Power Quality Improvement Technique

Prof. Avik Bhattacharya

Department of Electrical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

Lecture – 01
Introduction

Welcome to our Power Quality Improvement Technique. We are going to have a 20 hours
course on it. So, this is the introductory class and we shall discuss the scope of the power
electronics and its definitions and its application and merits and demerits and who own the
responsibility and who have been blamed every issue. These are techno-commercial aspect
we required to look after for better understanding of this paper.

Apart from these introduction class, we will again review the two-pulse and the six-pulse
converter and their performance with the inductive and the capacitor loading.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:18)

Thereafter harmonic analysis of single phase and the 3-phase converter, THD, TDD and
IEEE standard for the power quality will be discussed.

Thereafter we shall discuss the different conventional methods of power factor correction
technique, controlled free-wheeling operation, asymmetrical triggering, sequence triggering,
thereafter sequence control phase control converter, extinction angle control, PWM
converters, single pulse multi pulse modulation technique. Thereafter we shall go for high
value converter that is multi pulse converter using delta zigzag polygon transformer, analysis
and harmonic calculations. Then power quality improvement technique using passive filter
and their design. Thereafter we shall switch this over to the shunt and series hybrid filters,
topologies and their control strategies and there after it is again AC to DC conversion.

And while referring to the AC to DC conversion, power quality will be an issue, high quality
single phase and 3-phase power converter that is active rectifier, control technique of buck
boost control, power flow control, hysteresis carrier control and the space vector modulation
will also be dealt with. Consideration of the filters and we also required to search a suitable
topology for it.

For this reason, we will again talk about the multilevel inverter and the topologies of the
control technique of the PWM technique and then we shall see that snubber design. This will
be something new and would also help to mitigate the power quality problem. This we will
try to cover in 20 hours. Me and my TAs have a very aspirational level to complete the
syllabus because this is our 40 hours syllabus mostly in IIT Roorkee, we have cut short few
things.

So, let us talk about the problem of power quality. So, we want the quality power.

(Refer Slide Time: 04:06)

Thus, power quality refers to maintain a sinusoidal waveform of bus voltages at bus voltages
at rated voltage and frequency. You should have a constant frequency and proper sinusoidal
voltage and current with constant magnitude and then only you say that, you are getting a
good quality of power. The waveform of electric power at generation stage is purely
sinusoidal, apart from their diagnostic and generally if you find that issues like some broken
rotor or so are coming then generally those are being replaced and repaired.

So, mostly we can consider the generation stages are purely sinusoidal and free for any
distortion, but in between when the power reaches to me, there are many source of
contamination and thus, many devices that distort the waveforms which are the reason why
we are getting a contaminated power. This distortion may propagate all over the electric
network or it may be restricted or bypass or segregated. If this propagates then it is called as
hazards to another person.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:36)

So, this model can be like this. This is a classical model of the power system. You have two
generations because you may have a load that required to be feed from a different bus. So,
this is the transmission network, they are distribution network and they are the loads. Now
with the penetration of renewable energy even loads become a distributor source of
generation. So, you can have an electric power network and here this is considered to be a
ring structures, where all the customers are connected. If one of the customer polluting, then
all will be affected, so this is something like this.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:22)

Now with the penetrations of the modern system, we have seen a commercialization aspect
and for this reason deregulation of the electric market took place. What does it mean by that?
You generate power and you go to the power market and say that I am selling at 5 rupees and
someone else generates power and sells at 4.3 rupees. Of course, I am being a purchaser of
the power, we will have a reverse bidding and we will take the power associated with least
cost

This method of deregulation started in the European Union because of the nuclear power
plant. Power in France is quite cheap and ultimately, it sells power to the all the countries and
Switzerland. Because of Switzerland’s ecosystem, they do not want to put neither nuclear nor
the thermal power plant, hence their power was costly and as a consequence they were the net
buyer of the power.

