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Voltage rise caused by high levels of distributed generation is manifesting as voltage regulation challenges for many electricity network service providers. In this environment it would be ideal to reduce supply voltage magnitudes, however, many network operators are hesitant to do so due to concerns related to consumer appliance performance at reduced supply voltage magnitudes. Voltage regulation requirements are defined by network standards and network service providers must ensure voltages remain within specified limits. Through an evaluation of domestic appliance performance when supplied at various voltage magnitudes, this paper examines the impact of varying voltage levels on residential appliances. Equipment energy demand, operation and actuation were monitored for each applied voltage magnitude. While no equipment failures were recorded, appliance behaviour varied significantly with applied voltage magnitude. Individual appliance conservation voltage reduction (CVR) factors have also been established. The results highlight the importance of good voltage regulation and provide substantiated appliance performance figures for future studies. The outcomes of this paper allow electricity network service providers to understand the implications of supply voltage magnitude on domestic appliance performance, whether it be understating of the impact of higher voltage magnitudes caused by distributed generation or implications of reducing voltage magnitudes to provide headroom for distributed generation integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage and current waveforms contain the most authentic and granular information on the behaviors of power systems. In recent years, it has become possible to synchronize waveform data measured from different locations. Thus large-scale coordinated analyses of multiple waveforms over a wide area are within our reach. This development could unleash a set of new concepts, strategies, and tools for monitoring, protecting, and controlling power systems and apparatuses. This paper presents an in-depth review and analysis of the advancements in synchronized waveform data, including measurement devices, data characteristics, use cases, and comparisons with synchrophasor data. Based on the findings, five strategies are proposed to discover and develop synchronized waveform based applications over multiple application areas. The paper also presents three complementary measurement platforms and two data screening algorithms for application implementation. It further discusses committee activities and standard developments useful to explore the full potential of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inrush current generated by power transformer energization (TE) causes voltage sag of the nearby bus, the typical residual voltage of the voltage sag caused by transformer energization (VSTE) is about 0.7 p.u.--0.9 p.u. and lasts for a longer duration, which may lead to the sensitive equipment trips. This paper proposes an estimation method of voltage sag frequency considering VSTE. Firstly, based on the maximum entropy method, the residual flux distribution is calculated by considering the relationship between the residual flux and closing angle at the moment of TE. The voltage sag waveform caused by TE is calculated based on the estimation of the probability distribution of residual flux, to evaluate VSTE objectively and comprehensively. Secondly, this paper proposes a non-rectangular voltage sag equivalent frequency statistical method based on multiple magnitude-duration (MMD) function, to avoid the overestimation of voltage sag frequency by the traditional methods. Furthermore, this paper proposes an assessment algorithm of voltage sag frequency. Finally, the simulation of IEEE-30 test system verifies the necessity and correctness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern electric grid usages extensive non-linear loads leading to the increased harmonic current injection in the system. This paper proposes a data-driven algorithm based on a sparse decomposition approach with the Overcomplete Hybrid Dictionary (OHD) and provides in-depth mathematical analysis to detect and mitigate harmonics in emerging electric power systems. The sparse decomposition method is widely used in image processing applications with significant advantages to big-data applications. However, its application is not properly addressed in electric grids’ applications despite massive data generation in a smart grid environment. Hence, in this paper, the performance evaluation of a sparse decomposition-based algorithm using a greedy approach is proposed and carried out in a real-time simulation environment for Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) application for the real-time detection, classification, and mitigation of PQ events to show its suitability and effectiveness. Finally, the experimental results on a small-scale laboratory setup are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed sparse-based control algorithm for DSTATCOM in real-time applications. The comparative result shows that the proposed sparse-based method is advantageous for off-line PQ signal processing and capable of real-time detection, classification, and control of the power apparatus for harmonics mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-on-wave (POW) is a single-event characteristic of voltage dips, influencing the performance of sensitive equipment, such as AC contactor and wind turbines. However, definition and calculation of POW are unsolved issues. The existing definition of POW is for single-phase dips; it does not consider three-phase dips. Moreover, existing POW calculation methods are inaccurate. This paper proposes a definition of POW as a single-event characteristic for three-phase voltage dips. Then, it proposes a POW calculation method based on space vector, including POW detection and angle calculation. The proposed method is based on the ellipse characteristics during the dip-stage and non-dip stage. The proposed method does not depend on zero crossing for angle reference. To verify the performance of the proposed method, a power-system simulation model is built to generate voltage dips with different origin. Furthermore, the accuracy of the proposed method is verified by 425 sets measured voltage dips, and compared with the published methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As high-speed railways develop rapidly worldwide, the problems of neutral section and power quality are becoming increasingly prominent. These problems affect the normal operation of the power grid and the electric locomotives. The co-phase power supply schemes were proposed by researchers, which can solve these problems well. Among them, the MMC-based scheme (MMC-5 L) is a representative one. The existing scheme, when applied to the auto-transformer (AT)-fed system