1

Comprehensive Evaluation of Power Quality

Based on Meaningful Classification
Ding Zejun, Zhu Yongqiang and Chen Caihong

AbstractIn a liberalized electricity market, it is not

surprising that different customers need different power quality
levels with different price. So how to achieve the synthetic
grading evaluation of power quality becomes a concerned
problem. In this paper, the idea of classified evaluation of power
quality is emphasized, and the major differences between the
continuous and event-based power quality problems both in the
characteristics and time scales are analyzed. In addition, least
squares support vector machine (LSSVM) theory is applied to
the comprehensive evaluation of continuous power quality.
Meanwhile, power supply reliability index is introduced to
evaluate the overall quality level of the event-based power
quality. On this basis, subjective weighting method is used to
achieve the comprehensive evaluation of two types of power
quality problems. Comprehensive evaluation of power quality
based on meaningful classification not only highlights the two
types of power quality problems, but also achieves the overall
level of power quality.
Index Terms--Meaningful classification; least squares support
vector machine; power quality; comprehensive evaluation; power
supply reliability

I. INTRODUCTION

power supply reliability index (Revent) is introduced to evaluate

the overall quality level of event-based power quality
problems. On this basis, subjective weighting method is used
to achieve the comprehensive evaluation of two types of
power quality problems.
II. MEANINGFUL CLASSIFICATION OF POWER QUALITY
PROBLEMS
Power quality problems are divided into two types in the
paper, namely continuous and event-based power quality
problems. Continuous power quality problems are defined as
the voltage and/or current waveform (here waveform refers to
the shape of the waveform curve), amplitude, frequency and
phase angle having persistent deviations relative to the ideal
situation in a longer time scale. Continuous power quality
problems include voltage deviation, frequency deviation,
voltage unbalance, power harmonics and voltage fluctuation
and flicker. While event-based power quality problems are
defined as the phenomenon of the voltage and/or current
occasionally and suddenly deviating from the ideal situation in
a short-time. Event-based power quality problems include
voltage sag, voltage swell, temporary over-voltage or transient
over-voltage, short interruption and long interruption.
Classification of power quality problems is shown as Fig. 1.

N a liberalized electricity market in the future, it is no

wonder that end-users have different level demands of
power quality (voltage quality and reliability) associated with
the power energy pricing variations. To support the multi-level
transactions of power quality in the future market, it is
necessary to establish a set of power quality comprehensive
evaluation (PQCE) system, which is reasonable, acceptable
and easily understood by the general public [1]. In recent years,
many experts and scholars have tended to focus on the
methods of PQCE. However, generally making all the power
quality problems integrated into a value in the same way
obscures the difference of their influence, time scale and
treatment measures [2].
In order to evaluate the power quality objectively and Fig. 1. Classification of power quality problems
reasonably, classified evaluation of power quality is
Continuous power quality problems reflect the degree of
emphasized in the paper. In addition, least squares support
deviation
between the actual waveform and the desired
vector machine (LSSVM) theory is applied to the
waveform,
and they are often persistent in a longer time.
comprehensive evaluation of continuous power quality, and
However, event-based power quality problems reflect the
This work was supported in part by National Mega-projects of Science severity of power disturbances. Event-based power quality
problems are the occasional occurrence, and they often exist
and Technology for the 11th Five-year Plan (2007BAA12B03 ).
Ding Zejun, Zhu Yongqiang and Chen Caihong are in the School of
for a short time. If all the power quality problems are
Electrical and Electronic Engineering (North China Electric Power
generally integrated in the same way, it is difficult to give the
University), Ministry of Education Beijing 102206, China.
physical meaning of the evaluation result. Therefore,
(e-mail: dingzejun1986@163.com ).
978-1-4244-8081-4/10/$26.00 2010 IEEE

classification evaluation is emphasized in the paper.

Comprehensive Assessment of Continuous Power Quality Based on LSSVM

5
actual grade value
predicted grade value

III. CLASSIFIED EVALUATION

4.5

TABLE I
THE LEVELS CLASSING OF CONTINUOUS POWER QUALITY INDICES (10KV)
Kinds
U (%)
f (Hz)
U (%)
THDU (%)
d (%)
Plt (%)

Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IV

[0.00,
2.30)
[0.00,
0.06)
[0.00,
0.60)
[0.00,
1.30)
[0.00,
1.30)
[0.00,
0.23)

[2.30,
4.60]
[0.06,
0.12]
[0.60,
1.20]
[1.30,
2.60]
[1.30,
2.60]
[0.23,
0.46]

(4.60,
7.00]
(0.12,
0.20]
(1.20,
2.00]
(2.60,
4.00]
(2.60,
4.00]
(0.46,
0.70]

