0% found this document useful (0 votes)
2K views20 pages

Power Quality Lecture

This document discusses power quality and the importance of protecting electronic equipment from power issues. It notes that power quality problems can cause equipment malfunctions, excessive wear, downtime, and increased costs. Electronic equipment is now more sensitive to minor power fluctuations than older equipment. The document discusses different types of power disturbances like interruptions, voltage fluctuations, transients, and waveform distortion that can affect equipment. It also summarizes various solutions for protecting equipment like power conditioners, backup power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and auxiliary generators. The key points are that power quality is critical for equipment today, different types of disturbances can cause problems, and choosing the right protection solution depends on the equipment and level of protection needed.

Uploaded by

Special2424
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
2K views20 pages

Power Quality Lecture

This document discusses power quality and the importance of protecting electronic equipment from power issues. It notes that power quality problems can cause equipment malfunctions, excessive wear, downtime, and increased costs. Electronic equipment is now more sensitive to minor power fluctuations than older equipment. The document discusses different types of power disturbances like interruptions, voltage fluctuations, transients, and waveform distortion that can affect equipment. It also summarizes various solutions for protecting equipment like power conditioners, backup power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and auxiliary generators. The key points are that power quality is critical for equipment today, different types of disturbances can cause problems, and choosing the right protection solution depends on the equipment and level of protection needed.

Uploaded by

Special2424
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20

Power Quality

• The concept of powering,


grounding and protecting
electric equipment in a manner
that is suitable to the operation
of that equipment.

• In other words......doing what it


takes to keep the electric supply
to equipment transparent or un-
noticed.

Why is it a Concern?

• Power quality problems can


cause:
– Equipment malfunctions
– Excessive wear or premature
failure of equipment
– Increased costs from
downtime
– Increased maintenance, repair
time and expense
– Outside consultant expense

1
Why is Equipment Protection
Important Today?
• Electronic equipment
is more sensitive to
minor fluctuations.
• New electronic loads
create conditions that
didn’t exist before.
• We rely on the
equipment more and
have higher
expectations

Electronic Loads are More


Susceptible to Power Problems
• New electronic devices
are more sensitive than
the equipment being
replaced.
– Lighting systems have
electronic ballasts.
– Motors have ASD’s or
PLC’s
– Offices have copiers,
computers, faxes and laser
printers.

2
Electronic Devices
Produce Problems
60 Cycle Sine Wave
• Utility systems were designed 200

150

assuming loads were electro- 100

mechanical...voltage and 50

Voltage
0

current would always be sine -50

waves. -100

-150

-200

• Electronic devices produce 0.0000 0.0083 0.0167


Time (Seconds)
0.0250

harmonic distortion that


degrades the sine wave
provided by the utility.
• Many electronic devices are
susceptible to power quality
problems AND a source of
power quality problems.

We’re “More Concerned”


• Power Quality has been a
problem since the
conception of electricity,
but only over the last 2
decades has it gotten
considerable attention.
– 1980's: large numbers
of computers &
microprocessors in
business and homes.
– 1990's: the network
revolution and ever
increasing equipment
capability and speed.

3
Solution Options
• Improve the Supply
– Utility: Less than a quarter of the problems.
– Customer: Not every customer/device needs higher
levels.
• Immunize the Equipment (Protection)
– Manufacturer: Raises the cost of equipment.
– Customer: End use equipment specifications.
• Control the Disturbance (Protection)
– Utility: Some disturbances are un-avoidable and part
of necessary operations.
– Customer: How….and from what?

Electronic Equipment Protection


• Backup Power Supplies
– Auxiliary power during outages &
interruptions.
– Work for longer blinks & outages.
• Power Enhancers
– Improve the characteristics of power
coming in and produce a “clean”
supply to the equipment.
– No blink or outage protection.
• Power Synthesizers
– Combine auxiliary power and
“cleaning” capabilities.
– Most expensive and highest
maintenance.

4
What Level is Needed?
• Identify and prioritize equipment that is most important
to the mission of the facility.
– At what level will malfunction or failure cause major
disruptions in manufacturing, sales or business processes?
• Result in lost or off specification product?
• Result in lost productivity?
• Jeopardize employee or customer safety?

What Kind of Disturbances


Cause Problems?
• Interruptions
– Outages & Blinks
• Voltage Fluctuations
– Voltage Sags & Swells
• Transients
– Really Fast Spikes,
Surges, etc.
• Waveform Distortion
– Harmonics, Noise &
Interference

5
Interruptions (Outages & Blinks)
• Voltage falls below 10% of
normal circuit voltage for any
length of time. Temporary Interruption
(+)
– The power is OFF!!!!!
• How Long?
– Can be microseconds to hours

Voltage
seconds to minutes
or days.
– If you noticed the lights
blink…..chances are the power
supplies in most electronic
equipment thought the power (-)
was shut off. Time
– Some interruptions can be so
fast you don’t notice the lights
“blink”.

