Examination of Power Quality in Industry

R. Mienski, R. Pawelek, I. Wasiak

Institute of Electrical Power Engineering
Technical University of Lodz
Lodz. Poland

Abstract-The paper provides results of tests of power quality This paper presents some selected test results performed in
performed for an industrial electrical power network. Several low- and medium-voltage distribution networks in AMICA
parameters were identified, like: voltage variation, harmonics co. works in wronki. It aimed at determining whether
and total distortion factor, voltage unbalance. The measurement malfunctioning of the drive system of the press ,nachine is
aimed at assessment of influence of some loads which are
operated in the plant on power quality and evaluation of quality
caused by industrial loads or inadequate quality of supply
of supply from public distribution network. Some results of tests from the publicelectrical power
and their analysis are presented in the paper.
11. TES'I'S PROGRAM
1. INTRODUCTION
A. Description ojlhe Examined Network
In the condition of increasing awareness of power quality's Fig. 1 shows the scheme of power supply to AMlCA Co.
role in electrical engineering there is a need to assess the works in Wronki from the public electrical power network
quality of service provided by utilities to their consumers. and presents a part of the low- and medium-voltage industrial
Many industrial electric consumers now require a higher level distribution networks which has been examined.
of power quality due to increasing sensitivity of receivers and
process controls.
Quality of supply can be defined [4]as any deviation from
the characteristic values of the ideal sinusoidal voltage
waveform. Electrical power quality is then determined by the
following supply voltage parameters which are measured at
the connecting point of the common coupling with public
network (PCC):
- slow voltage variation,
- voltage fluctuation - flicker severity,
- voltage harmonics (values of higher harmonics and THD
factor),
- voltage unbalance in three-phase systems.
The above mentioned parameters for low- and medium- Q ;,..:,,.
voltage distribution networks are defined and standardised in
EN 50160 European Standard [ l ] which is being put in
practice in Poland at the moment.
In recent years negative phenomena resulting from electrical
power quality deregulation have been observed more
frequently. The electrical equipment characterised by a non-
linear voltage/cui-rent(e. g. power electronics), widely applied
in industry. causes harmonic disturbances. Some industrial
intermittent loads. like arc furnaces are the sources of voltage Fig. I Schemc afpawcr supply io AMIC'A C ' o
fluctuations resulting in annoying voltage flicker. The
phenomena may be strain-effective for electrical power users Supply voltage parameters have been measured on the bus
and may defective operation of regulating devices, control and of 15 kV switching station and on the bus of section I of
signalling systems and protective relays. Distortions coming 0.4 kV switching station in SO-3 station. In low-voltagc
from power electronic drive systems sometimes prevent their switching station scheme the receivers which influenced
own control systems from proper functioning. Such electrical power quality have been distinguished. They are as
phenomena have started examination of power quality in follows: the drive system of the press forming machine, the
industrial environment. rectifier station for charging battery-operated truck and the

0 1998 IEEE
0-7803-5105-3/98/$10.00

94
capacitor bank for reactive power compensation. The bank is C. Tests Range
supplied with automatic power control system in the function
of power factor. What has not been examined was the The performed tests aimed mainly at assessment 01'
influence of the receivers installed in the boiler house and influence of some loads, which are operated in AMICA Co.
others shown as ,,other receivers" group on the scheme. Wronki. Special attention was paid to the drive system of the
pressing machine and the mutual interaction of rectifiers and
B. Measurement System capacitor bank. Another purpose was estimation quality of
supply from public distribution network. So the examination
The measurements have been carried out by means of scope referred to measurement of selected voltage parameters
computer - operated measurement system. which has been in SO-3 15/0.4 kV station (which supplied energy to the press
designed and constructed in the Institute of Electrical Power machine) cairied out on both the buses of 15 k V and 0.4 k V
Engineering of Technical University of Lodz, basically to and the analysis of results obtained.
evaluate supply voltage parameters according to EN 50160 A number of measurement cycles have been performed. and
European Standard demand. Table I illustrates basic three of them have been chosen to analyse. Table I1 illustrates
information which refers to measurement system data. While their characteristics. In each cycle the following suppl)
taking measurements in 0.4 kV switching station, the system voltage parameters, defined according to [ 11, have been tcstcd
inputs were connected directly to three phase voltages, at a given measurement point:
however, in case of 15 kV switching station, they were
connected to three delta voltages by means of voltage 0 voltage changes in relation to its declared value for each
transformers. Test results were registered on hard disc of the phase,
computer at frequency given in the Table 11.