(7.00,
11.6]
(0.20,
0.32]
(2.00,
3.20]
(4.00,
6.60]
(4.00,
6.60)
(0.70,
1.16)

Class V
>11.6
>0.32
>3.20
>6.60
>6.60
>1.16

(2) Under the principle of random distribution, every 50

sets of samples are respectively generated from Class I - Class
V, so a total of 250 sets are obtained. 150 sets of them are
selected as training samples, and the remaining 100 sets as
validation samples [9]. With 150 sets of samples, continuous
power quality comprehensive evaluation model based on
LSSVM is trained, and the optimal parameters (=31.7082;
2=0.0494003) can be got through the grid search method [10].
After the training model, 100 sets of validation samples are
input into the trained model, and their predicted grade values
and actual grade values are shown as Fig. 2.

3.5
Grade Value

A. Comprehensive Evaluation Method of Continuous Power

Quality Problems Based on LSSVM
Least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) is an
improved support vector machine. It changes the inequality
constraints in the traditional support vector machine into the
equality constraints, and makes square error and loss function
as the training set. So, LSSVM transforms solving quadratic
programming problems into solving the linear equations,
improving the computational speed and precision [5]-[6]. In
recent years, LSSVM has been successfully applied in many
areas, showing the great superiority. As LSSVM has good
classification ability, LSSVM theory [7]-[8] is introduced into
the comprehensive evaluation of continuous power quality,
and the specific steps are as follows.
(1) According to national standards or actual requirements,
all individual indices of continuous power quality are divided
into five classes (Class I - Class V) in the paper. The smaller
the number of class is, the better the quality; the bigger the
number of class is, the poorer the quality. Namely, Class I Class V respectively express excellent, good, qualified, slight
pollution and severe pollution. For example, on the 10kV
power supply system, the levels of voltage deviation (U),
frequency deviation (f), voltage unbalance (U), power
harmonics (THDU) and voltage fluctuation (d) and flicker (Plt)
are shown as Table I .

2.5

1.5

10

20

30

40

50
Test Point

60

70

80

90

100

Fig. 2. Output map of validation samples

(3) As seen in the figure, correct classification rate of

validation samples is 99%, so continuous power quality
comprehensive evaluation model based on LSSVM is feasible.
Therefore, comprehensive evaluation level of continuous
power quality on a certain monitoring point can be got by
inputting the monitoring values of all indices into the trained
model.
B. Comprehensive Evaluation Model of Event-based Power
Quality Problems
In order to characterize the combined effects of changes in
amplitude, duration and occurrence frequency of event-based
power disturbances, the idea of economic equivalent time [12]
is introduced into the evaluation model. Economic equivalent
time of each power index can be obtained through the
economic equivalent balance principle, based on the
economic loss evaluation of event-based power disturbance.
That is to say, the economic loss caused by the voltage sag
(voltage swell, or short interruption) in the evaluation cycle is
equal to the product of average one minute economic loss
caused by long interruption and equivalent time of voltage sag
(voltage swell, or short interruption). For example, economic
equivalent of voltage sag is defined as (1).
N

E
i =1

sag _ i

(U i , Ti ) = E long t 'sag

(1)

where N is the frequency of voltage sags occurring in the

monitoring period; Ui is the remaining voltage of i-th sag; Ti is
the duration of the i-th sag; Esag_i (Ui, Ti) is the economic loss
of the i-th sag; E long is average one minute economic loss
caused by long interruption in the monitoring point; t'sag is the
economic equivalent time of voltage sag. Similarly, economic
equivalent time of voltage swell and short interruption can be
obtained. The operational process of event-based power
quality indexes is shown as Fig. 3.

voltage sag

voltage swell

swell

t'swell

short

t'short

short interruption

sag

long interruption

t'sag
t'sag +t'swell
+t'short+tlong

tlong

Fig. 3. Evaluation process of event-based power quality

As in Fig. 3, Esag, Eswell and Eshort respectively

represents the economic loss of voltage sag, voltage swell and
short interruption; tsag, tswell, tshort and tlong respectively
represents the economic equivalent time of voltage sag,
voltage swell, short interruption, and the time of long
interruption.
On this basis, the concept of power supply reliability index
of event-based power quality (Revent) is introduced, which
considers the effects of long interruption, voltage sag, voltage
swell and short interruption on the required power quality.
Revent is defined as the ratio of total failure time of event-based
power disturbances and the evaluation period, shown as (2).