which is usually adopted by high-speed railways, needs to install an auto-transformer on the output side. To eliminate the auto-transformer and to obtain the more suitable and superior co-phase power supply schemes to AT-fed system, two improved schemes are proposed in this paper based on the novel MMC-based scheme (MMC-6 L) we proposed before. While establishing the mathematical model, creating the control system, and carrying out simulation verification of the proposed schemes, the proposed schemes are compared with MMC-6 L and MMC-5 L in terms of topological characteristics, control system complexity, power loss, and functionality. The results show that while the proposed schemes can fulfill the functions of the co-phase power supply scheme well like the MMC-5 L and MMC-6 L, they are more suitable and superior for the AT-fed system in terms of control system complexity and power loss. Among them, MMC-5L1CB performs best in power loss, and MMC-4L2CB performs best in control system complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new stochastic approach to the comprehensive assessment of the impact of voltage sags on large-scale power networks. The approach takes into account the stochastic nature of power system operation, including load variation, uncertainty of fault clearing time by protection relays, fault rates of network components, and the variation/uncertainty in equipment sensitivity to voltage sags. A new duration zone division method is used to derive sag duration and occurrence frequency based on the stochastic distribution of clearing time required by specific protection systems. The adopted probabilistic representation facilitates estimation of network performance based on a single-event characteristic, sag severity index (SSI), developed in the companion paper (Part I). Based on SSI, a new single-site index with respect to voltage sags (bus performance index BPI^S) is developed to comprehensively represent the overall bus performance with respect to voltage sags. The index is used to identify the areas of the network, called weak areas of the network in this paper, containing buses that are most exposed to potentially disruptive voltage sags. The application, robustness, and sensitivity of BPI^S are thoroughly analyzed and discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Voltage sag insurance (VSI) is an effective measure to reduce the voltage sag loss and risk for enterprises with insufficient mitigation confidence or economic ability. However, due to the lack of understanding of voltage sag risk (VSR), it is difficult for power utilities to identify the enterprises with VSI demands, and it is also unable to realize differentiated premium according to different enterprises' situations. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes an improved voltage sag premium model based on VSR. Firstly, the VSR factors are analyzed, such as the hazard, the vulnerability, the exposure. The process immune time is introduced to describe the vulnerability. Based on the traditional consideration of only the ability of users to resist voltage sag, the ability of users to recover from voltage sag is further considered. Then, the risk evaluation model of voltage sag is established. The evaluation results can help power utilities to judge whether enterprises have the demand of VSI. Finally, the improved premium model of VSI based on VSR is constructed to ensure the differentiation and rationalization of the premium. The correctness and rationality of this method are proved by ten manufacturing enterprises in China by analyzing the VSR and comparing the premium before and after the improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Line-commutated converters are extensively used as the interface between ac grids and classic HVDC systems. At the inverter side, commutation failure of switches is one of the most common faults that can pose threats to the system operation. Practical and reliable study of such phenomena relies on accurate and efficient converter models for simulations. Recently, a parametric average-value model (PAVM) has been presented for ac–dc rectifiers, which considers the internal faults of the converter. In this paper, the PAVM methodology is extended to the dc–ac inverter systems, including the commutation failure of switches. The proposed PAVM also augments an automatic fault detection technique to determine the faulty switches. Using comprehensive simulation studies, the developed model is verified to accurately predict the commutation failure of switches and reconstruct the waveforms consistent with the detailed switching models of inverters while being computationally more efficient. The proposed PAVM is envisioned to be an efficient and accurate asset for simulation of HVDC systems and inevitable when faults of switches need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supraharmonic (SH) disturbances are generated mainly by power electronics whose usage has increased significantly in the last decades. Consequently, supraharmonics have increased as well. The SH frequency range from 2 kHz to 150 kHz still lacks a normative measurement method. Compatibility levels and emission limits of SH are commonly presented as quasi-peak (QP) detector values for a bandwidth (BW) of 200 Hz measured by CISPR 16 receivers. In this context, this paper proposes an optimized method emulating the CISPR 16 receiver with QP detector for measuring grid disturbance levels. It makes innovative use of PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) units for estimating the highest distortion levels in the SH frequency range of the test signal, and in sequence, the QP detector with the appropriate specifications in the CISPR 16 standard is applied. Different cases of both synthetic and real signals were applied to the proposed method, which showed to be efficient in evaluating SH levels for current and voltage signals. An analysis of maximum permissible distortion levels is performed considering an individual SH distortion. In addition, the proposed method presents a computational cost reduction of approximately 91% in relation to the CISPR 16 method considering a specific case of signal containing SH distortions used for power quality analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, nonlinear loads such as load commutated inverter (LCI) drives are being used by industrial sector throughout the world. However, despite the LCI drive uses low-cost thyristors and their corresponding controllers, which have high efficiency and low manufacturing cost, there are concerns regarding the use of LCI drives which are two-fold: (i) they generate harmonics and (ii) they are sensitive to voltage sags occurring at their PCC. In the literature, passive harmonic filters have been suggested to address the former concern and therefore various filter designing techniques have been introduced. However, the need to elaborate a