TABLE I
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MEASUREMENT SYSTEM where: U,, - data window rms value of supply voltage (phase
Operating mode or line-to-line), U,. - declared voltage at the connecting point
The system operates in real-time. without intervals between data windows. of common supply,
measuring, analysing and recording measurement results on the disc
automatically 0 asymmetry factor of three-phase system,
Input
ASYM, = 5 100 %
U1

where: U,-- data window rms value of negative sequencc

component of supply voltage basic harmonic, U, - data
window rms value of positive sequence component of supply

Data window.
Measurement system charartcristics
1 rcctaneular I voltage basic harmonic.

Window span:
Sampling frequency:
I 2 sec.
4095 Hz I relative values of voltage higher harmonics for each phase.

Consecutive data windows:

I are in contact
Voltnge curve analysis
Calculatins method: I FFT where: Ulf- data window rms value of h - voltage haiinonic
(h = 1, .... ,40). b

Filter characteristic: rectangle

0 THD factor for each phase voltage.
7

Filter frcqucncy: i,S0 Hz

Band width: (0,02 + 0.022) f,
Averaging timc of voltagc calculation from 2 SCC. to I5 min.
resul ts:
Voltage measurement accuracy: consistent with EN 61000 [3]
The following values have been accepted as declared
Measurement range: (0,OOlS + 0.2) U" voltage:
Calculation method: consistent with EN 60868 121
- for 0.4 kV - U, = 220 V (phase voltage of the network).
- for I5 kV - U, = 100 V (secondary voltage of voltage
Averaging time of calculation results: (2 + IS) min.
tran sforiners).
Measurement accuracy of flicker severity: consistent with EN 60868 121

95
 Date, Number of Measurement
Cycle No. time of measurement samplcs. averaging
~~
place Load characteristics
start-up time
I 26. IO.I997 IO0 SO-3: 0.4 kV During measurement cyclc. aftcr all the receivers had bcen put otT. the press
15:59 10 sec. machine was switched on and the starting and braking of thc drive systein 01'
this press were tested several times.
26. IO. 1997 SO-3; 0,4 kV During the cycle thcrc was a simultaneous pcrtormance ol' the hoilcr slalioii
17:59 I O sec. receivcrs. rectifier station and capacitor hank In autoniatcd control niodc.
Thc switching on and off of subsequent steps ofthc bank was liwxd.
26f27.10.1997 SO-3; IS kV During the cycle the plant operated under normal night-characteristic load.
22:05 2 min.

111. MEAS~JREMENT
RES~JLIS conclude that the drive system of the press machine.
especially during transient processes which take place in
A. General Remarks starting and braking, has a significant influence on supply
voltage distortion. The evidence for this is in high maximum
As the time of canying out measurements was limited, the values and the values of 95% level of THD factor, coming up
averaging time of measurement results was forced to be to 1 1 % and 9% respectively. Such an apparent supply voltagc
shortened (in reference to EN 50160 Standard [I]) from IO distortion is seen in the wide range of higher harmonics
min. to 10 sec. (at night time to 2 min.). It enabled to examine (Fig. 3) which arise during examined dynamic states, basicall)
the influence of dynamic states of the press machine so-called harmonics characteristic of 6-pulse -?-phase rectifier
performance (starting and braking) on the power quality and it bridge.
gave the adequate number of measurement samples in
subsequent measurement cycles as well. For these samples,
statistical characteristic values were determined, basically the 12.w , I
maximum, minimum and mean value and the so-called 95%
level, i.e. the value, which is not acceded by 95%
measurements during a given cycle.

