuity of the supply.
2. Quality of the voltage.
SCOPE
• For economic operation of a power system, the
level of power quality should be properly
maintained. PQ is a vast concept concerning
optimization. The adverse effects due to over
voltages, also the losses incurred due to the
under voltages have to be seriously dealt
 Also, nonlinear loads introduce harmonics in
the systems which have their own adverse
EFFECTS including power factor reduction.
Hence, power quality provides a good
platform to deal with all these problems.
 Power Quality Events
• The major problems in the power sector
that need a treatment of quality up
gradation are termed as power quality
events.
Power Quality provides the solutions to
all these problems in a very efficient and
optimized way.
These problems, if not mitigated would
cause heavy economic as well as technical
disturbances.
BLACKOUTS
It is short or long term loss of
electric power to an area.

CAUSES:
• Faults at power stations.
• Damage to electric transmission lines,
substations or other parts of the
distribution system.
• Short circuit or the overloading of electricity
mains.
EFFECTS:

. Total loss of power to an area.

• Tripping of substations.
U r certain conditions, a network component shutting
down can cause current fluctuations in neighbouring
segments of the network leading to a cascading failure
of a larger section of the network. This may range from
a building, to a block, to an entire city, to an entire
electrical grid.
 BROWNOUTS
A brownout is an intentional or
unintentional drop in voltage in an electrical
power supply system.

CAUSES:
• Use of excessive loads causes reduction in
voltage which in turn causes brownouts.
EFFECTS:

• Unexpected behaviour in systems

with digital control circuits.
• The system can experience glitches,
data loss and equipment failure.
 Voltage Sag (or dip)
• Description: A decrease of the normal voltage level
between 10 and 90% of the nominal rms voltage at
the power frequency, for durations of 0.5 cycle to 1
minute.
• Causes: Faults on the transmission or distribution
network (most of the times on parallel feeders).
Faults in consumer’s installation. Connection of
heavy loads and start-up of large motors.
• Consequences: Malfunction of information
technology equipment, namely microprocessor-based
control systems (PCs, PLCs, ASDs, etc.) that may
lead to a process stoppage of contactors and
efficiency of rotating machine.
 Very Short Interruptions
• Description: Total interruption of electrical supply for
duration from few milliseconds to one or two seconds.
• Causes: Mainly due to the opening and automatic
enclosure of protection devices to decommission a
faulty section of the network. The main fault causes
are insulation failure, lightning and insulator flashover.
• Consequences: Tripping of protection devices, loss
of information and malfunction of data processing
equipment. Stoppage of sensitive equipment, such as
ASDs, PCs, PLCs, if they’re not prepared to deal with
this situation.
 Long interruptions
• Description: Total interruption of
electrical supply for duration greater than
1 to 2 seconds
• Causes: Equipment failure in the power
system network, storms and objects (trees,
cars, etc.) striking lines or poles, fire, human
error, bad coordination or failure of
protection devices.
• Consequences: Stoppage of all equipment.
 Voltage Spikes
• In electrical engineering, spikes are fast, short
duration electrical transients in voltage.

CAUSES:
• Lightning strikes
• Power outages
• Tripped circuit breakers
• Short circuits
EFFECTS:
• Voltage spikes may be created by a rapid build-
up or decay of a magnetic field, which may
induce energy into the associated circuit.
 Voltage Swell
• Description: Momentary increase of the
voltage, at the power frequency, outside the
normal tolerances, with duration of more than
one cycle and typically less than a few seconds.
• Causes: Start/stop of heavy loads, badly
dimensioned power sources, badly regulated
transformers (mainly during off-peak hours).
• Consequences: Data loss, flickering of lighting
and screens, stoppage or damage of sensitive
equipment, if the voltage values are too high
 Harmonic distortion
• Description: Voltage or current waveforms assume non-sinusoidal
shape. The waveform corresponds to the sum of different sine-waves
with different magnitude and phase, having frequencies that are
multiples of power-system frequency.

• Causes: Classic sources: electric machines working above the knee of the
magnetization curve (magnetic saturation), arc furnaces, welding
machines, rectifiers, and DC brush motors.
• Modern sources: all non-linear loads, such as power electronics equipment
including ASDs, switched mode power supplies, data processing
equipment, high efficiency lighting.