cost-effective filter to address both concerns regarding LCI drive operation has been neglected. Therefore, this paper presents an innovative approach for designing passive filters which can decrease the harmonic distortions generated by LCI drives while ensuring more reliable annual operation of these equipment. Besides, other aspects of passive filter designing, such as eliminating detuning effects, resonance elimination and harmonic loading of capacitors, have been taken into account to provide a general and practical filter designing approach for real industrial applications. In order to evaluate the innovative proposed approach, a passive filter is designed for LCI drive used in an Iranian large copper mine company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses an improved inner current reference calculation to be employed in the control of modular multilevel converters operating during either balanced or unbalanced conditions. The suggested reference calculation is derived based on the AC and DC additive and differential voltage components applied to the upper and lower arms of the converter. In addition, the impacts caused not only by the AC network’s impedances but also by the MMC’s arm impedances are also considered during the derivation of the AC additive current reference expressions. Another issue discussed in this article regards that singular voltage conditions, where the positive-sequence component is equal to the negative one, may occur not only in the AC network but also internally (within the converter’s applied voltages). Several different inner current reference calculation methods are compared and their applicability during the former fault conditions is analyzed. The paper presents a detailed formulation of the inner current reference calculation and applies it to different unbalanced AC grid faults where it is shown that the presented approach can be potentially used to maintain the internal energy of the converter balanced during normal and fault conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging of power system assets challenges utilities to maintain reliable service while minimizing their maintenance costs. Although malfunction of devices in the transmission or distribution networks can have catastrophic consequences, their failure is seldom unforeseen. Typically, the device aging occurs gradually over time until its health condition reaches a point of complete breakdown. The overall objective of this paper is to devise a non-invasive, online condition monitoring technique of circuit switchers for shunt capacitor banks. It aims to detect abnormal operation of these devices based on features derived from raw voltage and current waveforms, such that a predictive maintenance strategy may be employed before a complete failure occurs. The data analyzed in this paper are collected at a transmission capacitor bus, where the banks are equipped with pre-insertion impedance. Through a baseline range of values for selected parameters, the proposed technique is able to detect missing pre-insertion impedance during the capacitor energizing and failure of pre-insertion impedance switch out a few cycles after the energizing operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic loads and unbalanced loading in a distribution transformer lead to higher losses, an increase in temperature that leads to premature failure, and a shorter lifetime. To prevent these difficulties, the rated power of a transformer supplying nonlinear loads or unbalanced load is reduced; commonly known as derating. In this paper, an alternative to traditional loss based derating is proposed. It is shown that derating might actually not be required when contrasted with the traditional approach. A perspective is presented on how to make the kVA rating “adaptive” and utilize the same kVA rating with or without harmonics. Actual field data are presented to support this viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inrush currents in transformers can have very disruptive effects, such as voltage sags, false tripping of the protective devices, and mechanical stresses in the transformer windings. This paper shows that there are operating situations that may cause a transformer to draw abnormally high inrush currents. Examples include the normal operation of offline uninterruptible power-supply (UPS) systems, interruptions, voltage sags, and notching. These conditions may produce inrush-like currents of more than twice the value of the “normal” maximum inrush caused by energizing at voltage zero-crossing. For this condition, the term “phase-hop” is used in this paper. Laboratory experiments were performed on four different transformers (1 kVA) with varied characteristics and show the impact of phase-hop in the magnitude of inrush currents. The experiments are also used to validate the Electromagnetic Transients Program model used for the analysis of multiple cases. In addition, the behavior of the magnetic flux in a transformer under phase-hop is investigated and compared with different operating conditions using finite elements. The results of this paper have implications in transformer design and in the operation and design of UPS systems to prevent the damaging effects of phase-hop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission system operators (TSO) should be able to assess power quality levels in a network in order to properly address the mitigation of power quality problems. High flicker levels might be a serious power-quality problem in transmission networks and are usually caused by arc-furnace operation. TSO can assess flicker levels in real time only at nodes where power-quality measurements are available. As for the rest of the system, a TSO could calculate flicker levels, if a reliable and relatively simple method is available. Besides, proper summation of flicker levels originating from several flicker sources remains an issue to tackle. The paper proposes a simple method for the calculation of flicker levels at all nodes of a transmission network based on the known flicker values at multiple flicker-sources and based on the known network topology. Different flicker summation coefficients are compared and the one that gives the smallest error is chosen. The proposed method enables a TSO to continuously assess flicker levels at all network nodes and to investigate the consequences of network changes on flicker levels. The method was verified on the Slovenian transmission network where the results of flicker calculation were compared with available flicker measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports a practical challenge in Distributed Energy Resources (DER) operation: open phase detection. The paper presents a wide variety of naturally occurred open phase events recorded by power quality meters in DER commercial operations. The events demonstrate the complexity of open phase detection due to electrical and magnetic interphase