Interruptions (Outages & Blinks)


• Protection Options – Need Energy Storage!!!!!
– Power Enhancers
• Don’t Work…..no energy storage
– Power Synthesizers
• Battery Backup/Standby Supplies
• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
• Auxiliary Generator
• UPS with Auxiliary Generator
• Motor-Generator Sets

6
What Should the Equipment
Tolerate?
• ITE (CBEMA) Curve
– Information Technology Data Processing Susceptibility
Industry Council 300
(formerly Computer & 250

Rated Voltage (%)


Business Manufacturers
200
Association)
• Provides ride-through 150

capability minimums for 100

computing and office 50

equipment. 0

• Some power supplies 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100


Disturbance Duration (cycles)
1000

tolerate levels much than


those shown.

What is a UPS?
• Not all UPS systems do the
same thing!
• Standby Power Supplies (SPS),
(Battery Backups)
– Provide normal line power to
equipment….switch to battery
supply when an outage occurs.
• Line Interactive UPS
• On-line UPS
– Line supplies a rectifier that
converts AC to DC, charges the
batteries. Batteries supply an
inverter that converts DC to AC,
filters and regulates it, and
supplies the load.

7
Un-interruptible Power Supply
(UPS)
• Provide continuous,
uninterrupted AC power from
an isolated, regulated source
regardless of the quality of the
primary AC line.
• Can be used for interruptions,
sags, swells, and voltage
fluctuations.
• Some success has also been
achieved with impulsive and
oscillatory transients, long
duration over- and under-
voltages and noise.

SPS vs True UPS Devices


• It generally takes a few
milliseconds for an SPS to
switch to the battery backup
source.
• Effective when the equipment
being protected can withstand
the transfer time.
• SPS’s are less expensive than
UPS’s and for most small
systems can be used in place
of a UPS and still gain “most”
of the protection from
interruptions/outages.

8
SPS Advantage/Disadvantage
• Advantages
– Lower cost than a true UPS device.
– Higher efficiency (less losses) than a true UPS device.
– Low operating hours on power components.
– Smaller physical size.
• Disadvantages
– No power conditioning during normal operating mode.
– Produces short interruption of power to load when
switched.
– Battery/Inverter problems not detected until critical
point in time.

On-Line UPS
Advantage/Disadvantage
• Advantages
– Continuous regulated power to load
– Higher system reliability
– Excellent output performance for sensitive loads
• Disadvantages
– Higher cost
– Lower efficiency
– Larger physical size

9
UPS & Auxiliary Generator
• Allows computers & other
mission critical equipment to
operate during lengthy
outages.
– Generator starts automatically
upon loss of utility power and
the source to the UPS will
automatically transfer to the
generator.
– Generators are available that
utilize different fuels including
gasoline, natural gas, propane or
diesel.

Motor-Generator (MG) Sets


• An electric motor driving a
generator.
• Converts electrical energy into
mechanical energy and back
again to isolate “short”
disturbances from the
equipment it supplies.
– Ride Through
• The mechanical shaft isolates
the electrical load from
incoming disturbances such as
voltage transients, swells and
sags.

10
MG Sets Advantages/Disadvantages
• Advantages
– Ride through many shorter interruptions.
• Inertia keeps the rotor rotating for 10-15 seconds after the power shuts off
which is long enough to ride through a high percentage of problems.
– Long Life
– Simple, rugged device
– Low harmonic distortion content at all load levels.
• Disadvantages
– Will not ride through extended outages.
– Degrade and fail gradually over time rather than all at once.
– Expensive for smaller systems

Voltage Fluctuations
(Sags & Swells)
Voltage Sag
• Sag (+)

– Voltage falls below 90% of Less than 1 minute

normal but stays above 10% of


Voltage

normal for any amount of time.


• Swell
– Voltage rises above 110% of (-)
Time
normal but below 180% of
Voltage Swell
normal for any amount of time. (+) Less than 1 minute

• If it’s long enough, you notice


lights dimming or getting
Voltage

brighter.
• Sags are much more common
than swells (-)
Time

11
Sags & Swells - Protection Options

• Power Enhancers
– Reduced Voltage Starters on large offending motors
– Voltage Regulators
– Constant Voltage Transformers (CVTs)
– Power Conditioners
• Power Synthesizers
– Battery Backup Systems (Sometimes)
• May not switch fast enough for short duration events.
– UPS
– Motor-Generator Set

Voltage Regulators
• Maintain voltage output within a
desired limit or tolerance regardless
how much input voltage varies.
– Can offer some surge protection, but do
not provide good isolation like computer
grade transformers.
– Protection against swells or noise and
limited protection from fast voltage
changes depending upon the response
time of the regulator.
– Voltage regulators respond best to slow
changes in voltage.

12
Constant Voltage Transformers
(CVT’s)
• Also known as ferroresonant
transformers.
– Used for sags, swells, longer term
over- and under-voltages.
• Especially attractive for
constant, low-power loads like
electronic controllers (PLC’s)
where they provide ride-through
capability.
• Variable loads, especially those
with high inrush currents,
(Drives) present more of a
problem for CVT’s.

