6RecommendedPracticesforPowerQuality

6 Recommended Practices for Power Quality (photo credit: fluke.com)

Poorpowerqualitybecauseof
Powerqualityconcernshavetraditionallyfocusedonharmonics,whicharegeneratedby
nonlinearloads,althoughtherearemanyotherconcernsregardingisolatingsensitiveloads
fromtransientdisturbances,unevengroundpotentials,orphaseimbalances.
Poorpowerqualityaffectsthereliableoperationofcomputersandcomputerbasedequipment,
whicharenowubiquitous,plusstandardequipmentsuchasmotors.Sometimespoorpower
qualitycanbeasafetyissue.Nonlinearloadsarethosewhereinthecurrentwaveformisnotin
proportiontotheoperatingvoltagewaveform,withorwithoutashiftinphaseangle.

Nonlinearloadsaretypicallycreatedbyelectronicswitchingpowersupplies,suchas
thosefoundincomputers,copiers,printers,electroniclightingballasts,uninterruptible
powersupplies,adjustablespeeddrives,medicalequipment,telecommunications
equipment,entertainmentequipment,etc.

Manytimes,theequipmentthatcausespoorpowerqualityisalsosusceptibletomalfunctionfrom
poorpowerquality.Nonlinearloadscancauseelevatedoperatingtemperaturesinphaseand
neutralconductors.
Example of a current containing harmonics and expansion of the overall current
into its harmonic orders 1 (fundamental), 3, 5, 7 and 9

Overloadedconductorsoverheatwhichdegradestheirinsulationandshortenstheirlife
expectancy.Sharedordownsizedneutralconductorsareparticularlysusceptibletooverheating
fromtriplenharmonics.Triplenharmonicsareharmonicsthatareoddintegermultiplesofthethird
harmonicofthe60Hzfundamentalfrequency,includingthethirdharmonicitself(180Hz),
theninthharmonic(540Hz),thefifteenthharmonic(900Hz),etc.
InWyeconnectedthreephasesystems,triplenharmonicwaveformsareinphase,donotcancel
intheneutralconductor,andarearithmeticallyadditive.
Incaseswheretheeffectsofpoorpowerqualityareencounteredinanexistingfacility,acareful
studyisrecommendedtodeterminethebestcourseofaction.Implementingtherecommended

buildingwiringpracticesofthispublicationatthetimeofinstallationcanminimizetheeffectof
poorpowerqualityonequipmentoperation.
Letsseethesixrecommendedpracticesforimprovingthepowerquality:

1.DedicatedBranchCircuits
Installindividualbranchcircuitsforsensitiveelectronicloads,suchaslaserprinters,
photocopiers,facsimilemachines,individualcomputerworkstations,etc.Individualbranchcircuits
helpshieldsensitiveequipmentfromharmonics,noise,andtransientsgeneratedinothercircuits,
andpreventthemalfunctionofotherequipmentonthesamebranchcircuit.

2.DedicatedPanelboards
Inadditiontoindividualbranchcircuits,supplysensitiveelectronicequipmentfromdedicated
panelboardsseparatefromotherloadssuchasmotorsandlighting.Installseparate,dedicated
panelboardsandfeedersfromtheserviceentrancetosupplythesegregatedloads.

Segregatingloadsshieldsequipmentfromvoltage
disturbancessuchasthoseresultingfromstartinglarge
electricmotors.Bysegregatingsensitiveelectronicloads,
harmonicscanbetrappedatornearthededicatedpanelby
useofappropriate filteringtransformersorharmonicfilters.

3.FeederandBranchCircuitConductors
Inlocationswherepowerqualityisorcouldbecritical,installlargerphaseconductorsthan
wouldotherwisebenecessaryinordertosafelyhandleharmonicloads, tominimizevoltagedrop,
tominimizeheatingfromtheskineffectwhensupplyinghigherfrequencynonlinearloads,andto
improveefficiency.

DonotreducethesizeoftheneutralconductorsevenwhenpermittedbytheNEC.

ForWyeconnectedthreephase,fourwirefeedercircuits,installlargerneutral
conductorsthanCodeminimum,preferablywith200%oftheampacityofthephase
conductors.
Donotinstallmultiwirebranchcircuitswithacommonneutralconductor.Install
aseparate,fullsizedneutralconductorforeachphaseconductor.

4.NumberofReceptaclesperCircuit
AlthoughtheNECallowsupto13generalpurposereceptaclessupplyingnoncontinuousloads
ona20amperebranchcircuitinnonresidentialconstruction,andanunlimitednumberofgeneral
purposereceptaclesonabranchcircuitinresidentialconstruction,thisisnotaprudentpractice.

Installationofnotmorethanthreetosixreceptaclesper
branchcircuitandinsomecasesfewer,dependingupon
thetypesofloadsserved,isrecommended.
Limitingthenumberofreceptaclesinstalledonasinglecircuitwillrestrictthenumberandvariety
ofsensitiveelectronicequipmentsharingcircuitconductors,reducethepossibilitythatharmonics
willaccumulatetodamaginglevels,minimizevoltagedrop,minimizethechanceofinteraction,
andprovideforfutureloadgrowth.

5.ElectromagneticInterference
Properlygroundedmetalcladcables,shieldedcables,or metalconduitsprovide
electromagneticshieldingandminimizeinterferenceforcircuitsthatservesensitiveelectronic
equipment.Manyotherdesigntechniquescanbeemployedtominimizeelectromagnetic
interference.

6.NonLinearPanelboards
Installpanelboardsthataresuitablefornonlinearloadstosupplysensitiveelectronicloads.Such
panelboardstypicallyhavedoublecapacityneutralbusestoallowforindividualneutral
conductorsforeachphaseconductoranddoublecapacityneutrallugsforthepanelboardfeeder.
Reference//RecommendedPracticesforDesigningandInstallingCopperBuildingWireSystems
CopperDevelopmentAssociationInc.