Power Quality Issues in

Industries

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 Content
• WHAT IS POWER QUALITY
• POWER QUANTITY PROBLEMS
• DESCRIPTION OF POWER QUANTITY PROBLEMS
• WAVEFORMS: POWER QUANTITY DEFINITIONS
• SOURCES OF POWER QUANTITY PROBLEMS
• POWER QUANTITY PROLEMS & POSSIBLE CAUSES
• WHO GET AFFECTED
• HOW THEY AFFECT
• HOW TO MONITOR
• BENEFITS OF POWER QUANTITY MONITORING

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 What is Power Quality?
The term Power quality is used to describe the extent of
variation of the voltage, current and frequency on the power
system. The variation of voltage and current can either be in
terms of magnitude or waveform shape/distortion.

What Is Power Quality Monitoring?

The best way to detect and diagnose the problems in
electrical power system is called Power quality monitoring

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 Why PQ is such a Big Problem?
– The sensitivity of today’s electronic equipment
makes it susceptible to power disturbances
– For some devices, a momentary disturbance can
cause
• scrambled data
• interrupted communications
• a frozen mouse
• system crashes and equipment failure

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 Power Quality Problems
• 1.Disturbance
I. Voltage sag
II. Voltage interruption
III. Voltage swell
IV. Transient
V. Voltage notch
• 2.Imbalance
• 3.Distortion
• 4.Voltage fluctuation
• 5.Voltage flickering

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 Description
• 1.Disturbances
A disturbance is defined as the temporary deviation from the steady
state waveform.

• Voltage Sag: Reduction in voltage magnitude for a short period of time.

• Voltage interruption: Voltage sag with 100% reduction in amplitude.
• Voltage swell: Increase in RMS voltage or current at the power
frequency between 1.1 to 1.9 per unit for a duration of 8milisec to 1min.
• Transient : Voltage disturbance shorter than sag/swell and are caused
by sudden changes in power system.
• Voltage notch: Periodic transient occurring within each cycle

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 • Voltage fluctuation: The rapid change in voltage magnitude in the
allowable limit., 95% to 105%.

• Voltage flickering: The color occurring when the frequency of variation

of light flux lies between few hertz and fusion frequency.
• 2.Imbalance
A situation in which voltage, frequency and phase all are different.
• 3. Distortion
It is generally expressed in terms of harmonics which are
sinusoidal voltages or currents having frequency that are integer
multiple of the frequency at which the supply system is designed to
operate.
4.Blackout: It is short or long term loss of electric power to an area.

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 Power Quality Events
• The major problems in the power sector that
need a treatment of quality upgradation 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.

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 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. Tripping of contactors and electromechanical
relays. Disconnection and loss of efficiency in electric rotating machines.

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 Under voltage or Over Voltage

• Over voltage or under voltages means, supply voltage is more or less then the
allowable tolerances.
• These are the causes of unbalance of supply and consumption of reactive
energy in network.
• If generation of reactive power is more then the consumption supply voltage
will be high.
• If generation of reactive power is less then the consumption, voltage will be
less.
• Sustained over voltage or under voltage stress the equipment.
• It weakens the insulation of system and equipments.
• By proper reactive power management the supply voltage can be maintained
within the tolerance.
• As far as possible reactive power compensation should be done locally by
consumer.
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 Voltage Dips (or Sags)
• Voltage dips or sags are caused by abrupt increases in loads such as short
circuits or faults, motors starting, or electric heaters turning on, or they are
caused by abrupt increases in source impedance, typically caused by a loose
connection.

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 VOLTAGE SURGES
• It is a voltage rise that endangers the insulation of electric equipment.
TYPES :
1. Lightning surges.
System-generated surges.
CAUSES:

1. Shutdown of heavily loaded circuits.

2. Necessary commutation of a high-powered network (e.g. Pf correction).
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.

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 Voltage Swell
• Voltage swells are almost always caused by an abrupt reduction
in load on a circuit with a poor or damaged voltage regulator,
although they can also be caused by a damaged or loose neutral
connection.
• 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.
•
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 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.

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 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.

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 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 buildup or decay of a magnetic
field, which may induce energy into the associated circuit.

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 FLICKERING
• It is a visible change in brightness of a lamp due to
rapid fluctuations in the voltage of the power supply.

CAUSE:
It increase 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

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 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 undervoltages. The
most perceptible consequence is the flickering of lighting and screens,
giving the impression of unsteadiness of visual perception.

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 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.