In that way this kind of regulated market started. Now here also, India now we have a
deregulation in the electric market. In the month of August we have Ganesh Chaturthi in
Mumbai. So, Mumbai will have a huge consumption of power, again just one month later
Kolkata will celebrate Durga Puja and so it will be needing huge amount of power and as a
result of deregulated market, Kolkata or West Bengal electricity board will be selling power
to the deregulation and will have account field. And once West Bengal requires power, they
will get this power credited to their account. It is something like this. Customer demand
profile also changes which is also an important issue and this has a seasonal pattern and it is
increasing at some percentage. So, it should be taken care off.

Now with the penetrations of the distributed generations, we can see that mainly solar is fitted
into the distribution system. We have a huge rooftop power system installation which you
considered to be the load, but now it is also becoming a source of generation. The co-
generation power plant, wind generation are also part of our modern utility system. What is
the power quality problem?

(Refer Slide Time: 09:43)

I am giving you one example here. So, all of a sudden there is a spike and this is called
impulse and of a sudden we have a sag.

So, this is also a power quality problem.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:53)

Now, first of all what kind of load we generally see? In our power system we have resistive
element like incandescent lighting, so your 10 rupees electric bulb is nothing, but an
incandescent lighting. There after electric heater and these are the resistive element although
mostly this does not dominate nowadays. But induction motor consumes huge amount of
power and deteriorates power quality because, it takes huge amount of the reactive power and
also current limiting reactor.

You have seen that in a dual converter and in all such power electronics entity and you have a
current limiting reactor and that is the inductor element. Induction generations for example,
windmills we have damping reactor to attenuate harmonics. In a most of the power
electronics converters because solar inverter and other we have to we have a PWM technique
and we require to mitigate the harmonics and damping reactors are used. Tuning reactor in
harmonic filters and thereafter it can have a capacitor element, mostly this power is
consumed in induction motor drive and thus to mitigate this we have a solution that is power
factor correction capacitor bank but that itself is nasty.

We will discuss it to the effect of the capacitor in a one chapter itself. Then underground
cable because these are maybe in different potential, due to that, the distance between the soil
acts as a dielectric. So, ultimately silting cable also comes into the pictures. This cable itself
also behaves like a capacitive element. Insulated cable same way behaves like a capacitor
element and the capacitor used in harmonic filters. So, that also we can use very intentionally
use for that reason these two comes into the picture because its inherited property.

So, other linear loads such as electric motor driving fans and water pumps, oil pumps, cranes,
elevator, et cetera not supplied through the power conversion devices like adjustable speed
drive or variable frequency drive or any other rectification inversion of the current will
incorporate magnetic core loss that depend on iron and the copper physical characteristics.
So, these constitutes our linear load and now we can say that 30 percent of the power is
generally consumed into the daily unload because we are moving more towards rectification
inversion and the adjustable speed drive and huge amount of power is being consumed there.

(Refer Slide Time: 13:40)

Now digital devices: though it takes small amount of power, but these are all quiet nasty
elements. What happened you know, digital devices works on a clock pulses. The moment

dv di
you have a very high clock pulses, and C =i and L =v with that it interacts and it
dt dt
generates EMI EMC problem. So, these are the other issues here that has to localized here.

So, all those digital equipments are essentially required to convert AC to DC, there after it
have to be a chopped DC. Once you convert AC to DC since it is a non-linear conversion you
have problem with the harmonic and you thereafter make a pulsation kind of entities and that
leads to the more EMI EMC noise.
(Refer Slide Time: 14:40)

And this is an example of the non-linear load. This is the adjustable speed drive. So, it may

V V
have a control. Once you control , your flux remains constant. So, thus your torque will
f f
be proportional to the current. If you keep the current constant then your torque will constant.

V
You can get a smooth variable speed in a control and this is an example of the electronic
f
flash lighting. So, this will also non-linear devices here the arc comes and goes comes and
goes. So, once arc comes as a picky notch and like this and there after very small amount of
current will flow. All of a sudden there will be a notch these will be the current profile for
this.

Similarly arc welder, once it gets short circuited, then only arc will be there and once arc is
there you are trying to use the arc. So, this will have this kind of picky nature. All of a sudden
there will be a sudden jump in the current. So, these are the few application where we use
these non-linear loads frequently and thus the power quality deteriorates.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:08)

So, I am giving you one example from our data. So, look this is an example of the power
quality problem. So, this is example of sag, all of a sudden sag comes, it may be that a branch
of the t is touching. So, here the scale is in lower range anyway.

