Power Quality Problem

Increased power quality problems are caused mainly by the increased use of non-liner loads such as cariable speed drives and power electronics gadets used. These devices are often directly affected by the system anomalies they cause.Earlier the main concern for electricity consumers was having sufficeint power available as per their requiremnts. Now hower, consumers are increasingly forced to consider not only the "quantity", but also the "quanlity" of power used, in order to maintain the correct functioning and reliability of thir installed equipment, to achieve techno-economical advantage.Electricity as supplied by the main genertaing pants can be considered clean (i.e. balance, sinusoidal. three phase power).disruption to this supply is only caused by equipment failure or adverse weather conditions. Therefore, any power quality anomalies experienced on the supply network can be attributed to consumers.These anomalies may take the form of voltage surges or sags,spikes, notches and harmonics.As these power quality problems are created by the consumer's load, these anomalies can also easily travel within the common electricity supply network between premises, in turn disrupting a neieghbouring consumers supply. In response to these occurrences, supply authorities have adopted guidelines such as IEEE-519 in order to limit the level of disturbance created by each individual consumer.

Harmonics are sinusoidal waves that are integral multiples of the fundamental 50 hz waveform(i.e. 1st harmonic =50 Hz; 5th harmonic=250 Hz). all complex vaceforms can be resolved into a series of sinusoidal waves of various frequencies, therfore any complex wave foem is the sum of a number of odd or even hrmonics of leser or greater value. Any device with non-linear operating characteristics can produce harmonics in the power system. Currently used equipment that can cause harmonics or have experienced harmonic related problems,capacitor reactor or filter bank equipment will be the ultimate solution to safeguard electrical equipments Harmonic distortion and related problems in electrical power systems are becoming more and more prevalent & complez in electrical distribution networks.

• Execessive heating and failure of capacitors, lighting ballasts, transformers & motors.
• Nuisance tripping of circuit breaker or blowing of fuses resulting in power supply failure.
• Noise from hrmonics leading to erroneous operaton of control system premature componnts failure of sensitive electronic equipments.
• Electonic communications interference
• Blackout & networks faults resulting in production loss.