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 Noise
• Description: Superimposing of high frequency signals on the
waveform of the power-system frequency.
• Causes: Electromagnetic interferences provoked by Hertzian
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.

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 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.

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Electricity generation is normally produced at constant
frequency of 50Hz and generated voltage can be considered
practically sinusoidal.
However, when a source of sinusoidal voltage is applied to a
nonlinear device or load the resulting current is not perfectly
sinusoidal.
In the presence of system impendence of this causes a non-
sinusoidal voltage drop causing voltage distortion at the load
terminals known as Harmonic Distortion.

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Circuits containing thyristor is
when supplied a sinusoidal
voltage produces the distortion.

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• Harmonics generated by microwave oven

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• Harmonics generated by SMPS (switched-mode power
supply) of computer

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 Harmonic Distortions (contd…)
• Harmonics generated by variable speed drive

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 Transients
• Transients disturbances are high frequency events with durations
much less than one cycle of supply.
• Causes are switching, lightening strikes on the network,
switching of reactive loads on consumer sites.
• Transients can have magnitudes of several thousands volts and
so can cause serious damage to both the installation and the
equipment connected to it.
• A good earthing greatly reduces the transients.
• Majority of power system transients are due to switching action.

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Voltage across the
capacitor while
Switching a RC circuit

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 • Transients are triggered from
capacitor switching.
• Capacitor transients normally
causes the highest peak
magnitudes. If the capacitor is
switches when the system voltage
near its peak, the capacitor pulls
the system voltage down (as the
current ruches to capacitor to
charges it). The system rebounds,
the voltage overshoots, and
oscillates about the system
fundamental frequency wave
forms. This transients normally
Capacitor Switching Transients decays quickly.

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 Switching Transients
A restrike can occur when
switching a capacitor off: the
switch opens at current zero,
trapping the peak voltage on
capacitor. As the system
voltage decreases from the
peak, the voltage across the
switch rapidly increases. By
the time system voltage
reaches opposite peak, the
voltage across the switch is
Restrike of a capacitor Bank
double. Switch may restrikes.

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 Transients

Unipolar Bipolar Oscillatory

Positive Notching
200

100

-100

-200
Negative Multiple Zero Crossings
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A transient power quality event has occurred on DataNode H09_5530. The
event occurred at 10-16-2001 05:03:36 on phase A. Characteristics were
Mag = 478.V (1.22pu), Max Deviation (Peak-to-Peak) = 271.V (0.69pu),
Dur = 0.006 s (0.35 cyc.), Frequency = 1,568. Hz, Category = 3 Upstream
Capacitor Switching 32
 Transients

Possible Causes
 Possible Effects
• Data corruption
• PF cap energization
• Lightning • Equipment damage

• Loose connection • Data transmission errors

• Load or source switching • Intermittent equipment operation

• RF burst • Reduced equipment life

• Irreproducible problems

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MITIGATION TECHNIQUES

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Quality problems solution

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1-Filters
Power factor depends on:-
1.Displacement between current and voltage
phasors
2.Total Harmonic distortion
pf = displacement pf * distortion pf

Current-voltage displacement can be

minimized by using capacitor banks(to
compensate the reactive power) and
synchronous condensers, etc.
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• 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.

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 2-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

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 3- 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.

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4- 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.

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5- Transient Voltage Surgé 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 varistor or
zener diode) that limits excessive line voltage and
conduct any excess impulse energy to ground.

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6-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.

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7- 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

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Characteristics of SVC

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8. 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.

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In short,
•Shunt active filters eliminate the harmonics,
•Whereas, Series active filters allow the passage of only the
fundamental wave.

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 PQ Definitions Revisited
IEEE Categories
Std 1159-1995
Short Duration Typical
Variations Duration
Instantaneous Sag 0.5 – 30 cycles
Momentary Sag 30 cycles – 3
sec
Temporary Sag 3 sec – 1 min

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 PQ Definitions Revisited
IEEE Categories
Std 1159-1995
Short Duration Typical
Variations Duration
Instantaneous Sag 0.5 – 30 cycles

Momentary Sag 30 cycles – 3

sec.
Temporary Sag 3 sec – 1 min.

Instantaneous Swell 0.5 – 30 cycles

Momentary Swell 30 cycles – 3

sec.
Temporary Swell 3 sec – 1 min.