So, scale is touching the t and here it comes down, but it is for the high voltage that will be in
a level of the kVA and it may be so, that some kind of voltage sag has occurred and so we
will define what is sag an all in a subsequent classes. So, this is the example of the sag and
this is also a problem.

(Refer Slide Time: 16:47)

So, classification of the power quality areas may be made according to the source of problem
such as converter. Once you convert AC to DC and you have, let say a diode bridge rectifier
and your inductor is quite high then your load current is continuous. Thus, your source
current will be a square wave.

So, you can do the fourier series analysis and find out what are the harmonic content. So, this
is the case and depending on the capacitor depending on this RL, RC and different
combinations, the input current profile will be distorted. Magnetic circuit non-linearity:
transformer works on the principle of the demagnetizing of the flux. If current enters this
point, then current will leave from this point, if load is very high then in the B-H curve, it will
be close to the saturation. Once it is close to the saturation then as this region is linear region
of the B-H curve, there after it goes to the saturation.

So, if it is unloaded, current you will find a little picky because so that demagnetization does
not occurs. And this is the problem of the magnetic transformer, as transformer goes into the
saturation mode. There also arc furnace or by the web shape of the signal such as harmonics.
Arc furnace also will have a same problem. “Flicker”, we shall define all those entities by the
frequency spectrum, radio frequency interference. So, flicker is above the audio frequency
and hemce will cause many problems in the communication network.

(Refer Slide Time: 19:19)

Now, source of power quality problem which may be more, that the wave shape phenomenon
associated with the power quality may be characterized into two broad categories. One is
synchronous that is a 50 hertz problem and its harmonics and non-synchronous phenomena
like lightning strikes and all those issues.

So, once you know that it is a synchronous phenomenon, you know how to mitigate it
properly, you calculate and mitigate the harmonics which is required to be injected. Like as
you know that in a square wave consisting of this kind of waveform you can do the spectrum
analysis and this is repeated. So, it is a synchronous problem and once it is a synchronous
problem you can apply a particular correction technique and get rectified, that you can do in a
shunt active power filter. But if let’s say thunder strikes, lightning strikes, then is a
asynchronous phenomenon. You does never know that when it will strike.

So, for this reason eliminating the synchronous phenomena is easier. We can say that
synchronous phenomena referred to those in synchronism with AC wave form at power
frequency.

(Refer Slide Time: 20:45)

So, now let us come to the cause of the power quality deterioration. So, few are the natural
causes. It is not human inflected. For example, faults of a line, L-G fault. As a result voltage
sag will occur, unbalance will occur. Lightning strikes on the transmission line or the
distribution feeder and it propagates since it is a surge. Falling of trees or the branches on the
distribution feeder during the stormy conditions and equipment failure of the relay or any
other entities.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:39)

So, that leads to the natural cause and thereafter it may be due to the load or the transmission
line feeder operation, transformer energization. So, once its energization in a transformer you
excite the transformer, then it will have a high inrush current and the voltage will sag and this
is a problem of a transformer energization. So, that also cause a sag in the voltage. Capacitor
of the feeder switching: capacitor will charge very fast and thus it will cause a deep in a
voltage initially and thereafter is an undamped circuit continue to oscillate. Then there are the
power electronics loads. Power electronics loads mostly have a voltage source and these
loads are generally constant impedance load and these can be constant power load.

So, if the voltage is low it will take more current and thus it has more problem from the
stability point of view. It will take you to the more unstable region, that is another issue. So, it
can be uninterrupted power supply, we generally very frequently use it in our desktop. So,
there after we can have ASD that is called adjustable speed drive and different type of AC to
DC converter et cetera. Thereafter we can have an arc furnace and induction heating system.
So, that also cause a problem of the wave form. Switching off and switching on of large load
that may also create disturbance to the power system network. So, this is due to the
transmission line or the feeder operation.
(Refer Slide Time: 23:58)

Four major reasons for the concern, is the newer generation load equipment which are very
sensitive to the power quality. If it is not fitted with a good quality power, it’s life will
deteriorate. Why? It is very simple example you know, if you are feeding a square wave
instead of the sine wave your sine wave you have, if you differentiate it, you get cos wave.

