Power Quality

Mike Thornton

National Sales Manager

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Poor Power Quality: What is it TO YOU?

Any event related to the electrical network that makes you lose money…- Power supply failures

E.g. Breakers tripping, fuses blowing

- Equipment failure, malfunctioning and lifetime reduction

E.g. - Equipment overheating (transformers, motors, …)

- Damage to sensitive equipment (PCs, UPS-systems, Drives)

- Capacitor problems

- Electronic communication interference

- System losses

- Utility regulations G5/4 and penalties

- Personnel issues (illness, work efficiency, …)

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A load which draws a non-sinusoidal (distorted) current, when a pure sinusoidal voltage is applied, is a non-linear load

Where do harmonics come from?

‘Sinusoidal’ supply voltage

Non-linear load

All non-linear loads create harmonics

Harmonics = the distorted waveform – the 50Hz/60Hz part in the waveform

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Non-linear loads are everywhere

and in ever increasing number!

Industrial loads (mainly 3-wire systems)

AC and DC drives, UPS-systems, …

=> Harmonics between phases, imbalance,sometimes reactive power

Commercial loads (mainly 4-wire systems)

All office equipment such as computers, fluorescent lighting, photo copiers, fax-machines, …

=> Harmonics in neutral and between phases, imbalance, sometimes reactive power

are connected between line & neutral generating 3rd harmonic in the neutral conductor

Some loads are unbalanced

Where to find non-linear loads?

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The best solution to harmonic problems

Active harmonic filters Filtering principle: cancellation of harmonics by equal and opposite

harmonic generation by an active filter device

-1 .3

1 .3

0 3 6 0

LOADCURRENT

-2 0

0

2 0

4 0

1 5 7 1 1 1 3 1 7 1 9

-1 .3

1 .3

0 3 6 0

ACTIVE FILTERCURRENT

-2 0

0

2 0

4 0

1 5 7 1 1 1 3 1 7 1 9

-1 .3

1 .3

0 3 6 0

CLEANFEEDER

CURRENT

-2 0

0

2 0

4 0

1 5 7 1 1 1 3 1 7 1 9

Wa

vefo

rms

+=

Ha

rmo

nic

s

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Cable car application

230kW 230kW PQF

10kV/0.4kV 630kVA/4.3%

Problem:

- Utility uses ripple control signals at 1050 Hz and 1600 Hz- High frequency components present on the public network

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Cable car application

-800

-700

-600

-500

-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Cur

rent

[A]

Time [ms]

FILTER OFF - [09/12/97]

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Cur

rent

[Arm

s]

Harmonics

FILTER OFF - [09/12/97]

Initial line current without ABB active filter

Solution: ABB active filter

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Cable car application

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-700

-600

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-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

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500

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800

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Cu

rren

t [A

]

Time [ms]

FILTER RUNNING - [09/12/97]

Cur

rent

[Arm

s]

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50Harmonics

FILTER RUNNING - [09/12/97]

Filtered line current with ABB active filter

Solution: ABB active filter

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Neutral protection overload

Protection

Ith (L): 100ARMS

N: 65-80% * Ith

MV LV

PQFT

L1 (R)

L2 (Y)

L3 (B)

N

NL Loads:

- Fluor. light - PCs- ...

NL Loads:

- Fluor. light - PCs- ...

NL Loads:

- Fluor. light - PCs- ...

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Neutral protection overload

H3 in neutral with and without filterWithout filter:

- IH3 150 ARMS

With filter:

- IH3 0 ARMS

Time [10 ms/div]

I [100 A/div]

I [100 A/div] Without filter

With filter

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THE solution to poor power quality

ABB premium class Active Filters:

PQFK PQFM PQFI

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Power Quality Solutions

Power Factor Correction

Passive Harmonic Filters

Active Harmonic Filters

Flicker – Dynamic Compensation

A global leaderin power and automation technologies

that enable utility and industry customersto improve their performance

while lowering environmental impact