Power Quality Monitoring

Power quality monitoring is the process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting raw measurement data into useful information. The process of gathering data is usually carried out by continuous measurement voltage and current over and extended period.

Why needed?

What are the objectives/consideration?

The monitoring objectives often determines the choice monitoring equipment, triggering threshold, methods of data acquisition and storage, analysis and interpretation requirements. There are several common objectives of power quality monitoring such as

i) ii) iii) iv)

Monitoring to characterize system performance Monitoring to characterize specific problems Monitoring as a part of an enhanced power quality service Monitoring as a part of predictive or just-in-time maintenance

Monitoring as part of a facility site survey

Site survey are performed to evaluate concerns for power quality and equipment performance throughout a facility. The survey will includes inspection of wiring and grounding concerns, equipment connections, and voltage and current characteristic etc. This information is specially important when monitoring objective intended to address specific PQ problems. This information are as follow;

i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii)

nature of problems Characteristics of sensitive equipment experiencing problems time at which problems occur Coincident problems or known operation possible source of power quality variations existing power conditioning equipment being used Electrical system data

Forms for Recording

Data forms that can used for initial verification of PQ disturbances are as follows;

Locations &permanent PQ monitoring equipment

Some categories of equipment that are used for permanent PQ monitoring system such as; i) Digital fault recorder ii) Smart relays and other LEDs iii) Voltage recorder iv)In-plant power monitor v) Special purpose PQ monitor vi)Revenue meter etc.

Historical perspective of PQ measuring instruments

The instrument makes an impulse-like mark on strip-chart paper to record lighting strikes. Analog oscilloscope with logarithmic chart sweep rate and recorded quantitative voltage waveform.

Historical perspective of PQ measuring instruments

Microprocessor based monitor analyzer 1st manufac. in 1975. This text based printout of a disturbance, still in service. 2nd generation PQ instrument debuted in mid 80s. Feature full graphic display, digital memory to view and store captured events. Capable data transmission from remote to central location for further analysis and also have triggering mechanism. 3rd generation are in mid 90s inspirited by EPRI DPQ project, more appropriate than previous, complete PQ monitoring, software based data collection and analysis.

Power Quality Measuring Instruments

There are numbers of PQ measuring instruments that can measure power quality are as follows; i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Wiring and grounding test device Multimeters Oscilloscopes Disturbance analysers Harmonic analysers and spectrum analysers combination disturbance and harmonic analysers Flicker and Energy monitor

Besides these meters, there are some other meters that can help to solve PQ problems by measuring ambient conditions such as; i) ii) iii) Infrared meter magnetic gauss meter Static electricity meters

Wiring and grounding tester/multimeters

Many power quality problems are reported by end users are caused by problems with wiring and or grounding within the facility. Important capability for a wiring and grounding test includes; i) ii) iii) iv) Detection of isolated ground short and neutral-ground bonds. Ground impedance and neutral impedance measure Detection open neutral, open ground and open hot wires Detection of hot/neutral reversals or neutral/ground reversals

After wiring test, a quick check of voltage and current measurements within the facility are to be to Be taken for overloading, under and over voltage and unbalance problems detection. Signal also used to check as follows; i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) Phase to ground voltages Phase to neutral voltages Neutral to ground voltages Phase to phase voltages Phase currents Neutral currents

Oscilloscope/Disturbance analyzers

Digital oscilloscope: data storage available for analysis i. e. energy calculation and spectrum analysis Communication to pc for additional analysis using software. Over Hand-held oscilloscope: Display waveform, performing signal processing, portable and permits connection with PC for further data analysis. Disturbance Analyzer: Disturbance analyzer and monitor measure a wide variety of system disturbances from short duration transients to long duration outage or undervoltage. Basically, there are two types; Conventional analyzers: Over voltage/under voltage magnitudes, sag and surge magnitude and duration, transient magnitude and duration Graphics-based analyzers:Display, save and print the actual waveform of the disturbances

Oscilloscope/Disturbance analyzers

Spectrum analyzers and harmonic analyzers

FFT calculation for determining low order harmonics. There some important Capabilities of this instrument: i) ii) Capability to measure both voltage and current to get harmonic power flow information Capability to measure both magnitude and phase angle of individual harmonic also to get power flow information Synchronization and fast sampling to obtain accurate harmonic component Capability to characterise nature of harmonic distortion level

iii) iii)

There are basically three types of instrument to consider for harmonic analysis i) Simple meter ii) General purpose spectrum analyser iii) Special purpose power system harmonic analyser.

Flicker meter

Flicker meter measures the level of flicker. The flicker evaluation level can be divided into two Categories such as follows; i) Short term Pst: Evaluation of flicker severity based on an observation period of 10 minute

PST =

0 . 0314 P0 .1 + 0 . 0525 P1 S + 0 . 0657 P3 S + 0 . 28 P10 S + 0 . 08 P50 S

Where the percentages P0.1, P1.0s, P3.0s, P10.0s and P50.0s are the flicker level that are exceeded 0.1, 1.0, 3.0, 10,0 1nd 50.0 percent of time, respectively. ii) Long term PLT: The long term variation flicker assessment of flicker severity is determined by using PST equation

. P
LT

P
1

i =

3 ST

Where N is the number of PST reading and is determined by the duty cycle of flicker producing load

IEC Flicker meter

Flicker meter

Summary of Monitoring Equipments Capabilities

Digital oscilloscope: data storage available for analysis i. e. energy calculation and spectrum analysis Communication to pc for additional analysis using software.

Assessment of PQ Measurement Data

Data assessment of PQ is meant by the data management, analysis, and interpretation function of overall PQ monitoring efforts. As well as shifting off-line to on-line operation for automatic problems identification. There are two stream of power quality data assessment such as follows; i) Off-line PQ data assessment: the off-line PQ data assessment is performed off-line i.e. it is carried out separately from the monitoring instruments that is at the central processing locations. On-line PQ data assessment: On-line data assessment is performed within instrument for immediately information dissemination

ii)

PQ Off-line Data Assessment

PQ On-line Data Assessment

PQ On-line Data Assessment

Application of Intelligent Systems

The application of intelligent systems or expert system in monitoring instrument help engineer the system condition rapidly. The implementation of intelligent systems within a monitoring Instrument can significantly increase the value of monitoring application since it generate information rather than just collect data. Intelligent system module perform to analyse capacitor switching transient and determine the location of capacitor bank, determine fault location etc. Basic Design of an expert system for monitoring application

Voltage Sag Direction Module

An autonomous expert system module called voltage sag direction module is designed just for to detect and identify of a voltage sag event and subsequently determine the origin (upstream/ downstream) of the voltage sag event. The module can displayed computer screen using web browser Software, displayed printed paper format, or sent as an e-mail etc.

Types of Intelligent PQ monitoring Systems

There are many advance PQ monitoring system are equipped with off-line and on-line intelligent systems to evaluate disturbances and system conditions so as make conclusion about the cause of the problems before they occur. Out of many, the three types are as follows. i)Industrial PQ monitoring application ii)Power system performance assessment and benchmarking iii)System maintenance, operations and reliability applications

Industrial PQ Monitoring Applications

Power Sys. Perfm. Assessment and Benchmarking

Application for System Main. Optn. and reliability

PQ Monitor and the Internate

Power Sys. Perfm. Assessment and Benchmarking