Electric Power Quality

Ward Jewell
Professor, Electrical Engineering
Director, Center for Energy Studies
Wichita State University

Consulting Electrical Engineer

PS ERC

Hospital CT scanner failures

During a normal half-hour series of scans, a CT scanner records
images on a microcomputer that also controls the scanner. As
often as twice each day, this hospital's scanner would shut down
before a series was complete. The recorded images were lost, and
the patient was subjected to a repeat of the entire series. Utility
personnel found one cause of the shutdowns to be momentary
power outages caused by trees brushing against utility distribution
lines. They corrected this by trimming trees. Another cause was
then found to be voltage sags that occurred when the hospital's
chiller started. An improper setting on the scanner's power
control was corrected, and this problem disappeared.

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 MEDIATE !!!

manufacturer

utility hospital

me
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 Momentary outage when tree
limbs contact distribution line

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Recloser operates

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 Time

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Voltage sags when chiller starts

110 - 112 V

Time

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 “... voltage setting should be
+10% of supply voltage ...”
- CT scanner installation manual

Nominal voltage 120 V: 108 - 132 V

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“... voltage setting should be

+10% of supply voltage ...”
- CT scanner installation manual

Nominal voltage 120 V: 108 - 132 V

Measured voltage at installation 126 V:

113 - 139 V
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 Solution:

§ Trim trees

§ Remove instantaneous recloser trip

§ Reset CT scanner low voltage dropout to 108 V.

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Power Line Conditioners

Electric
Power

CT
scanner

Filter

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 Power Line Conditioners
Electric
Power

Transient CT
voltage scanner
surge
suppressor

Filter

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Power Line Conditioners

Electric
Power Voltage
Regulator

Transient CT
voltage scanner
surge
suppressor

Filter

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 Power Line Conditioners
Electric
Power Voltage
Regulator

Transient CT
voltage Uninterruptible scanner
surge Power Supply
suppressor

Filter

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Another option:
Static transfer switch

§ Transfers load to another source

§ Electronic switch

§ Fast; user notices no change

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 Our power systems were designed
for:

Incandescent
Lights

AC Motors
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Now the power system serves

High-efficiency
lights

Adjustable-speed
Motor Drives
PS ERC Computers

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 Disturbing loads

Adjustable-speed High-efficiency
Motor Drives lights

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Sensitive Loads

Microprocessor-controlled
Computers equipment

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 POWER QUALITY
IS

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A POWER QUALITY PROBLEM

IS

when something doesn't work because of

the electric power supplied to it.

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 Power quality problems

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Radio transmitter damage

A commercial FM radio station experienced repeated

failure of its transmitter. Utility engineers determined
that each failure coincided with switching of capacitors
at the distribution substation. Capacitor switching
transients were recorded at the radio station service
entrance. An electrical snubber was designed to reduce
the frequency and damp oscillations in the transmitter.
The snubber was installed, and no further rectifier
failures occurred.

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PS ERC

Voltage goes to zero when feeder

capacitor is switched on

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 Capacitor switching

Distribution feeder

When switch is closed,

feeder voltage is zero
until capacitor charges.
Initial capacitor
voltage is zero

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Transmitter dc power supply

4H

480 Vac 20 uF 9000 Vdc

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 Diode ratings

§ Reverse voltage
§ Forward voltage drop
§ Forward current
§ Turn off time: ~0.3 ms

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Transmitter dc power supply

Reactance,
stray capacitance
4H

480 Vac 20 uF 9000 Vdc

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 Transformer high voltage
when capacitor switched

20 kHz
ringing

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Solution: call someone who

knows what to do!!!
Transmitter design engineer
recommended RC snubber 4H

480 Vac 20 uF 9000 Vdc

No more failures!
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 Metal fabrication plant
equipment failures
An industrial plant where sheet metal is fabricated
experienced various machinery failures. An initial
survey revealed adjustable speed dc motor drives, a
common disturbing load, in use in the plant. Power
quality measurements confirmed that one of the drives
was causing severe "notching," a transient voltage
disturbance. This was corrected using series reactors. A
grounding error on a transformer was also found and
corrected.