• Consequences: Increased probability in occurrence of resonance, neutral

overload in 3-phase systems, overheating of all cables and equipment,
loss of efficiency in electric machines, electromagnetic interference with
communication systems, errors in measures when using average reading
Meters, nuisance tripping of thermal protections.
 VOLTAGE SURGES
• It is a voltage rise that endangers
the insulation of electric equipment.

TYPES:
1. Lightning surges.
2. System-generated surges.
CAUSES:

1. Shutdown of heavily loaded circuits.

2. Necessary commutation of a high-
powered network (e.g. Pf correction).
3. Switching events such as the connection
or disconnection of a current and short-
circuiting to ground.
EFFECTS:

• Computers and other sensitive electronic

equipment can seriously be damaged by
such an over-voltage surge.
• Temporal fluctuations produce parity
errors and interrupts protection systems.
 FLICKERING
• It is a visible change in brightness of a lamp
due to rapid fluctuations in the voltage of
the power supply.

CAUSE:
• It increases as the size of the changing load
becomes larger with respect to the
prospective short circuit current available
at the point of common connection.
EFFECTS:
1. Filament of lamp can be damaged.
2. Reduction in life of electrical equipment
 Voltage Fluctuation
• Description: Oscillation of voltage value,
amplitude modulated by a signal with frequency
of 0 to 30 Hz.
• Causes: Arc furnaces, frequent start/stop
of electric motors (for instance elevators),
oscillating loads.
• Consequences: Most consequences are
common to under voltages. The most
perceptible consequence is the flickering of
lighting and screens, giving the impression of
unsteadiness of visual perception.
 Noise
• Description: Superimposing of high frequency
signals on the waveform of the power-system
frequency.
• Causes: Electromagnetic interferences provoked
by Tertian waves such as microwaves, television
diffusion, and radiation due to welding machines,
arc furnaces, and electronic equipment. Improper
grounding may also be a cause.
• Consequences: Disturbances on sensitive
electronic equipment, usually not destructive.
May cause data loss and data processing errors.
 Voltage Unbalance
• Description: A voltage variation in a three-
phase system in which the three voltage
magnitudes or the phase angle differences
between them are not equal.
• Causes: Large single-phase loads (induction
furnaces, traction loads), incorrect distribution of
all single-phase loads by the three phases of
the system (this may be also due to a fault).
• Consequences: Unbalanced systems imply the
existence of a negative sequence that is harmful
to all three phase loads. The most affected
loads are three-phase induction machines.
MITIGATION TECHNIQUES
DYNAMIC VOLTAGE RESTORER
• The Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR), also
referred to as the Series Voltage Booster (SVB)
or the Static Series Compensator (SSC), is a
device that utilizes solid state (or static) power
electronic components, and is connected in series
to the utility primary distribution circuit. The DVR
provides three phase controllable voltage, whose
vector (magnitude and angle) adds to the source
voltage to restore the load voltage to pre-sag
conditions.
Compensating Vector Diagram
 Sag Detection Techniques

• Peak value method

• Root mean square method
• Fourier transform
• Space vector method
 CONTROL TECHNIQUES

• Linear Controllers
(Open loop or Closed loop control system)

• Non Linear Controllers

(Sinusoidal Pulse width modulation
techniques)
 Harmonic Filters
Power factor depends on:-
1. Displacement between current and
voltage phasors.
2. Total Harmonic distortion
P.F = displacement pf* distortion pf
Current-voltage displacement can be
minimized by using capacitor banks (to
compensate the reactive power) and
Synchronous condensers etc.
• Harmonic distortion can be minimized by using
harmonic filters (an arrangement of linear
elements).
• These elements are so arranged so as to
eliminate the particular harmonics (of
integral Fourier order).
• Once the harmonics are maximum filtered off,
the distortion power factor (inversely
proportional to the total harmonic distortion)
turns unity and thus the power factor improves.
 Distribution Static Compensators
• Inject the pulses which are exactly 180 degrees out of
phase of the unwanted harmonics , thus cancelling
out the unwanted harmonics and yielding the output
wave, very close in nature to the fundamental wave
 Constant Voltage Transformers
• Constant voltage transformers (CVT) were one of the first PQ
solutions used to mitigate the effects of voltage sags and transients.
To maintain the voltage constant, they use two principles that are
normally avoided: resonance and core saturation.