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 PQ Definitions Revisited
IEEE Categories
Std 1159-1995
Short Duration Typical
Variations Duration
Instantaneous Sag 0.5 – 30 cycles
Momentary Sag 30 cycles – 3
sec.
Temporary Sag 3 sec – 1 min.
Instantaneous Swell 0.5 – 30 cycles
Momentary Swell 30 cycles – 3
sec.
Temporary Swell 3 sec – 1 min.
Momentary Interruptions 0.5 – 30 cycles

Temporary Interruptions 30 cycles – 3

sec.

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 PQ Definitions Revisited
IEEE Categories
Std 1159-1995
Long Duration Typical
Variations Duration
Sustained interruptions > 1 min
Under voltages > 1 min
Over voltages > 1 min

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 PQ Definitions Revisited
IEEE Categories
Std 1159-1995
Long Duration Typical
Variations Duration
Sustained interruptions > 1 min
Under voltages > 1 min
Over voltages > 1 min
Voltage imbalance Steady state
Waveform Distortion

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 PQ Definitions Revisited
IEEE Categories
Std 1159-1995
Long Duration Typical
Variations Duration
Sustained interruptions > 1 min
Under voltages > 1 min
Over voltages > 1 min
Voltage imbalance Steady state
Waveform Distortion
DC offset Steady state
Harmonics Steady state

Inter harmonics Steady state

For Electric Utilities Control of Voltage and Prevention of Outages is Power Quality

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 Who is Affected?

• High Cost Facilities

o Semiconductor plants
o Pharmaceuticals
o Data centers

• Medium Cost Facilities

o Automotive manufacturing
o Glass plants
o Plastics & Chemicals
o Textiles

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 Sources of PQ Problems
Internal Sources
• Utility Sources
– Lightning • Individual Loads –Lighting, Elevators, Coolers, HVAC
– PF Correction • Uninterruptible Power Supplies
Equipment
• Variable Frequency Drives
– Faults
– Switching • Battery Chargers
• Large Motors During Startup
• Electronic Dimming Systems
• Lighting Ballasts (esp. Electronic)
• Arc Welders, and Other Arc Devices
• Medical Equipment, e.g. MRIs and X-Ray Machines
• Office Equipment and Computers
• Wiring

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 PQ Problems and Possible Causes

Typical problems Disturbance Type Possible Causes

Overheated neutral Steady-state Shared neutrals
Intermittent lock-ups Improper or inadequate wiring
Frequency deviations High source impedance
SCR/Rectifiers and notching
Harmonics

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 PQ Problems and Possible Causes

Typical problems Disturbance Type Possible Causes

Overheated neutral Steady-state Shared neutrals
Intermittent lock-ups Improper or inadequate wiring
Frequency deviations High source impedance
SCR/Rectifiers and notching
Harmonics
Interruption Utility faults
Garbled data Inrush currents
Random increase in harmonics levels Inadequate wiring

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 PQ Problems and Possible Causes

Typical problems Disturbance Type Possible Causes

Overheated neutral Steady-state Shared neutrals
Intermittent lock-ups Improper or inadequate wiring
Frequency deviations High source impedance
SCR/Rectifiers and notching
Harmonics
Interruption Utility faults
Garbled data Inrush currents
Random increase in harmonics levels Inadequate wiring
Intermittent lock-ups Sags/Swell Source voltage variations
Lights flicker Inrush/surge currents
Garbled data Inadequate wiring

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 PQ Problems and Possible Causes
Typical problems Disturbance Type Possible Causes
Overheated neutral Steady-state Shared neutrals
Intermittent lock-ups Improper or inadequate wiring
Frequency deviations High source impedance
SCR/Rectifiers and notching
Harmonics
Interruption Utility faults
Garbled data Inrush currents
Random increase in harmonics levels Inadequate wiring
Intermittent lock-ups Sags/Swell Source voltage variations
Lights flicker Inrush/surge currents
Garbled data Inadequate wiring
Component failure Impulses Lightning
Dielectric breakdown EMI/RFI Load switching
Lock-ups Capacitor switching
Garbled data Static discharge
Wavy CRTs Hand-held radios
Loose wiring/arcing

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 PQ Problems and Possible Causes
Typical problems Disturbance Type Possible Causes
Overheated neutral Steady-state Shared neutrals
Intermittent lock-ups Improper or inadequate wiring
Frequency deviations High source impedance
SCR/Rectifiers and notching
Harmonics
Interruption Utility faults
Garbled data Inrush currents
Random increase in harmonics levels Inadequate wiring
Intermittent lock-ups Sags/Swell Source voltage variations
Lights flicker Inrush/surge currents
Garbled data Inadequate wiring
Component failure Impulses Lightning
Dielectric breakdown EMI/RFI Load switching
Lock-ups Capacitor switching
Garbled data Static discharge
Wavy CRTs Hand-held radios
Loose wiring/arcing
Overheated transformers and motors Harmonics Electronic loads
Voltage and current distortions SCR/rectifier
Garbled data
Lock-ups