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Voltage notching

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 DC motor adjustable speed drive

Rectifier
switches

DC + AC
motor - supply

Two switches closed causes

momentary short circuit and “notch”
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Voltage notching

Main Winder Drive

Service subpanel subpanel
Panel 480 V

420 V
380 V DC motor
drive

Numerically-controlled
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spring winder

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 Spring winder counting circuit
DC power
+5 Vdc supply
AC
10 k up/down 50/60 Hz
disable output 1

RESET
Pushbutton 4-digit
reset counter
and
Notch on
processor ac resets
count output 2 counter
modes

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Series Reactors

Main Winder Drive

Service subpanel subpanel
Panel 48 V
REACTOR
42 V

38 V DC motor
480 V drive
Numerically-controlled
spring winder
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 The CBEMA curve
Computer Business Equipment Manufacturers’ Association

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The ITIC Curve

Information Technology Industry Council

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Distorted current waveform to PCs

20
Current

-20
0 2 4 6
Radians
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 Fourier series - spectrum -
of pc current waveform
1

0.8
Relative value

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19
PS ERC Harmonic

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

Harmonic Ih Ih 2
number 19
I1 I1 Ih 2 = 0.732
fundamental 1 1 1 I1
3 0.737 0.543 h= 2
5 0.399 0.159
7 0.115 0.013
9 0.083 6.889·10 -3 19
11 0.082 6.724·10 -3 Ih 2 = 0.855
13 0.029 I1
8.41·10 -4
15 0.029 h= 2
8.41·10 -4
17 0.029 8.41·10 -4 THD = 85.5%
19 0.012 1.44·10 -4
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 What causes harmonics?
§ Saturated transformers
§ Arcs
§ Arc furnaces, fluorescent lights
§ Rectifiers
§ Microprocessors, motor drives,
any electronic load

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Three-phase full wave rectifier

+
Va Vb Vc Vdc

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 AC current to 6-pulse battery charger

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AC current to 6-pulse battery charger

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 Harmonics cause

§ Transformers to overheat
§ Transformer secondary voltage distortion
§ Increased power system losses
§ Telephone and wired communication systems
noise
§ Neutral overloads

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Other harmonic issues

§ Watt-hour meters
§ May read high or low
§ Protective relays
§ May not sense RMS values
§ Nuisance trip or fail to trip
§ Digital clocks
§ May run fast

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 Solutions

§ Use full sized or oversized neutral conductors

§ Oversize or harmonic rate transformers
§ Detune system (move capacitors, install reactors)
§ Filter (install passive or active harmonic filters

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Power Quality Disturbances

§ Voltage transients
§ One time; impulse or oscillatory; shorter than half cycle
§ Voltage variations
§ One time; sag, swell or interruption; longer than half cycle
§ Voltage imbalance
§ Steady state
§ Waveform distortion (voltage or current)
§ Steady state; dc offset, harmonics, interharmonics, notching, noise
§ Voltage fluctuations
§ Intermittent
§ Frequency variations
§ Shorter than ten seconds
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 Power Quality References
IEEE Recommended Practice for Powering and Grounding Sensitive Electronic
Equipment, IEEE Emerald Book (IEEE Std. 1100-1992), IEEE, 345 E. 47th St., New York,
NY, 10017-2394, 1992.

Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations, Federal Information Processing

Standards Publication 94 (FIPS PUB 94), NTIS, US Dept. of Commerce, Springfield,
Virginia, 22161.

The IAEI Soares Book on Grounding, 4th Edition, International Association of Electrical
Inspectors, 930 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois, 60068, 1991.

Jerry C. Whitaker, AC Power Systems Handbook, CRC Press, 2000 Corporate Blvd., Boca
Raton, Florida, 33431, 1991.

Power Quality Assurance Magazine, Intertec International, 2472 Eastman Ave., Bldgs. 33 and
34, Ventura, California, 93003-5792.

Roger R. Block, The "Grounds" for Lightning and EMP Protection, Second Edition,
Polyphaser Corporation, 1993.

