What is power quality?

Any power problem manifested in

voltage, current or frequency deviation that results in failure or missed operation of utility or end user equipments.

SOURCES OF POOR POWER QUALITY :

1. Utility side of the meter: Utility system faults occur on power lines or in power equipment.
They are categorized by single-phase faults to ground, phase-to-phase faults, or three-phase faults to ground. On the utility side of the meter, these type of fault often determines the type of disturbance.

2) End-user side of the meter: It usually involves a disruption of the sinusoidal voltage & current delivered to the end user by the utility.
This cause misoperation of sensitive electronic equipment in the end users sides due to : Nonlinear inrush current from the start-up of large motor, Poor wiring & grounding techniques.

CAUSES FOR POOR QUALITY OF POWER :Voltage swells and sags

Electrical noise

Voltage interruptions

Transients and Harmonics

Voltage fluctuations

Voltage Sags:
A sag is a period of low voltage. Minor sags occur frequently, sometimes without disturbing equipment performance. Major sags, on the other hand, always disturb equipment performance. Sags occur for many reasons, including voltage drop caused by long runs of wire, switching loads, poor wiring, and overloaded branch circuits.

Voltage Swells:
A swell is a period of high voltage. Swells have serious impact on equipment function; however, they are not as common as sags. Both minor and major swells affect equipment performance.

 Long-duration overvoltages:
Long-duration overvoltages are close cousins to voltage swells, except they last longer. Like voltage swells, they are r.m.s voltage variations that exceed 110% of the nominal voltage. Unlike swells, they last longer than a minute.

Interruptions :
Interruptions are a complete loss of voltage (a drop to less than 10% of nominal voltage) in one or more phases. There are three types of interruption; they are categorized by their time period that the interruptions occur:

Interruptions :

Momentary Interruption:
Momentary interruptions are the complete loss of voltage on one or more phase conductors for a time period between 0.5 cycles, or 8 millisecond, & 3 second.

Temporary Interruption:
A temporary, or short duration, interruptions is a drop of voltage below 10% of the nominal voltage for a time period between 3 sec or 1 min.

Long-duration Interruption:
Long duration or sustained interruptions last longer than 1 min.

Transients:
Impulsive Transients: This rise to pick
value & decay to the normal value quickly.

Oscillatory Transients: It does not decay

quickly and continue to oscillate for reaching 2 times the nominal voltage or current.

 Transients:

Voltage unbalance:
It is the deviation of each phase from average

value of all three phases

Potential causes of voltage unbalance include

capacitor bank not operating properly, single phasing of equipment, etc.

A voltage unbalance grater than 2% will cause motor &

transformer to overheat.

Voltage fluctuations:
Voltage fluctuations are rapid changes in voltage

with in the allowable limits of voltage magnitude of 0.95 to 1.05 times of nominal voltage.

Harmonics:
Harmonics are the major source of sine waveform distortion and is integral multiple of the fundamental frequency of the sine wave.

Electrical Noise :
The electrical noise is random mixing of other signal with the supply power signal.
It is transmitted through the air or wires which is caused due to: High-voltage lines,

Arcing from operating disconnect switches,

Startup of large motors,

Radio & TV Stations switched mode power supplies,

Loads with solid-state rectifiers, fluorescent lights, etc.

TECHNIQUES TO MINIMISE POWER QUALITY PROBLEMS :

Voltage sag, Voltage swell, Long duration over voltage:
Such problems can be eliminated by including

1. Constant voltage transformer, 2. Flywheels 3. UPS

Overvoltages:
By using inductors during light load condition. Correctly setting transformer taps.

Under voltages:
By proper scheduling of loads. By reducing T & D losses.

Interruption:
By installing on-site sources (UPS). Installing off-site sources for utilities.

Voltage unbalance:
Installing monitors to measure the voltage unbalance provides the necessary data to analyze & eliminate the cause of the unbalance.

Voltage fluctuation:
Reducing frequency of the fluctuation Using static VAR control.

Harmonics:
Adding filters Adding isolation transformer Adding detuning capacitors.

Electrical noise:
Eliminate the source of electrical noise. Another way is to either stop or reduce the

electrical noise from being transmitted.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) can be

reduced by shielding the sensitive equipments.

CONCLUSION:
Power quality solutions falls into two categories, prevention & diagnosing. Prevention is better than finding solution of problem. Proper designing of equipments can be implemented. Proper wiring & grounding sensitive equipments should be used. Installation of power-conditioning equipments can protect sensitive equipments from damage. Captive power generation can help to an extent.