Table I Most common Power uality problems 1 ,

Description: A decrease of the normal voltage level between 10 and 90% of the nominal rms voltage at the
1. power frequency, for durations of 0,5 cycle to 1 minute.
Voltage sag (or dip) 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.
2.
Description: Total interruption of electrical supply for duration from few milliseconds to one or two seconds.
Very short
Causes: Mainly due to the opening and automatic reclosure of protection devices to decommission a faulty section
interruptions
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.

3.
Description: Total interruption of electrical supply for duration greater than 1 to 2 seconds
Long interruptions
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.

4. Description: Very fast variation of the voltage value for durations from a several microseconds to few
Voltage spike milliseconds. These variations may reach thousands of volts, even in low voltage.
Causes: Lightning, switching of lines or power factor correction capacitors, disconnection of heavy loads.
Consequences: Destruction of components (particularly electronic components) and of insulation materials,
data processing errors or data loss, electromagnetic interference.
5.
Description: Momentary increase of the voltage, at the power frequency, outside the normal tolerances, with
Voltage swell 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.

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
6. power-system frequency.
Causes: Classic sources: electric machines working above the knee of the magnetization curve (magnetic
Harmonic distortion
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.
7.
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.

Description: Superimposing of high frequency signals on the waveform of the power-system frequency.
8.
Causes: Electromagnetic interferences provoked by Hertzian waves such as microwaves, television diffusion,
Noise
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.
9. Description: A voltage variation in a three-phase system in which the three voltage magnitudes or the phase-
Voltage Unbalance 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.

https://doi.org/10.24084/repqj01.004 26 RE&PQJ, Vol. 1, No.1, April 2003