What is Power Quality Management and Why Do We Use Them?

Power quality management is the process of ensuring that electrical power supplies meet the quality requirements necessary for the proper operation of electrical equipment and systems. The quality of power can be impacted by various factors, such as voltage sags, surges, harmonics, flicker, and unbalance, and it is important to maintain a high level of power quality to prevent problems such as equipment damage, data loss, and reduced efficiency.

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A detuned power factor compensator is a type of passive power factor correction device that is used to improve the power factor of an electrical system. Unlike traditional power factor correction methods that use capacitors, a detuned power factor compensator uses a combination of capacitors and inductors to provide a more effective and stable solution for power factor correction.

Active harmonic filters (AHFs) are electrical devices that are used to improve the quality of the power supply by reducing the levels of harmonic distortion in an electrical system. Harmonic distortion refers to the presence of harmonic frequencies in an electrical waveform that are not present in the original waveform. Harmonic distortion can cause a variety of problems, including increased power losses, decreased power factor, increased heating in electrical equipment, and reduced reliability and lifespan of electrical equipment.

Passive harmonic filters (PHFs) are solution that are used to suppress the levels of harmonic distortion in an electrical system. Harmonic distortion refers to the presence of harmonic frequencies in an electrical waveform that are not present in the original waveform, and it can cause a variety of problems, including increased power losses, decreased power factor, increased heating in electrical equipment, and reduced reliability and lifespan of electrical equipment.

Harmonic Block Reactors are electrical components used to avoid the resonance conditions in an electrical network systems produced by the dominant harmonic frequencies. Harmonics are the higher frequency waveform distortions in the voltage and current waveform of an electrical network that can cause a variety of problems, including reduced power system efficiency, increased heating of equipment, and increased power losses.

Hybrid filters are a type of electrical filter that combine the features of active filters and passive filters. Active filters are electronic devices that use power electronics to control and shape the electrical power waveform, whereas passive filters use only passive components like inductors and capacitors to filter the electrical power waveform.

Capacitors are passive electrical components used in a variety of applications to store electrical energy and release it when needed. They are widely used in electrical power systems to improve power factor and apparent power thus avoid the penalty from utilities and reduce the electricity bill. Capacitors consist of two conductive plates separated by a dielectric material, and they work by accumulating electrical charge on the conductive plates. 

Power Factor Controller (PFC) is an electronic device which can be programmed to control the switching of the capacitor bank as per the requirement of reactive power in the network. The power factor is a measure of the efficiency of an electrical system and represents the ratio of the real power used by the system to the apparent power supplied to the system. When the power factor is low, a larger amount of apparent power is required to deliver a given amount of real power, resulting in increased energy losses and higher demand charges from the utility. 

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A Thyristor Switching Module (TSM) is an electronic component for fast switching of capacitors for dynamic reactive power compensation and meet the preset required power factor of the network . It consists of the SCRs having high PIV value and suitable snubber circuit. It is a type of solid-state switch, and associated gate driver electronics. Thyristors are widely used in power electronics applications because they can handle high voltages and currents, and switch the current on and off very quickly. The TSM provides the necessary gate drive signals to the thyristor to control its switching behavior.

Power factor improvement is the process of increasing the efficiency of an electrical power system by reducing the amount of reactive power consumed and increasing the amount of real power used by the system. The power factor is a measure of the efficiency of an electrical system and represents the ratio of the real power used by the system to the apparent power supplied to the system.

What is power quality?

Definition

Power quality is a general term to represent the phenomena affecting to the user’s equipment when the AC power exceeds a certain limit. Fig. 1 shows the electricity waveform that serves as an indication of the quality of a power supply. It must be stable in terms of its amplitude, continuity, waveform shape, and frequency.

Why do we measure power quality?

Poor power quality causes trouble in receptacle/transmission equipment and electronic equipment malfunctions. For example, harmonics are known to cause burn-out in reactors and generate defective noise in capacitors. Also, impulse or transient noise and voltage drops stop control systems that are dependent on a computers.

Power supply network problems caused by poor power quality is a common problem for both electric power suppliers and users. However, it is not easy to identify whether the cause of poor power supply quality is at the supplier’s system or the user’s system. Because of this situation, power quality measurement is necessary to understand the actual cause of power quality problems as well as to consider and analyze for effective countermeasures.

How do we measure power quality

Power quality is often measured based on standards. The standards serve as guidelines for measuring and evaluating the quality of the electrical power supply. They ensure that measurements are consistent, assist in identifying what types of power quality issues exist, and ensure that power systems meet specific quality and reliability standards. They provide guidelines for evaluating and enhancing the quality of electrical power. Here are some examples of the international standards for power quality.

IEC -4-30

An international standard stipulating how power quality should be measured. It classifies the measurement methods and capabilities of measuring instruments into two classes of A and S. The more reliable power quality measurement is Class A. The requirements for Class A are not only stipulated in terms of functions and accuracy, but also include detailed measurement algorithms and time clock accuracy.

IEC -4-7

An international standard governing measurement of harmonic current and harmonic voltage in power supply systems as well as harmonic current emitted by the equipment. The standard specifies the performance of a standard measuring instrument.

IEC -4-15

A standard that defines testing techniques for voltage fluctuation and flicker measurement as well as associated measuring instrument requirements.

EN

A European standard of power quality that defines limit values for supply voltage and other characteristics.

IEEE

Recommended practice for monitoring power quality.

IEEE 519

Standard related to voltage harmonics and current harmonics.

Solutions from Hioki

At HIOKI, we provide a few types of power quality analyzers and power loggers that can be used for commercial line power measurement.

• *1:Up to 40th order
• *2:Up to 13th order

As the world progresses toward decarbonization and sustainability, the number of diverse grid-connected innovative solutions will expand, as will the complexity of power sources---not to mention the growth of inverter-powered energy-saving technology. As these trends become more prevalent, it is critical to examine how these factors affect power quality on both the consumer and supply sides. The HIOKI power quality analyzer will assist you in better understanding your power quality.

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