Agricultural Wiring Handbook, National Food and Energy Council, 409 Vandiver West, Suite
202, Columbia, Missouri, 65202, 1990.

Power Line Interference, A Practical Handbook, National Rural Electric Cooperative

Association, 1800 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 98501, 1992.

Recommended Practice for Establishing Transformer Capability When Supplying

Nonsinusoidal Load Currents (ANSI/IEEE C57.110-1986), IEEE, 345 E. 47th St., New York,
NY, 10017-2394, 1988.

IEEE Recommended Practice for Harmonic Control in Electric Power Systems (IEEE 519),
IEEE, 345 E. 47th St., New York, NY, 10017-2394, 1992.

National Electrical Code 1993 (ANSI/NFPA 70), NFPA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy,
Massachusetts, 02269, 1992.

National Electrical Safety Code 1990 (ANSI C2-1990), IEEE, 345 E. 47th St., New York, NY,
10017-2394, 1989.

The Dranetz Field Handbook for Power Quality Analysis, Dranetz Technologies Inc., 1000
New Durham Road, Edison, New Jersey, 08818, 1991.

Alexander McEachern, Handbook of Power Signatures, Basic Measuring Instruments, 335

Lakeside Drive, Foster City, California, 94404, 1989.

PSERC www.psserc.wisc.edu engr.wichita.edu/ces/

 Site Surveys

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Power quality is suspected when:

Someone else
Lights can’t figure out
flicker or
what’s wrong

?? ?

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 Talk to everyone
Repair
personnel
Users Electrician

Workers Plant
Engineers

Technicians Field
Maintenance Engineers
personnel
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Acknowledge frustration!!!!!

Failure to resolve problems

after many attempts
Wasted Reduced
time productivity

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 Determine exactly what is wrong

What’s not working?

What’s it doing?

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When does it happen?

Time of day?
How often?
When did it start?

Time of week, month, year?

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 What changed
before the problem started?

§ Changes to electric power system?

§ New equipment?
§ Equipment relocated?

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Have user keep a log

Date Time Equipment Problem Observations, notes

Compare with utility

operation and service logs
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 Walk through the facility

§ List disturbing loads

§ List susceptible loads
§ Talk with people as you go

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Inspect feeder

§ Trim trees
§ Check recorders for activity
§ Transformers
§ Capacitors
§ Fuses
§ Connections

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 Get wiring diagrams
Rooftop
Elevators
HVAC Unit

Transformer Office
Equipment
45 kVA

Main
Panel

Transformer Office Office

Equipment Equipment
75 kVA

Exterior Interior Heating

Lighting Lighting

Identify connections among

disturbing and affected loads

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Inspect and repair

facility wiring and grounding

§ National Electrical Code

§ Correct safety problems first

§ Powering and Grounding Sensitive

Electronic Equipment (IEEE 1100, the
Emerald Book)
§ Use Figure 6-1 forms

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 Replace equipment with duplicate
if possible

If replacement works,
the problem isn’t power quality.

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Ask for help from

equipment design engineer

Describe problem
first by phone
then fax or e-mail
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 Most problems
will be solved
by now.

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Still no solution?

§ Measure power quality

§ Digital multimeter (true rms reading)
§ Wiring and grounding survey equipment
§ Oscilloscope
§ Power quality monitor
§ Field strength meter
§ Spectrum analyzer

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 Power quality analysis technique
§ Begin at affected equipment
§ Move away from affected equipment to locate
source
§ Measure at service entrance to determine if
source is inside facility
§ Measure on transformer primary (distribution
feeder) to determine if utility or another customer
is source
§ Connect monitor to phone line for long-term
remote operation if no disturbance is detected

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Simulate if necessary

Actual Simulated

n Duplicate disturbance and effects to verify cause

n Safely test various solutions before implementing

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 Specify solution

Do not allow a vendor to specify equipment

(you may get something you don’t need)

Instead:

Specify the equipment needed,

then request quotes from several vendors

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Summary

§ Mediate - people will be frustrated

§ Talk to the people using the equipment
§ Fix NEC problems - power quality will improve
§ Call equipment designers for help
§ Specify the needed solution

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