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 RMS Voltage Variations

Sag Swell Interruption

100

-100

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 Motor Starting
Timeplot Chart
Volts Amps
222.5 900
Min Max Median
CHA Vrms 206.11 222.25 219.19
CHA Irms 1.40 847.71 207.16

800
220.0

700

217.5

600

215.0
500

400
212.5

300

210.0

200

207.5
100

205.0 0
09:49:00.5 09:49:01.0 09:49:01.5 09:49:02.0 09:49:02.5 09:49:03.0 09:49:03.5 09:49:04.0
CHA Vrms CHA Irms
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09/13/96 09:49:00.50 - 09/13/96 09:49:04.00
 IEEE1159 Characterizations
(RMS Variations)

• Instantaneous (0.5 - 30 cycles)

• Sag (0.1 - 0.9 pu)
• Swell (1.1 - 1.8 pu)
• Momentary (30 cycles - 3 sec)
• Interruption (< 0.1 pu, 0.5 cycles - 3s)
• Sag
• Swell
• Temporary (3 sec - 1 minute)
• Long Duration (beyond 1 minute)

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 Major PQ Problems
Outages,
6%
Spikes, 7%

Swells,
Sags, 56%
31%

Swells Sags (Dips)

System fault conditions Associated with system faults

Switching on a large capacitor bank Switching of heavy loads

Switching off a large load Starting of large motors

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 How Do They Affect You

• Motors stall
• Computers crash
• Production is affected
• Equipment damaged
• Product spoilage
• ‘The lights go out’

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 How To Monitor PQ Parameters?
POWER QUALITY PROBLEM SOLUTION

VOLTAGE SAG UPS,DVR,CVT

VOLTAGE INTERRUPTION UPS

VOLTAGE SWELL UPS,POWER CONDITIONER

TRANSIENT SVC

VOLTAGE NOTCH SNUBBER CKT

IMBALANCE PROTECTION SCHEME

DISTORTION SERIES & SHUNT ACTIVE FILTER

VOLTAGE FLUCTUATION SVC

VOLTAGE FLICKERING VOLTAGE UNBALANCED RELAY

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 Cost of Voltage Sags

Textile Industry

Plastics Industry

Glass Industry

Process Industry

Semiconductors

$1k $10k $100k $1M $10M

Losses per Voltage Sag Event

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 Benefits Of Power Quality Monitoring
Direct Benefits / Technical Benefits
• – Energy Savings
• – Release of blocked capacity
• – Reduced temperature rise
• – Increased reliability / Life of equipment (e.g. Transformer, Motors,
capacitors...)
• – Reduced mal-function of equipment (e.g. Drives, Relays, Meters)

Indirect / Regulatory Benefits

• – Penalty savings / Incentives (e.g. Demand charges, Pf penalty)
• – Tax benefits
• – Compliance to standards & Regulations

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 PQ is a Business Problem

• Power Quality issues cause business problems

such as cost productivity, idle people and
equipment
– Lost orders, good will, customers and profits
– Lost transactions and orders not being
processed
– Revenue and accounting problems
– Customer and/or management dissatisfaction
– Overtime required to make up for lost work time

According to Electric Light and Power Magazine, 30 to 40 Percent of All

Business Downtime Is Related to Power Quality Problems.
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 PQ Problems are Expensive
– Berkeley Lab Study Estimates $80 Billion Annual
Cost of Power Interruptions … Research News,
Berkeley Lab, February 2, 2005

– $50 billon per year in the USA is lost as a results of

power quality breakdowns …. Bank of America
Report

– A manufacturing company lost more than $3

million one day last summer in Silicon Valley when
the “lights went out.” … New York Times January
2000

– “A voltage sag in a paper mill can waste a whole

day of production - $250,000 loss” … Business
Week, June 17,, 1996

– Half of all computer problems and one-third of all

data loss can be traced back to the power line …
Contingency Planning Research, LAN Times

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 Conclusion

• Disturbances place all businesses at risk both in

terms of financial losses and energy efficiency so
they should be taken seriously.

• Power quality monitoring is very essential to get an

uninterruptable and efficient power supply.

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