POWER QUALITY

First Semester Course for

M
M.E (Electrical Power)
U
Batch-2025 (2 C.H)
E
T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Dr A.S. Larik
Engineering

1
 Interruptions
An interruption is defined as the complete loss of supply voltage or
load current. Depending on its duration, an interruption is
M categorized as instantaneous, momentary, temporary and
Sustained. Duration range for interruption types are as follows:
U  Instantaneous 0.5 to 30 cycles
 Momentary 30 cycles to 2 seconds

E  Temporary 2 seconds to 2 minutes

 Sustained greater than 2 minutes

T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

2
 Interruptions (cont)
 The causes of interruptions can vary, but are usually the result of
some type of electrical supply grid damage, such as lightning
strikes, animals, trees, vehicle accidents, destructive weather

M (high winds, heavy snow or ice on lines, etc.), equipment failure,

or a basic circuit breaker tripping.

U
 But in Pakistan Electricity goes off for hours at a time and its
main cause is

E
T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

3
 Interruptions (cont)
 An interruption, whether it is instantaneous,

M momentary, temporary, or sustained, can cause

disruption, damage, and downtime, from the home user
U up to the industrial user. A home, or small business
computer user, could lose valuable data when
E information is corrupted from loss of power to their
equipment.
T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

4
 Harmonics-What are they ?
Defined as “a wave whose frequency is an integer multiple
of the fundamental frequency.”

M
U +
E
T Fundamental Sine Wave 5th Harmonic with
Frequency = 5 times fundamental frequency
JAMSHORO

Department
=
of
Electrical
Engineering

Combination of the above two waveforms results in a distorted sine wave 4

 Utility generates Sinusoidal
Voltage & Current Linear
loads such as motors &
heaters etc draw Sinusoidal
M current from the Utility
When load is Linear both
U applied V & I are Sinusoidal
and no Harmonics are
E present

T Non Linear loads (VFD’s,

Computers etc) draw current
JAMSHORO
in short bursts.
Department
Current is no longer Sinusoidal
of
Electrical
which contains a variety of
Engineering harmonics
6
 Harmonic Frequency
 Harmonic Freq.(Hz) = Harmonic order (x) Fundamental (50 Hz)
 5th Harmonic = 5 x 50 Hz = 250 Hz

 7th Harmonic = 7 x 50 Hz = 350 Hz

M  11th Harmonic = 11 x 50 Hz = 550 Hz

U Harmonic
n= kp ± 1

Order
E n= harmonic order


k= an integer


T p= no. of pulses of converter



Example 1: 6 pulse converter


JAMSHORO
 n= 6k ± 1, n= 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, etc.
 Example 2: 18 pulse converter
Department
 n= 18k ± 1, n= 17, 19, 35, 37, 53, 55, etc
of
Electrical
Engineering

7
 Types of Harmonics
Odd Harmonics
Odd harmonics have frequencies that are odd
M multiples of the fundamental frequency.
U For example, If a certain wave has fundamental of
50Hz, the third harmonic is 3*50=150Hz
E 500

400 Fundamental

T 300

200
3rd harmonic
Resultant wave

JAMSHORO 100

-100

-200
Department
of -300
Electrical
-400
Engineering
-500
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018 0.02
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 Even Harmonics
Even harmonics have frequencies that are even
multiples of the fundamental frequency. For example, if a
M certain wave has a fundamental of 50Hz, the second
harmonic is 2 *50 =100 Hz.
U 800

E
600 Resultant wave

400 Fundamental

T 200

0
2nd harmonic

JAMSHORO

-200

-400
Department
of
Electrical -600
Engineering
-800
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018 0.02 9
 Only one phase current is presented for the
clearness
The significant harmonic currents are generated by the diode
rectifier are 5th ,7th , 11th, and 13th order. The most dominant
M harmonic current generated by the load is the 5 th order
harmonic.
U
E
T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

10
 Harmonic Sources
 Harmonics currents are caused by AC to DC power supply that provide
power to equipment such as :

M  Personal Computers ·
 Copy Machines ·

U
 Electronic Dimmers ·
 FAX Machines ·
 File Servers ·
E  Laser Printers ·
 Telecommunication Equipment ·

T  Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS) ·

 Video Display Units ·
JAMSHORO  Arc Furnaces ·
 Audio and Video Recorders ·
 Battery Chargers ·
Department
of  Variable Frequency Drives (VFD's) ·
Electrical
Engineering

11
 Harmonic Problems
There are many problems that can arise from harmonic currents
flowing in a power system. Some are easy to detect. Other problems
M may exist and persist because harmonics are not suspected as the
cause. Harmonic currents cause higher RMS current and voltage in the

U 
system. This can result in any of the problems listed below:
Capacitor failures

E
Circuit breakers tripping
 Conductor failures
 Electronic equipment shutting down
T 

Fuses blowing for no apparent reason
Motor failures
JAMSHORO
 Phone problems
 Transformer failures
Department  Computers locking up
of
Electrical  Data loss or corruption
Engineering
 Cause utility billing meters to register more energy than is used.
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 Harmonic Remedial Methods (cont)
The following are harmonic solutions that are commercially available
products or combinations of products for reducing harmonic currents

M and minimizing harmonic voltage distortion on a power system

 12-pulse converter front end

U In this configuration, the front end of the bridge rectifier circuit uses
twelve diodes instead of six. The advantages are the elimination of the

E 5th and 7th harmonics to a higher order where the 11th and 13th
become the predominate harmonics. This will minimize the magnitude
of harmonics, but will not eliminate them. The disadvantages are cost
T and construction, which also requires either a delta-delta and delta wye
JAMSHORO transformer .
Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

13
 Harmonic Remedial Methods
Isolation transformer
An isolation transformer provides a good solution in many cases. The

M advantage is the potential to “voltage match” by stepping up or stepping

down the system voltage, and by providing a neutral ground reference for
nuisance ground faults. This is the best solution when utilizing AC or DC
U drives that use SCR as bridge rectifiers.
 Line Reactors

E More commonly used for size and cost, the line reactor is the best solution
for harmonic reduction when compared to an isolation transformer. AC

T
drives that use diodes bridge rectifier front ends are best suited for line
reactors.
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

14
 Harmonic currents can produce a number
of problems:
 Equipment heating
 Equipment malfunction
M  Equipment failure

U  Communications interference
 Fuse and breaker misoperation
E  Process problems
 Conductor heating.
T
JAMSHORO

Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

15
 Types of equipment that generate harmonics
Harmonic load currents are generated by all non-linear
loads. These include:
M  For Single phase loads, e.g.

U Switched mode power supplies (SMPS)

•
• Electronic fluorescent lighting ballasts
E • Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL)
• Small uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) units
T  For Three phase loads, e.g.
JAMSHORO • Variable speed drives
• Large UPS units
Department
of
Electrical
Engineering

16
 Problems caused by harmonics
Problems caused by harmonic currents:
 overloading of neutrals

M  overheating of transformers
 nuisance tripping of circuit breakers
U  over-stressing of power factor correction capacitors

E  skin effect

Problems caused by harmonic voltages:

T  voltage distortion
 induction motors
JAMSHORO

 zero-crossing noise

Department
 Problems caused when harmonic currents reach the supply
of
Electrical
Engineering

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