Power Quality –

A Brief Introduction
Assoc. Prof. Chen Shiun
PQ Analysis & Enhancement
Centre for Advanced Power Electronics
Nanyang Technological University
 Power Quality Definition
 Traditionally, Quality  Reliability
– Preoccupied with supply availability / continuity
 Today’s context,
Power Quality  Voltage Quality
 Power quality deficiencies – manifolds
– Any deviation from the ideal supply,
 Constant frequency at 50/60 Hz nominal
 Constant magnitude at system nominal value
 Perfectly sinusoidal

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 2

 Power Quality Compatibility
 Compatibility issue between supply system
and loads
– If the system is of sufficient quality to allow
proper operation of loads
– If the load is well-behaved, not causing any
disturbance / distortion that may affect others
 System performance vs. load tolerance
 System strength vs. load influence

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 3

 Power Quality and Electronics
 Power quality phenomena are not new
 Limited / confined impacts in the past
– Early power equipment was designed to be robust, able
to withstand many disturbances
 Becomes problematic in today’s system
– Today’s abundant (increasing) use of semiconductors
that have low tolerance towards many disturbances
– Too costly to design with similar robustness
 Victim: sensitive to voltage variations & transients
 Culprit: produce harmonic distortions & high-
frequency interferences

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 4

 Power Quality Issues
 Voltage quality
– Over-voltage transients
– Voltage variations – dips, swells & interruptions
– Voltage fluctuation – flicker
– Harmonic distortions / notches
– Voltage imbalance
 System designs
– Leakage current
– Insufficient neutral conductor
– Improper grounding

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 5

 Power Quality Standards
 IEC and IEEE standards
– IEC 61000-x-x series
 Definitions, environments, limits, measurements, etc.
– IEEE 1159: IEEE Recommended Practice for Monitoring
Electric Power Quality
– IEEE 519: IEEE Recommended Practices and
Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power
Systems
 Others specific to certain industry
– CBEMA / ITIC for computers and IT equipment
– SEMI F47 for semiconductor manufacturing
– In progress for automobile manufacturing

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 6

 Power Quality Evaluation
 Identify problem category
 Problem characterization
– Measurements: causes, characteristics, impacts
 Identify range of solutions
– Equipment design; Customer interface; Utility
transmission/distribution system
 Evaluate solutions
– Modeling and simulations
 Optimum solution
– Economic evaluation (costs/benefits) of alternatives

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 7

 Time frame of PQ Phenomena
Electromagnetic transient modeling and simulation Operator actions
LFC
Prime mover control
Protection
Generator control
HVDC, FACTS, etc.

Frequency Daily load variation

variations
Tie-line regulation

Long term dynamics

Long-duration variations
Transient stability
Short-duration variations
Subsynchronous resonance
Oscillatory transients
Switching Voltage fluctuations
Impulsive transients
Lightning Imbalance, harmonics, inter-harmonics, notching, noise

10-7 10-5 10-3 10-1 101 103 105

Timescale (seconds) 1 cycle 1 sec 1 min 1 hr 1 day
Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 8
 Course outline
 Fri. am: PSCAD Introduction
– Fundamental of electromagnetic transient modeling and simulations
– Hand on tutorials
 Fri. pm: Transients, voltage variations, fluctuations
– Lightning, fault & switching transients
– Dips, swells & interruptions
– Flicker evaluation, arc furnace model
 Sat. am: Harmonics, imbalance, others
– Synchronous machines
– FACTS
– Distributed generations

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Power Quality Analysis 9