CVT Ride Through


• It is not uncommon for
electronic controls to 100
trip from voltage sags
80
caused by motor starts. Ride Through Without CVT's
Voltage (%)

– A common solution is 60
to protect the controls
40
with a CVT.
– With the CVT, the 20
Ride Through With CVT's

controller can ride


through most voltage 0
0.1 1 10 100 1000
sags…but not an Sag Duration (cycles)
interruption.

13
Overvoltages & Transients
• Lightning is the nemesis of
communication stations, tall
structures and other buildings
housing sensitive electronic
equipment.
• Lightning Damage Problems:
– Direct strike problems
– Swells and transients which can
arrive via power,
communications or signal lines,
even though the lightning strike
may be some distance from the
building or installation.

Transients - Causes
Impulsive Transient
• Distribution System (+)

– Lightning
– Switching Operations
Voltage

• Breakers
• Capacitors & Transformers
– Fault Clearing/Breaker (-)
Operations Time (seconds)

• Customer System (+)


Oscillatory Tranients

– Lightning
– Arcing Devices
Voltage

– Starting & Stopping


Motors
– Breaker Operations
– Capacitor Switching (-)
Time

14
Lightning Protection

• Degree of lightning
protection needed in a
facility:
– Strategic importance of
the equipment housed in
the facility
– Level of strike exposure.
• Effective protection
involves the integration
of several concepts.

Lightning Protection System


• Capture the strike on purpose
designed air terminals at designated
points.
• Conduct the strike to ground safely
via purpose-designed down-
conductors.
• Dissipate energy to the earth with
minimal rise in potential through a
low impedance ground system.
• Eliminate earth loops/differentials by
creating an equipotential plane
system.
• Protect equipment from swells and
transients on
– incoming power lines.
– telecommunications and signal lines.

15
Transients – Protection Options

• Power Enhancers
– Surge Suppressors
– Lightning Protection/Arrestors
– Power Conditioning
– Line Reactors/Chokes
• Power Synthesizers
– Standby Power Systems
• Provide no protection
– UPS
• Limited to low energy transients
– Motor Generator Set

Transient Voltage
Surge Suppressors (TVSS)
• Simplest, least expensive way to
condition power by clamping
voltage when it exceeds a
certain level and sending it
away from the equipment it
protects.
– Excess voltage is sent to MOVs
which convert it to heat which
dissipates over time.
• Most effective with impulsive
transients and short term swells
and have limited success with
oscillatory transients.

16
Levels of Protection
• High Energy Devices = Service
– High energy suppressors are installed at
service entrances and considered the
minimum necessary protection level even
if other power conditioners are
employed.
– Generally clip high voltages to less than
600 volts.
• TVSS Devices = Equipment
– Transient voltage surge suppressors
(TVSS) can be installed at the terminals
of the sensitive electronic loads.
– Generally do not do well with high
voltage transients like lightning.

Power Line Filters


• Suppress transients, swells, and
noise before they get to the
clipping level of common surge
protectors.
– Power line filters limit noise and
transients to a safe level by
slowing down the rate of change
of these problems and keeping
electronic systems safer than
surge protectors can.
– EMI/RFI Filters, Line Reactors &
Chokes
• More expansive than surge
suppressors.

17
Waveform Distortion
Resultant Waveform
250

• Harmonic distortion and/or 200


150

noise created by the 100

Voltage
50

operation of electronic 0
-50

devices.
-100
-150
-200

• Effects: -250

Time
– motors, transformers & Line Notching
wiring overheat (+)

– Data errors
– Control system errors

Voltage
– Burned circuit boards
• Harmonic Distortion has
become a significant issue. (-)
Time

Waveform Distortion - Causes


• Distribution System
– Customer produced
harmonics feeding back into
the distribution system and
moving down the line.
– EMF and Noise from faulty
electrical equipment that is
about to fail.
• Customer System
– Electronic Office Equipment
– Adjustable Speed Drives
(ASD’s)
– Electronic Control
Equipment
– Lightning

18
Distortion - Protection Options
• Power Enhancers
– Line Reactors/Chokes
– Harmonic Filters
– Isolation Transformers
– Power Conditioners
– Constant Voltage Transformers
• Power Synthesizers
– Backup Power Supply….No protection
– Some UPS systems…if large enough, the
harmonics cause problems for the UPS.
– Motor-Generator Set…motor becomes victim

Line/Load Reactors & Chokes

• A type of “Filter”.
• These devices are used
as protection from
oscillatory transients
and waveform
distortion.
• They are increasingly
being incorporated
into many newer and
existing ASD
installations.

19
Isolation Transformers
• Protect sensitive electronic
equipment by buffering electrical
noise and rejecting common mode
line-to-ground noise including
harmonic distortion.
• Effective at protecting from
oscillatory transients, harmonics,
noise and in some cases impulsive
transients.
• Provide a "separately derived"
power source and permit single
point grounding.

20

You might also like