1 / zobaa_a_f_cantel_m_m_i_and_bansal_r_ed_power_quality_monitor

According to the considered criterion the inference is based on source voltages EC and ES , that are unknown. They can be determined from voltages and currents measured at PCC and the knowledge of equivalent impedances ZC and ZS :

However, the internal impedances of equivalent harmonic sources, representing the supplier and customer sides, are also unknown and their determination is not an easy task, it is significant disadvantage of this method.

2.4 The "critical impedance" criterion

The authors of publication [21] observed in a power system shown in Fig. 2 a strong association between the sign of reactive power and the relation between source voltages modules ES and EC. This is explained by the formula determining the source ES active and reactive power values in the case where the circuit equivalent resistance is negligibly small:

where: R = Re(Z) , X = Im(Z) , Z = ZS + ZC , ZC = RC + jXC , ZS = RS + jXS

Θ = arg ES − arg IPCC , δ = arg EC − arg ES

According to (14), the direction of active power flow (i.e. its sign) is exclusively determined by phase angles of voltages at both: the supply and load end of a line, and does not depend on the relation between modules of voltages EC and ES . This relation, however, determines the sign of reactive power. It is noticeable from relations (15) that if Q>0, then EC > ES, i.e. the dominant source of the considered current harmonic at PCC is a source at the customer side. Because of the presence of cosδ in the formula (15) it cannot be concluded that if Q<0 then EC < ES, i.e. the supplier is the dominant source of the considered current harmonic. Publication [21] gives theoretical basis for the decision making process utilizing the examination of reactive power also if Q<0 introducing the concept of the so-called critical impedance.

The base of this method is finding the answer to the question: how far the reactive power generated by the source ES can "flow" along the impedance jX, assuming this impedance is distributed evenly between the sources ES and EC. In order to find the answer has been defined the voltage value at an arbitrary point m between sources ES and EC (Fig. 2):

This index is determined from the voltage and current measurements at PCC, which are utilized for the source voltage ES calculation:

The impedance ZS, which occurs in (24) is not always exactly known. In consequence, the source voltage ES may not be determined accurately. Another quantity that occurs in the formula for CI (23), which is inaccurately determined when the impedance ZS and, above all, the impedance ZC are not exactly known, is the angle β. The above factors cause that decisions taken according to the criterion (25) may not be correct.

where Zmin ,Zmax determine the interval of impedance Z changes.

2.5 The voltage indicator criterion [34]

The method is based on the equivalent circuit diagram presented in Fig. 2, created for the investigated harmonic. By investigating the quotient of source voltages of the supplier's and the consumer's side, known as “voltage indicator”1:

it is possible to determine the location of the dominant distortion source in the electrical power network, according to the following criterion:

Impedance values ZS and ZC have been assumed as known. Since this requirement is difficult to meet, the criterion is modified to the form (28), which takes into account approximate knowledge of equivalent impedance values ZS and ZC. The ranges are determined which may contain the values of such impedances, evaluated on the basis of the

1A detailed theoretical justification of the method is to be found in works [32,33,34,41].

a)

φ

b)

φ

Fig. 11. Variation of 5th harmonic active power value for various values of phase shift angle φ between the supplier's and the consumer's current harmonic and for various relations between their rms values: (a) 1:1,2; (b) 1:1,8

2.6 Criterion of the relative values of voltage and current harmonics [38]

This method consists in comparison of relative harmonic values measured with respect to the fundamental voltage and current values. While analysing the correctness of decisions made on the basis of this method the equivalent circuit diagram of an electrical power system, presented in Fig. 2, is used In the case of a single harmonic source, located, for example, at the energy supplier's side, the following equations are valid:

a single harmonic source is located at the consumer's side and for sources located at both sides of the PCC [34]. In each case the conclusion criterion is based on the relations (for h= 2,3,4 …):

The above statements are also illustrated in Fig. 14. Particular operating conditions of the supply system are presented by means of points representing voltage and current before and after the dip. The sign of derivative of the segment joining these two points makes it possible to identify the short circuit location: a positive derivative suggests the short circuit at the source side (in point A), while a negative derivative suggests the short circuit at the load side (in point B). Although originally the method was intended for a system with a single supply source, it can also be applied, after small modifications, to two-side supply systems, such as that presented in Fig. 15 (also including non-linear elements) [22].

In this case the disturbance source location is determined in relation to the assumed direction of active power flow in the measurement point. If the disturbance source is located on the right side of the measurement point (i.e. in the same direction as that of active power flow) it means it is located at the “lower” side. Disturbances on the left side of the measurement point (the direction is opposite to that of active power flow) indicate that the source is located at the “upper”side.

the direction of active power flow

Fig. 15. A two-source system locating the dip source [22]

Fig. 15 shows a short circuit (represented by resistance Rf ), which occurs on the right side of the measurement point, while those elements of the equivalent circuit diagram which are on the left side remain unchanged. Voltage in the measurement point (which is not PCC) can be expressed by the equation:

where U and I can be measured directly in point M. Multiplying both sides of equation (31) by current conjugate value I*, and taking into account only the real part, results in the following equation:

where θ2 – phase angle between vectors U and I, θ1 – phase angle between E1 i I, R represents the real part of complex impedance Z. Transforming (32) to the form:

results in the equation, the form of which is convenient to determine the inclination of the U-I trajectory. For example, if cosΘ2 0 , the direction of active power flow is such as has been assumed, i.e. such as has been shown in Fig. 15, while the disturbance source is located at the lower side and U cosΘ2 = U cosΘ2 . Each point representing the system operating conditions in coordinate system (I, U cosΘ2 ) is placed on the straight line with the inclination –R, like in Fig. 16a (assuming that cosθ1 does not significantly change its value).

Fig. 16. The slope of system trajectory during the disturbance: the disturbance source is located (a) downstream, (b) upstream the measurement point [22]

If cosΘ2 0 , active power flows from E2 to E1, the disturbance is located at the upper side, and the equation has the following form:

U cosΘ2 ) is placed on the straight line with the slope +R (Fig. 16b). The line which is connecting these points during the disturbance has positive inclination then – providing cosθ1 does not significantly change its value during the disturbance.

It can be demonstrated that during the disturbance |cosθ1| usually decreases when current I increases for the disturbance source at the lower side and decreases for the upper side. This ensures that in practical cases conclusions are drawn in the correct way.

It has been assumed so far that the direction of active power flow does not change before and after the disturbance occurrence, which is not always the case. Variations are possible, however, only in the case of disturbances at the upper side, while for disturbances at the lower side the direction of active power flow remains unchanged. This fact may be used for the identification of voltage dip source location: if the direction of active power flow changes, the event must have occurred at the upper side. This additional hint, together with the identification of the inclination of the trajectory U-I during the dip may help draw correct conclusions.

The investigated method has been used in simulation studies, the aim of which was to locate the voltage dip source using a modified model of IEEE 37-Node Test Feeder network [18]. Its diagram is presented in Fig. 17a. A three-phase short circuit, which occurred in node 703, has been simulated; the study investigated if the disturbance in nodes 702 and 709 was located correctly (Fig. 17b).