couplings through transformer winding and core configurations. The coupling effect could recreate the missing phase in various patterns so that the DER control and protection systems or control room operators may not detect the anomaly for prolonged period of time. This paper shares experiences of timely DER open phase detection by using power quality data and suggests practical detection guidelines based on waveform signature analytics. The original field records provide credible benchmarking references for algorithm development to meet the new DER open phase detection requirement in the IEEE Stdandard 1547–2018 revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage imbalances are one of the most severe challenges in electrical networks, which negatively affect their loads and other connected equipment. This paper proposes a voltage support control strategy to mitigate the voltage imbalance in inverter-based low voltage distribution networks. The control scheme is derived taking in mind the following control objectives: a) to increase the positive sequence voltage as much as possible, b) to decrease the negative sequence voltage as much as possible, c) to inject the power generated by the primary source, and d) to minimize the output current of the inverter. The innovative contribution of the proposed solution is based on the design of a control algorithm that meets the aforementioned objectives without resorting to communications with other grid components. The theoretical results are experimentally validated by selected tests on a laboratory setup with X/R ratio close to one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes solutions to the problem of voltage sags caused by distributed generators anti-islanding protection. This is a recently identified power-quality (PQ) concern resulting from the increasing penetration of distributed generators into distribution networks. This problem has been previously investigated by the authors and it was revealed that it can seriously affect PQ indices as well as distributed generators reconnection procedures. However, no solutions have been formerly proposed or investigated. In this context, this paper investigates several potential solutions to be adopted by the utility and/or by the DG owners and presents a thorough evaluation of their main advantages and disadvantages. Besides this investigation, simple step-by-step procedures for assessing the effectiveness of each solution are described. The presented studies and procedures will guide the utility engineers in decision-making process associated with the choice of reasonable mitigation techniques to this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The inevitable voltage sag events cause losses to distributed generation (DG) and sensitive users. Reasonable planning for both of them helps to mitigate the impact of voltage sag. In this paper, a joint optimal planning method is proposed for DG and large sensitive user (LSU) considering the influence of voltage sag. Firstly, the new models of accelerated trip and chain trip for DG under voltage sag are established, to characterize the influence of DG tripping on other DG and sag characteristics during the sag event accurately. Secondly, a new voltage sag frequency assessment method is proposed, which considers models of accelerated trip and chain trip for DG, the tripping characteristics of distance protection (DP), to quantify the voltage sag severity accurately of DGs and LSUs in the gird which is with DP. Lastly, a joint optimal planning model is established considering the losses of DG and LSU under voltage sag, to support the planning of DG and LSU in different scenarios. The method is applied to IEEE RTS-30 for verification, proving that the method can give a direction of the most beneficial solution for the planner, to reduce the losses of voltage sag to both the power system and users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased penetration of wind power has made its low voltage ride through (LVRT) capability more crucial than ever. Currently, the LVRT performance of wind generators is verified using experimental voltage sags with different magnitudes and durations. The actual fault, however, also causes the phase angle jump (PAJ) of the grid voltage. In this paper, the impact of PAJ on the LVRT capability of doubly fed inductor generator (DFIG) under three-phase fault is analyzed. To achieve this, detailed analytical calculations and experimental verifications are conducted. The results demonstrate that the PAJ imposes more challenges on the LVRT by intensifying the rotor overcurrent through the natural stator flux. As a result, DFIGs that have passed the existing LVRT test may still fail to comply with the grid code requirements in practice. To tackle this issue, an improved test procedure is recommended. The new procedure considers the impedance angle of the target system as an additional test condition, thus can reveal the LVRT performance of DFIG under the potential PAJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the consequences of voltage sags is unexpected motor trips or stalls. This is caused by the simple voltage-magnitude-based tripping logic used in the motor contactors. Since a motor has momentum during a voltage sag, a deep voltage sag with a short duration does not necessarily lead to motor misoperation. Based on this reasoning, a novel motor contactor operation scheme is proposed in this paper. The proposed scheme takes into account both the magnitude and duration of a voltage sag plus the momentum of the rotor, in real-time, to decide if a motor will be tripped. The core idea of the scheme is to utilize the critical clearance time (CCT) of motors as the tripping time of AC contactors. The proposed scheme combines an offline analysis and an online calculation to minimize the computation burden in real-time operation. An improved motor parameter estimation method is also proposed to ensure the accuracy of the calculated CCT. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated and demonstrated through comparative case studies. Moreover, some practical issues are discussed to facilitate the real implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, there is no literature to evaluate the fault level of sensitive equipment (FLSE) caused by voltage sag from the perspective of the power grid. In practice, although the FLSE are dominated by the voltage sag of node, the voltage sag of the node is associated with whole power grid, including the voltage grade and location of the node, the distance between the concerned node and location of fault, and the weather and date at the time of fault, which are all named as voltage sag properties (VSP). In view of this gap, this paper evaluates the FLSE using the long-time monitoring data of VSP of some regional power grid by data mining method based on multidimensional matrix simplification and the improved gray target theory. The data mining process can be divided into three steps: 1) construct a database consisted of VSP and FLSE using long-time monitoring data, 2) mine the association rules between VSP and FLSE by multidimensional matrix simplification, and 3) match some actual scenario with the mined association rules by the improved gray target theory. Performance and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified through the simulation and field case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents measurements of harmonic and interharmonic current (with 5-Hz frequency resolution) in the complex plane. The complex currents are spread around a center point. For interharmonics, this center corresponds to the origin of the complex plane. For integer harmonics, this center is offset from the origin. A goodness-of-fit test reveals that phase angles of most interharmonics are uniformly distributed. A Monte Carlo simulation based on the measurements has been performed to study the aggregation of the emission from individual turbines to the public grid. Low-order integer harmonics show less cancellation compared to high-order harmonics. Interharmonics aggregate close to the square-root rule for uniform phase angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, typical strengths, fault levels, and source impedances are thoroughly analyzed and calculated for the study of quality of supply in 230/400 V 50 Hz distribution systems. Considering all the disparity in distribution network design, this study is based on a comprehensive database containing typical arrangements and equipment in U.K./European systems, as well as on fully documented generic network models supplying four residential load subsectors in the U.K., i.e., from metropolitan to rural areas. Thus, this paper proposes an alternative method for determining reference values of network supply impedances and short-circuit fault levels at different points and locations of the medium-to-low voltage distribution system. The aim of this study is to provide a wider range of benchmark values than those stipulated in the IEC 60725 Standard, which only defines a single-reference threshold of public supply impedances for all types of distribution systems and residential customers. In order to assist network operators in the planning and design of their distribution systems, these values are further disaggregated and classified in this paper according to network/demand type. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a new multi-objective control strategy for inverter-interfaced distributed generation (IIDG) to ensure its safe and continuous operation under unbalanced voltage sags. The proposed control strategy can effectively improve the low voltage ride through (LVRT) capability, reduce active power oscillations, and limit overcurrent simultaneously, which are marked as the most important control objectives of IIDG during unbalanced voltage sags. The advanced voltage support scheme, which utilizes positive sequence component, is firstly proposed to maximize the LVRT capability of IIDG during unbalanced voltage sags. Then, to ensure the safety of IIDG, the active power oscillation suppression and current limitation algorithm are designed individually. Based on the control algorithms of such objectives, the multi-objective control method, including scenario classification and reference current determination, is then presented to achieve such three objectives under various system conditions simultaneously. Finally, case studies and evaluations based on MATLAB/Simulink are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decaying DC (DDC) current due to impact loads causes detrimental consequences in weak grids. In this paper, the active power filter (APF) is enhanced to simultaneously compensate for the undesired harmonics, negative sequence components and the DDC component in the event of a transient. To this end, first, a novel DDC component detection method is mathematically deduced for single-phase transient current, followed by its extension to the three-phase system. With respect to existing techniques, the proposed method has a significantly reduced detection time from 1 grid cycle to approximately 0.5 grid cycle. By further exploiting the transient signal properties in dq-frame, the three-phase fundamental-frequency current in positive sequence can be separated. Finally, the enhanced APF control scheme is developed based on the proposed detection algorithm. Experiments verified the effectiveness and advancement of the proposed technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the impacts of harmonic resonances in wind parks is to overload wind park components. The process of identifying a problematic component may be time-consuming due to the number of scenarios and different components (capacitors, transformers, cables and generators) that must be analyzed. In this context, this paper develops a first-screening approach to narrow down the number of scenarios that must be studied in detail. It first identifies that the capacitor bank is the most critical component. Then, it uses the operating limits of the capacitor bank and the harmonic distortions measured at the wind park entrance to obtain a chart that maps the problematic operating conditions of the park. Detailed investigations are needed only if the wind park condition is in specific regions of the chart. The proposed chart is attractive for practical applications as it is obtained with a simple equation, without the need to run any computer simulation, and can be consulted with few information from the wind park that is readily available to engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is proposed in this paper to determine the harmonic impedances in low-voltage networks in a stochastic way. The consequences of resonances for harmonic propagation and stability of power converters are summarized. By using Monte Carlo simulation, the method includes the uncertainties in customer impedances, specifically due to electronic loads and local generation. The uncertainty in customer impedance is included by considering probability distribution for the resistive, inductive, and capacitive parts of the impedance. The concept of transfer impedance is used for phase-to-neutral connections. A method is developed and applied to two existing low-voltage networks in Sweden. Results show that, for these two networks, the resonant frequencies decrease around 28% once photovoltaic panels are installed. This paper includes a discussion of some of the practical aspects of applying the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic distortions at a point of common coupling (PCC) are caused by the harmonic sources in both supply system and customer facilities. In order to verify compliance with harmonic limits for an operating facility, it is essential to determine the contribution of a facility to the harmonic distortions measured