B. Influence of the Press Machine Drive System on Power

Quality

Table 111 presents the basic results of measurement of power

quality parameters obtained in measurement cycle I. For the
same cycle changes in time and systematic graph of T H D
factor of phase voltages have been illustrated in the Fig. 2.
And Fig. 3 shows the spectrum of harmonics distorting phase
voltage curves (for LI phase). b)
I1.M

10,w
Total harmonic Asym-
No. Index distortion factor of the Supply
. . . voltage level metry
8.W
voltage factor -
Value THDLI THDLI THDL~ ULI U L ~ UL; ASYM s
% % % Yo % % Yo 0 bW
c
I . maximum 10,17 10,98 11,12 109.73 109.55 109.75 1.54
2. minimum
3. mean
4. 95%level
1.58
2.74
8.79
1.42
2.74
9.71
1.68
2.86
9.82
107,40 107.34 107.44 1.44
109.16 108.99 109.20
109.63 109.43 109.66
1.48
1.51
I 2.M

n io LO w) U) .w 611 711 xo vm IIII

Measurements were carried out under the conditions of timc 1%1

higher supply voltage (TI transformer tap switch in - 5% Fig. 2. THD factor for three phascs.
position) and of the lack of other loads switched on the a) changes in timc graph. b) systematic graph
examined section. When analysing the test results, we can

96
 D.Electrical Power Quality in 15 kV Network

To illustrate the quality of supply from public electrical

power network. the measurement results from cycle I l l wcrc
taken into consideration. Basic voltage parameters are shown
in Table IV. Moreover, Fig. 5 illustrates changes in time and
4.00 systematic graph of THD factor of line voltage, and Fig. 6
illustrates the spectrum of harmonics distorting line voltage
2.w curve (ULl2)on busbars of 15 kV. The tests were carried out
at night, under minimum load of industrial network. Basing on
0.00
2 5 8 II I4 17 10 U 1 29 31 J5 38 the results obtained we can assume that the quality of supply
Harmonics numher (supply voltage parameters) meets the requirements of
Fig. 3. Spectrum of harmonics in LI phase voltage,
0 - maximum value. - 95% level
Total harmonic :\syn1-
C. Interaction of Rectifiers and Capacitor Bank. No. Index distortion lsclor ofthc Supply voltage level inctry
L
voltaec litclor
To illustrate the phenomena which take place during Value THDLI THDL? TH11i.1 Ut., I UL: UI i ASYM
reactive power compensation in the network with non-linear % % % % I 940 %
1. maximum 3.24 3.52 3.5s 100.85 I 99.82 100.03 1.26
receivers. the results of cycle II measurement were chosen. I
2. minimum 0.58 0.48 0.39 97.50 96.32 96.86 1.04
The non-linear receiver is represented by the group of three-
phase rectifiers, designed for loading battety-operated trucks, 3. mean 150 1.54 1.60 99.19 98.13 98.12 1.20
which performs practically under constant load. The switch- 4. 95% level 2.54 2.61 2.79 100.34 99.29 99.01 1.24
on of subsequent steps of capacitor bank in automatic control
operating mode was forced (by adequate positioning of coscp
regulator). The bank had 23 steps of adjustment, each of 20
kVAr. In the process of switching on the capacitor bank,
appearing of resonance phenomena was observed successively
3.0
for 13, 1 I , 7 and 5 harmonics, i.e. for harmonics characteristic
for 6-pulse 3-phase rectifier bridge. The analysis was carried - LS
out for such a capacitors power, when individual harmonics p
a 2.0
(from 5, 7, I 1 and 13 sets) reached the maximum values. Fig. r
IS
4 illustrates the above mentioned phenomenon presenting
values of harmonics in dependence on capacitor bank power I .o
(Q 1 <Q2<QXQ4). Theoretical calculations, which took into 0.5
account supply network parameters and capacitor bank I I
I I
parameters, confirmed the chance of resonance for above- 0.0
22m.W 00*.10 02:OSIZ M:Of.:14 Uh:OS:lS
mentioned higher harmonics.