• When the resonance occurs, the current will increase to a point that
causes the saturation of the magnetic core of the transformer. If the
magnetic core is saturated, then the magnetic flux will remain
roughly constant and the transformer will produce an approximately
constant voltage output. If not properly used, a CVT will originate
more PQ problems than the ones mitigated. It can produce
transients, harmonics (voltage wave clipped on the top and sides)
and it is inefficient (about 80% at full load). Its application is
becoming uncommon due to technological advances in other areas.
 Isolation Transformers
Isolation transformers are used to isolate sensitive
loads transients and noise deriving from the mains. In
some cases (Delta-Wye connection) isolation
transformers keep harmonic currents generated by loads
from getting upstream the transformer.
The particularity of isolation transformers is a grounded
shield made of nonmagnetic foil located between the
primary and the secondary. Any noise or transient that
come from the source in transmitted through the
capacitance between the primary and the shield and
on to the ground and does not reach the load.
Transient Voltage Surge suppressors
(TVSS)
Transient voltage surge suppressors are used as
interface between the power source and sensitive
loads, so that the transient voltage is clamped by
the TVSS before it reaches the load. TVSSs usually
contain a component with a nonlinear resistance
(a metal oxide zener diode) that limits excessive line
voltage and conduct any excess impulse energy to
ground.
 Noise Filters
Noise filters are used to avoid unwanted frequency
current or voltage signals (noise) from reaching sensitive
equipment. This can be accomplished by using a
combination of capacitors and inductances that creates
a low impedance path to the fundamental frequency and
high impedance to higher frequencies, that is, a low-pass
filter.
They should be used when noise with frequency
in the kHz range is considerable.
 Static VAR Compensators

Static VAR compensators (SVR) use a combination of

capacitors and reactors to regulate the voltage quickly.
Solid-state switches control the insertion of the
capacitors and reactors at the right magnitude to
prevent voltage from fluctuating. The main
application of SVR is the voltage regulation in high
voltage and the elimination of flicker caused by large
loads (such as induction furnaces).
SVCs are used for:

1. Increasing power transfer in long lines

2. Stability improvement (both steady state and
transient) with fast acting voltage regulation
3. Damping of low frequency oscillations (corresponding
to electromechanical modes.)
4. Control of dynamic over voltages
Characteristics of SVC
5. Unified Power Quality Conditioner
• The integration of series-active and shunt-active filters.
• The main purpose of a UPQC is to compensate for voltage
flicker/imbalance, reactive power, negative sequence
current, and harmonics.
• In other words, the UPQC has the capability of improving
power quality at the point of installation on power
distribution systems or industrial power systems.
• A UPQC that combines the operations of a Distribution
Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) and Dynamic Voltage
Regulator (DVR) together.
In short,
•Shunt active filters eliminate the harmonics,
•Whereas, Series active filters allow the passage of only
the fundamental wave.
 IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENT AND
SOCIETY
1. The mitigation of all the power quality related issues leads to the
economic operation of the power system.

2. A technically sound quality of power will be supplied to the equipments, thereby

leading to their smooth operation and ensuring a long life for them.

3. The elimination of harmonics and other issues leads to the proper operation of the
system, thereby eliminating the unwanted vibrations and keeping the system
stable.

4. The reactive power is compensated at an acceptable and affordable cost and

thus, the system efficiency improves.
5. The power factor is improved; this leads to a heavy savage in the costs of
electricity bills.

6. Above all, the problem of power pollution is eliminated.

 Conclusion
• POWER QUALITY maintenance is an important
aspect in the economic operation of a system.
• Various PQ problems may lead to another
undesirable problem.
• Proper mitigation devices can be used to maintain
the level of power quality as desired.
• Reference
•
• “Draft Code of Practice for Energy Efficiency of Electrical Installations”, January
1997, Energy Advisory Committee.
•
• “Code of Practice for Energy Efficiency of Lighting/Air Conditioning Installations”,
1998 Edition, EMSD.
•
• RS Chin and KC Chan, ‘The Efficient Use of Energy in Electrical Systems of
Buildings”, Symposium paper on Electrical Services in Buildings, 6 November, 1996.
•
• IEEE Recommended Practices and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical
Power Systems, IEEE Standard 519-1992.
•
• T. Key and J. Lai, “Cost and Benefits of Harmonic Current Reduction for Switch-
Mode Power Supplies in a Commercial Office Building”, IEEE Transactions on Industry
Application, Vol.32, No. 5, September/October 1996.
•
• “Supply Rules”, December 1999, CLP Power.
THANK YOU