at the PCC. Over the past many years, a significant amount of research work has been conducted in developing different harmonic analysis methods and especially harmonic contribution assessment methods. A common need of this line of research is consistent test systems that can be used to verify/validate a proposed method or to compare different approaches. To address this gap, a benchmark test system representing a typical medium-voltage/low-voltage network supplying industrial loads is proposed in this paper. This paper also includes examples on how to use the system to assess the performance of harmonic contribution determination methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel method for voltage dip classification using deep convolutional neural networks. The main contributions of this paper include: 1) to propose a new effective deep convolutional neural network architecture for automatically learning voltage dip features, rather than extracting hand-crafted features; 2) to employ the deep learning in an effective two-dimensional (2-D) transform domain, under space-phasor model (SPM), for efficient learning of dip features; 3) to characterize voltage dips by 2-D SPM-based deep learning, which leads to voltage dip features independent of the duration and sampling frequency of dip recordings; and 4) to develop robust automatically-extracted features that are insensitive to training and test datasets measured from different countries/regions. Experiments were conducted on datasets containing about 6000 measured voltage dips spread over seven classes measured from several different countries. Results have shown good performance of the proposed method: average classification rate is about 97% and false alarm rate is about 0.50%. The test results from the proposed method are compared with the results from two existing dip classification methods. The proposed method is shown to outperform these existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses signal processing aspects of dynamic power quality monitoring in ac energy systems. The widespread use of high-bandwidth sensors enables a characterization of both steady-state and transient operation. However, the volume of so generated data is such that it necessitates extensive preprocessing and extraction of events of interest in estimation and control. We review approaches based on single (vector) samples, and compare them with methods that require full-period information, such as standard dynamic phasors. In this paper, we propose a sparse alternative to the standard (fast Fourier transform based) evaluation of dynamic phasors, thus bridging the gap between the two classes of techniques. We also outline the computational cost tradeoffs among different variants of sparse Fourier transform customized for electric energy system data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage sag is one of the most prominent power quality problems in the electric power system. Accurate estimation of voltage sag parameters is an important reference for electric utilities and users to evaluate power quality. In this paper, a novel algorithm based on modified S transform with digital prolate spheroidal window (DPSW) is proposed to achieve accurate detection of voltage sag. The DPSW and its time-frequency characteristics are firstly detailed. Then, the construction and performance of modified S transform with DPSW are given. Since DPSW has superior time-frequency distribution, characteristics of voltage sag signal, such as sag depth, duration, and phase jump, can be obtained by analyzing the two-dimensional complex matrix after the modified S transform with DPSW. Simulation and experimental results verify the accuracy and validity of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an innovative method for fault location in distribution networks based on classical circuit analyses. Two synchronized and few nonsynchronized pre- and during-fault voltages are required at few buses along with the impedancematrix. A new impedance matrix manipulation procedure is proposed so that the distribution system is investigated in partitions across multiple subsystems. This procedure allows the fault location process to be performed by solving systems of determined equations, making the method more technically accessible. The fault is located by analyzing the voltage sag at the terminal-bus of each subsystem separately. The proposed method is validated on the IEEE 33-bus, 12.66 kV distribution system with/without distributed generation (DG). Simulation results show the robustness and accuracy of the method under several pre- and during-fault scenarios and measurements errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonics, inter-harmonics, and low-frequency (below the fundamental frequency) components produced by nonlinear loads and renewables may cause undesired effects on electric power equipment including overheating, resonance, and voltage flickers. This paper presents a hybrid method for the detection of frequency components of the measured waveform that is nonstationary (time-varying) in a holistic manner. In the proposed method, the multi-syncrosqueezing transform (MSST) is firstly applied to determine time-frequency ridges for the low-frequency, fundamental, harmonic, and interharmonic components. Next, the algorithm of density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is adopted to precisely identify the prominent frequency components (i.e., intrinsic modes) using the MSST results. The time-domain waveforms corresponding to each detected frequency component and the original signal are then reconstructed via the inverse operation of MSST to assess the rms, and total harmonic and interharmonic distortion (THD and ITHD) trends of the recovered waveforms. The proposed method is validated by simulations and actual measurements to show its usefulness. Results are also compared with different time-frequency analysis methods to show the superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sandia frequency-shift method, among all frequency-based active islanding detection methods (IDMs), is one of the most effective methods for inverter based distributed generators (DGs). The nondetection zone (NDZ) of the Sandia frequency shift (SFS) highly depends on its design parameters. If the design parameters are not properly tuned, they may result in failure of the method or deterioration of the system power quality (PQ) through injection of a high amount of harmonics. The main objective of this paper is to propose a new algorithm for SFS method parameter determination, which would add precision to the previous parameter design criterion. In this paper, also a new formula for multi-DG applications is proposed which results in optimally setting of all SFS parameters to eliminate NDZ. Using the new criterion, the negative impact of the conventional criterion on PQ is reduced, and the efficiency of the SFS IDM is increased. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm results in more accurate detection of the islanding phenomenon in the shortest possible time. All of the simulations and NDZ analysis are carried out in the MATLAB environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel philosophy to compensate the load-reactive power demand through a three-phase unified power quality conditioner (UPQC). Most of the UPQC-based applications show the dependency on shunt inverter for load-reactive power compensation, whereas the series inverter is always looked as controlled voltage source to handle all voltage-related problems. This paper proposes a new functionality of UPQC in which both the shunt and series APFs supply the load-reactive power demand. This feature not only helps to share the load-reactive power demand, but also helps to reduce the shunt APF rating, and hence, the overall cost of UPQC. This results in better utilization of the existing series inverter. The theory and complete mathematical analysis termed as "power angle control (PAC)" is presented. The simulation results based on MATLAB/Simulink are discussed in detail to support the concept developed in the paper. The proposed approach is also validated through experimental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an inverter-interfaced distributed generation (DG) device, dubbed the premium power supply (PPS), which is designed to provide reliable electric power, and to improve power quality. This paper proposes an effective configuration for the PPS, using inverters, an inter-tie breaker, and a small generating unit. When the DGs are operated in parallel with the utility systems, some problems occur due to interconnections on such categories as reverse power flow and island protection. This paper advances both an operating strategy and a control scheme for the PPS, with respect to the interconnection standard, IEEE Standard 1547. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the PPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of power-quality (PQ)-related voltage and current waveform disturbances is a key task for power system monitoring. A new method based on the optimized time-frequency representation (TFR) has been proposed in the first paper [1] of this two-paper series. This paper (the second paper) presents a case study of PQ event classification with the proposed method. The classification algorithm has been successfully tested with $60 real world PQ events that cover five classes, achieving a recognition rate of 98%. The algorithm is implemented on a digital signal processor (DSP) based hardware system and optimized according to the DSP architecture to meet the hard real-time constraints. The DSP-based system is capable of processing a five-cycle (83.3 ms) PQ waveform within 11.2 ms. The real-time computing capability of the algorithm has been verified with this result. The scalability of this method is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presence of multiple power converters in a power system the total current may exhibit zero-crossing distortion in the form of recurrent damped oscillations with high magnitude. These oscillations are synchronized with the power system frequency. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the input current of single-phase ac-dc converters fitted with power factor correction (PFC) controllers. Emphasis is given on the impacts of the source impedance, and on how the number of converters connected to a common coupling point (PCC) impacts the PFC controller’s performance. A system model is developed followed by simulation and measurements in a real installation with electronic ballasts used to drive fluorescent lighting tubes. Results show that the recurrent damped oscillations originating from PFC controllers are close to the harmonic range and with a very low level of cancellation between devices. The magnitude therefore increases proportionally with the number of devices. As the source impedance increases, instability may occur. Possible explanations for these observations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources will be more vigorously deployed under the global trend of carbon emission reduction. The connection of numerous renewable energy sources poses an increasingly critical challenge to power quality (PQ) issues in power systems. Time-frequency analysis (TFA) is a foundational technique for real-time monitoring and disturbance detection for power signals. This paper develops an improved S-transform (IST) to accurately detect the disturbances such as oscillatory transient, time-varying harmonics and interharmonics, flicker, swell, sag, interrupt, phase jump, and frequency variation. The proposed IST features the exploration of a designed Gaussian window as the kernel function, whose shape and frequency spectrum can be controlled using a standard deviation based detection frequency parameter. This ensures that the detection requirements at different detection frequencies can be easily met. The IST can be realized by fast Fourier transform (FFT) and its inverse, which ensures that it can be implemented quickly. The IST can accurately detect the amplitude and phase information of fundamental signal, which is beneficial to determine the start and end time, and the intensity of disturbance. With the increase of detection frequency, IST also has excellent energy concentration performance. Simulation and experimental results validated the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the role of the medium-voltage network and low-voltage loads in harmonic voltages with low-voltage customers and harmonic propagation. A general model as well as a detailed transfer function-based model are used. By applying them to an existing network, it is shown that remote low-voltage loads have a significant impact on the source and transfer impedance. The main impact occurs for a specific range of frequencies below the resonant frequency of the low-voltage network. The general model is able to estimate this frequency range with an acceptable level of accuracy. Furthermore, by utilizing the concept of overall transfer impedance, it is shown that voltage harmonic levels for harmonic orders around this frequency range are determined mainly by aggregated remote emission rather than local emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new method for the classification and characterization of voltage dips and swells in electricity networks. The proposed method exploits unique signatures and parameters of three-phase voltage signals extracted from the polarization ellipse in 3-D coordinates. Five ellipse parameters, which include azimuthal angle, elevation, tilt, semi-minor axis, and semi-major axis, are used to classify and characterize voltage dips and swells. Seven types of voltage dips, which include a total of 19 groups of dips incorporating different kinds of balanced (three-phase dips) and