Skip to main content

POWER QUALITY

The term power quality (PQ) is generally applied to a wide variety of electromagnetic phenomena occurring within a power system network. The ability of the power systems to deliver undistorted voltage, current and frequency signals is termed as quality of power supply. Unexpected variation of the voltage or current from normal characteristics can damage or shut down the critical electrical equipment designed for specific purpose. Such variations happen in electrical networks with a great frequency due to a competitive environment and continuous change of power supply. In a highly evolved electrical system PQ sensitive demands can be classified as
  1. Digital economy (such as banking, share market and railways),
  2. Continuous process manufacturing industries, and
  3. Fabrication and essential services.
Cost incurred to operate all the above types of loads vary from 3 to120 per kVA per event. This is huge and greatly affects economic operation of power industries. To mitigate PQ issues; customers are also equipped with some back-up instruments apart from grid supply. According to IEEE standard 1159-1995, the PQ disturbances include a wide range of PQ phenomena namely transient (impulsive and oscillatory), short duration variations (interruption, sag and swell), frequency variations, long duration variations (sustained under voltages and sustained over voltages) and steady state variations (harmonics, notch and flicker) with a time scale which ranges from tens of nanoseconds to steady state.

Popular posts from this blog

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CORONA

Corona has many advantages and disadvantages. In the correct design of a high voltage overhead line, a balance should be struck between the advantages and disadvantages. ADVANTAGES (i) Due to corona formation, the air surrounding the conductor becomes conducting and hence virtual diameter of the conductor is increased. The increased diameter reduces the electrostatic stresses between the conductors. (ii) Corona reduces the effects of transients produced by surges. DIS-ADVANTAGES (i) Corona is accompanied by a loss of energy. This affects the transmission efficiency of the line. (ii) Ozone is produced by corona and may cause corrosion of the conductor due to chemical action. (iii) The current drawn by the line due to corona is non-sinusoidal and hence non-sinusoidal voltage drop occurs in the line. This may cause inductive interference with neighboring communication lines.

ADVANTAGES OF PER UNIT SYSTEM

PER UNIT SYSTEM The per-unit system expressed the voltages, currents, powers, impedances, and other electrical quantities basis by the equation: Quantity per unit (pu) = Actual value/ Base value of quantity ADVANTAGES OF PER UNIT SYSTEM While performing calculations, referring quantities from one side of the transformer to the other side serious errors may be committed. This can be avoided by using per unit system. Voltages, currents and impedances expressed in per unit do not change when they are referred from one side of transformer to the other side. This is a great advantage. Per unit impedances of electrical equipment of similar type usually lie within a narrow range, when the equipment ratings are used as base values. Transformer connections do not affect the per unit values. Manufacturers usually specify the impedances of machines and transformers in per unit or percent of name plate ratings. Transformers can be replaced by their equivalent series impedances. ...

ABSOLUTE AND SECONDARY INSTRUMENTS

The various electrical instruments may, in a very broad sense, be divided into (i) Absolute Instruments (ii) Secondary Instruments. Absolute Instruments are those which give the value of the quantity to be measured, in terms of the constants of the instrument and their deflection only. No previous calibration or comparison is necessary in their case. The example of such an instrument is tangent galvanometer, which gives the value of current, in terms of the tangent of deflection produced by the current, the radius and number of turns of wire used and the horizontal component of earth’s field.  Secondary Instruments  are those, in which the value of electrical quantity to be measured can be determined from the deflection of the instruments, only when they have been pre-calibrated by comparison with an absolute instrument. Without calibration, the deflection of such instruments is meaningless. It is the secondary instruments, which are most generally used in ev...