0,o I
o IO U) )o 4n so 60 70 nit M in11

tmr lV.1

Fig. 4. Values o f selected higher harmonics (cyclc II) Fig. 5. THD factor ol'the supply voltage (SO-3. IS kV).
a) change 111 tinic graph. b) systcmatic graph

97
EN 50160 standard [l], but in order to confirm this 3. In networks with non-linear receivers, reactive power
conclusion, additional one-week examination with the compensation using a capacitor bank with automatic
averaging time of measurement results consistent with the control of the power, may lead to resonance for some
standard requirements should also be carried out. higher harmonics. The higher accuracy of regulation is.
the higher probability of this phenomenon occurring
exists.

4. Computer based measurement system, which has been

designed and constructed at the Institute of Electrical
Power Engineering of Technical University of Lodz.
makes it possible to evaluate three-phase supply voltage in
accordance with EN 50160 European Standard [ I ] .
Moreover, regulated time of averaging the results in the
range from 2 sec. to IS min. enables to shorten the

0.0
k examination time, what allows to observe the phenomena
which take place in dynamic states of devices niorc
precisely.

Fig. 6. Spectrum of harmonics in the supply voltage (SO-3. IS kV) V. REFERENCES

U - maximum value, - 95% level
[ 11 Europcan Standard EN SO 160: I.~'ohgechuruc/eris/ics yf e/ec/rrcrJl,
sirpplied hy puhlic clistrihir/ron g W w r s . 1994.
121 European Standard EN 60868: /-'/ic&enrre/er - /'irncfiorrd ( i d ~ W , V J
IV. CONCLUSIONS specficcitrons. 1993.
[3] European Standard EN 6 1000: f?/ecfromugne/ic coriipohdifr / E \ / ( ' / .
1. Tests of power quality carried out in AMlCA Wronki Co. I993
works enabled to : [4] Guide to Quality of Electrical Supply for Industrial Installations. IJlli.
- evaluate the influence of non-linear receivers with I994
frequent variable load on the voltage parameters in
industrial network, Dr Rozmystww Miedski
- examine resonance phenomena which take place in received M.Sc. and 1'h.D. degrees lion1 'I'cchnical Untvcrsity 01' I-otlz. A1
present hc is a scnior lecturer at thc Institutc of Electrical Power I.:npinccring
reactive power compensation when rectifier type of Technical University of Lodz. His area of interest is powcr quality id
receivers are present, A C N power network simulator.
- estimate generally the quality of electrical power
supply by public distribution system. Dr Rysmrd Pawelek
was born in 1952 in Chocz. Poland. IIc received M.Sc. and I'h I ) dcyw.;
from Technical llniversity of Lodz. At prcscnt he is a senior lecturer at thc
2. Transient processes taking place during starting and lnstitutc of Elcctrical Power Engineering of Technical llnivcrsity of I . i d 7
braking the drive system of the press machine, His field of interest IS powcr quality.
significantly increase the voltage distortion in examined
low-voltage industrial network. This distortion comprises Dr lrcna Wasiak
graduatcd from the Tcchnical University of Lodz (Poland) in 1976.Thcrc
a wide range of higher harmonics, and at the same time the she received the Ph.D.degrcc in clcctrical power engineering. Prcscntl> slic
crucial significance is put to so-called harmonics is a senior lecturer at the Institute of Electrical Power En_riiiccring. Tcc1iritc;il
characteristic for 6-pulse 3-phase rectifier bridge. University of I.odz. I Icr arca of intcrcst includes modelling and stmulntlon 01'
transienis 111power systems. and powcr supply quality

98