So, rate of change of voltage is quite low and since in this kind of nature it will break down
the insulations of the winding. Thus, it degrades and deteriorates its performance, its life span
also decrease and ultimately you put into the cost that also comes down as, instead of the 15
year, it will last 6 years and it’s performance will also be less and consequently will end up
increasing harmonic level on the power system. If you have more harmonic it will create
more distortion into the system and for this reason THD is a measurement of the harmonic
total harmonic distortion, total harmonic distortion required to be low as prescribed by the
different standard that I have taken a separate class on the standard.

So, there I will discuss it in detail. End users have an increased awareness of the power
quality issues because since they are giving money and they are not doing any charity, they
have a right to get a good quality power to ensure that his equipment last long. So, we can
also become more aware so, that quality power to be given. Many entities are now
interconnected in a network, that means someone installing the solar rooftop system and they
are giving you the energy guarantee to the system apart from the utility grid.
So, many entities are now interconnected in the network. Integrated process mean that failure
of any component has much more important and consequences. So, for example, you know it
happens to our institute that few days ago there was a power cut because of the feeder was
removed as it was bad, but solar was generating power and ultimately, we failed to evacuate
that power because of lack of power supply and for this reason we require to stop this
inverters, solar inverters.

So, for this reason we have different entities they are linked together. So, it is not that the
consumers do not get power, but also solar company fail to sell their power and they say that
look I have an energy commitment of this much, I failed to deliver because of you and they
can take a legal action. So, it is quite complex for this reason nowadays.

(Refer Slide Time: 27:42)

The increased concerned about the quality of the electric power is to be continued to push for
increasing productivity for all the utility concern, because if you have a bad quality power
your industrial production will go down, ultimately you will hamper your production cost and
your labor cost will increase. So, ultimately there is a cascading effect to it.

Now, this utility customers always want increased productivity and definitely the
manufacturer wants faster more productive more efficient machinery and utilities also has the
philosophy that encourage this effort because it helps this customer become more profitable
in that way, they can also sell the power at a good tariff.
(Refer Slide Time: 28:44)

So, now let us come to the definition of the power quality, with different books write
different definitions, whole of the power engineering in one way or other it is related to the
power quality. There is also no universal agreement for the definition of the power quality. A
power quality may be defined as power quality as reliability and like this 99.98 percent
reliable.

So, why not 99.99? So, these are the tricky questions and hopefully you will understand after
finishing of the course, why these definitions are being formed based on different standard
and different requirement.
(Refer Slide Time: 29:31)

And also, from the manufactures point of view, a manufacturer of the load equipment may
define the power quality as those characteristics of the power supply that enable equipment to
work properly. This characteristic can vary different for different criteria. Power quality is
ultimately a consumer driven issue.

I may require a particular power quality for a particular machine.

(Refer Slide Time: 30:09)

Thus, we define power quality as any power problem manifested in voltage, current or
frequency deviation that results in failure or maloperation of the customer equipment. So,
then we will say that we have a power quality problem.

(Refer Slide Time: 30:31)

So, this is the power quality definition and how power flows and how power get
contaminated.

We have taken a hydel power example and there is a hydel power dam thereafter it can be 50
or 60 hertz and from a transformer it comes and then transmission distribution system here
power quality nominal voltage plus 5 percent plus minus is available to you. Thereafter
transformer, regulator, circuit breakers that you got a capacitor bank, you got a load switch,
you got again regulator, there are your distinguisher meter.

Thereafter in your house, you got a television, you got water heater, you got a meter for
billing. This is a way from here you get the power and in between generally here power is
satisfactorily generated all are sinusoidal, but in between some way it been corrupted and
what happened you know if you get a corrupted power then your equipment will not last long
or malfunction. So, thus we required to ensure that from this point to this point power quality
is been maintained, but mostly though it is restricted to the distribution system. So,
transmission system does not have much problem on the power quality apart from the voltage
sag.
Thank you for your attention. I will continue my discussion in my next class.