unbalanced (single-phase or double-phase) dips, are identified and successfully classified using the 3-D polarization ellipse parameters. Two types of voltage swells, which include a total of 6 groups, are also classified using the proposed method. The proposed method is validated using real measurement data, recorded waveforms provided by the IEEE 1159.2 working group, and the data of unbalanced dips associated with phase-angle jumps, voltage drops, and rotations due to loading effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new three-phase to five-phase transformer, with a 30-pulse AC–DC converter for power quality improvement in vector-controlled induction motor drive. Here, three isolated transformers (T1, T2, and T3) are used and each transformer is designed to convert three-phase AC-supply into five-phase AC supply, to achieve ten-pulse AC–DC conversion. A unique configuration and angle among these three transformers is designed in such a way that the resultant input current of this transformer shows 30 pulses in it. A hybrid multilevel inverter is proposed in this paper, which is cascading a three-level neutral point clamped inverter with a two-level voltage source inverter to drive an induction motor (IM). A modified level shifted carrier-based sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation and a 3rd harmonic injection techniques are utilized to modify the modulating signal, to enhance the fundamental magnitude, and to reduce the harmonics than traditional technique. The responses of proposed medium voltage induction motor drive (MVIMD) are evaluated by simulating in MATLAB-Simulink. The proposed MVIMD performance is then verified using a scaled down laboratory prototype under various operating conditions such as steady state, starting, load perturbation, speed control, field weakening, varying load conditions, and over a wide speed range of IM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medium power distributed energy resources (DERs) are commonly connected to medium voltage distribution systems via voltage source converters (VSCs). Several guidelines and standards have been developed to establish the needed criteria and requirements for DERs interconnections. In this respect, it is preferred to reinforce the VSC fault ride through (FRT) capability, which considerably minimizes the DG outage period and reconnection time and results in a resilient system against short circuits. Considering the significant number of asymmetrical faults in distribution systems, the VSC response in such conditions must be investigated, and consequently, its FRT capability must be reinforced. In this paper, first, a comprehensive review on the existing FRT methods has been presented and discussed. Accordingly, an adaptive virtual impedance-based voltage reference generation method is proposed, which enhances the VSC behavior under short circuits and increases the VSC FRT capability. Also, a fast sinusoidal current reference limiter is proposed to improve the performance. To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, state-space analysis is presented, and a complete set of simulations is performed in PSCAD/EMTDC environment. Also, a comparison with the conventional method is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the concept of provision of differentiated quality of electricity supply based on customers' requirements in distribution networks. To fulfill this concept, five new gap indices are proposed to reflect the satisfaction of the received power-quality (PQ) performance compared to the thresholds which are set based on customers' requirements regarding the performance of individual PQ phenomenon or the aggregated PQ performance. Using these new indices as objective functions, an optimization-based mitigation strategy is proposed to carry out the strategic placement of different flexible ac transmission systems devices based on the analysis of PQ performance and sensitivity analysis. In this methodology, a greedy algorithm is applied to search the optimal mitigation scheme in order to enable the provision of differentiated PQ levels. The feasibility of the proposed mitigation methodology is demonstrated using a large-scale generic distribution network. The advantages and disadvantages of using the proposed indices as the optimization objective functions are also analyzed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a probabilistic method aimed at estimating the voltage sag frequency of nonmonitored sites given the number of sags recorded by a limited set of voltage sag monitors. The proposed method is based on simulating a representative database of feasible pseudomeasurements by using probabilistic values of fault coefficient, fault impedance, fault type, and fault location. This information is processed through Bayesian filtering based on the Bayes' probabilistic theorem. This enables obtaining the most probable voltage sag index at nonmonitored busbars given the index measured at monitored busbars. This statistical estimation of sag indices at locations where there are no monitors constitutes the main contribution of this paper. This study is developed in three power systems: the IEEE 24-busbar reliability test system, the IEEE 118-busbar test system, and the transmission network of Ecuador with 357 busbars. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper compares different methods for voltage-dip characterization. Those methods are based on earlier proposed algorithms for extracting three-phase characteristics (dip type, characteristic voltage, and so-called “PN factor”). The difference between the 12 methods being studied in this paper is in the way in which the time variation of those characteristics is treated to result in single-event characteristics. The methods are applied to 259 measured voltage dips, and the performance of the different methods is compared. It is found that small differences in the method can result in big differences in results. From the comparison, two methods are selected and recommended for inclusion in international standards. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents results of experimental and analytical evaluation of power-dependent harmonic emission of three common types of modern low-voltage (LV) power-electronic (PE) devices. After a detailed analysis of comprehensive test results, based on both existing and new waveform distortion indices, the development of component-based models of PE devices is discussed. This paper demonstrates the importance of including PE devices' controls for accurate modelling of their characteristics over the entire range of operating powers. Most of the analyzed PE devices exhibit strong power-dependent changes of characteristics, additionally influenced by supply-voltage conditions, which are important for the analysis of both existing networks and future “smart grids”. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]