Revent = (1

tlong + t 'sag +t 'swell +t 'short

T

) 100%

(2)

Revent can reflect the overall condition of event-based power

quality problems, and the corresponding levels of
comprehensive evaluation are shown as TABLE II.
TABLE
COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION LEVELS OF EVENT-BASED POWER QUALITY
Class I
Revent(%)

99.999

Class II
[99.99,
99.999

Class III
(99.9,
99.99]

Class IV
(99.9,
99]

Class V
99

IV. COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION

Classification evaluation results of two types of power
quality problems reflect the important characteristics of power
quality in some aspects, and they have clear physical
meanings. However, if a more simple and intuitive
understanding of overall situation is wanted, a further
consolidation based on classification evaluation results is
needed. In order to fully reflect the different effects of two
types of power quality problems on the comprehensive
evaluation result, subjective weighting method [14] is
introduced to determine their weighting coefficients.
Comprehensive evaluation of power quality is defined as (3).

I PQCE = C I C + E I E

(3)

where IPQCE is the comprehensive evaluation result of power

quality; C , E and IC , IE respectively represent weighting
coefficients and evaluation levels of continuous and eventbased power quality.
V. CASE STUDY
The measurements had been carried out at a selected 10kV

bus bar in a city of China for one year. The comprehensive

evaluation of power quality based on meaningful classifycation has been analyzed based on the monitoring data. In the
evaluation cycle, analytic results (CP95) of continuous power
quality indexes are shown as TABLE . In addition,
economic losses of various types of event-based power quality
problems are counted, and the corresponding economic
equivalent time is calculated by the "economic equivalent
balance principle", as shown in TABLE .
TABLE
ANALYTIC RESULTS OF CONTINUOUS POWER QUALITY (CP95)
kinds

U (%)

f (Hz)

U (%)

THDU (%)

d (%)

Plt
(%)

results

2.05

0.10

1.48

2.73

2.20

0.26

TABLE
ANALYTIC RESULTS OF EVENT-BASED POWER QUALITY
kinds

E ()

t/ t ( min)

long interruption

25

voltage sag

180 000

50

voltage swell

36 000

10

short interruption

126 000

35

Analytic results in TABLE are input into the trained

continuous power quality comprehensive evaluation model
based on LSSVM, and the corresponding evaluation grade
value is obtained, namely Class II. At the same time,
combined with (2) and the data in TABLE , the Revent can be
calculated.

Revent = (1

25 + 50 + 10 + 35
) 100% = 99.977%
525600

Judged from TABLE , comprehensive evaluation level of

event-based power quality is Class II.
Considering the characteristics of power loads, operation
history, climatic conditions and other factors on the power
system, the weighting coefficients of two types of power
quality problems can be determined by experts. Assuming that
continuous power quality problems are clearly more important
than event-based ones, and the corresponding weighting
coefficients are respectively 0.65 and 0.35, comprehensive
evaluation result can be obtained by (3).

I PQCE = 0.65 2 + 0.35 2 = 2

Therefore, evaluation results of power quality based on
meaningful classification are shown in TABLE. In the paper,
the results of classified evaluation are expressed by grades,
and the comprehensive evaluation result is expressed by
textual descriptions.
TABLE
EVALUATION RESULTS OF POWER QUALITY
IPQCE

Ic

Ie

good

VI. CONCLUSION
The idea of classified evaluation helps to highlight the two
types of power quality problems. In the paper, comprehensive
evaluation model of continuous power quality based on
LSSVM has high accuracy and good predictive ability. In
addition, Revent that is used to evaluate the event-based power
quality problems, has a clear meaning. The concept of Revent is
scientific, reasonable and easy to accept by both sides of
power supply. Therefore, the idea of classified evaluation will
have a wide range of applications.
Comprehensive evaluation of power quality based on
meaningful classification is stressed in the paper. It not only
retains the physical meanings of two types of power quality
problems, but also achieves the overall evaluation, which may
be an important innovation. Whats more, from the local
analysis to the overall understanding of power quality
problems, comprehensive evaluation result helps to deepen the
comprehensive understanding the situation, and the result is
more real and closer to the actual engineering evaluation.
VII. REFERENCES
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[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]

[8]
[9]
[10]

[11]

[12]
[13]
[14]

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VIII. BIOGRAPHIES
Ding Zejun was born in Chongqing, China, on Jan.
24, 1986. Now she is working towards her Master
Degree in North China Electric Power University.
Her research interests include the monitoring,
analysis and assessment of modern power quality.

Zhu Yong-qiang was born in Tianjin, China, on

Feb. 10, 1975. Now he is an associate professor in
North China Electric Power University. His
research interests include power quality, power
electronics, renewable and distributed generation.

Chen Cai-hong was born in Henan, China, on Jan.

18, 1986. Now she is working towards her master
degree in North China Electric Power University.
Her research interests include the analysis and
optimization of distributed power supply system and
smart grid.