Voltage dips/sags, swells

and interruptions
 Classification
 Short duration variations (< 1 min)
 Duration
 Instantaneous (0.5-30 cycles);
 Momentary (30 cycles – 3 s);
 Temporary (3 s – 1 min)
 RMS magnitude
 Interruption (< 0.1 pu);
 Sag/dip (0.1-0.9 pu);
 Swell (1.1-1.8,1.4,1.2 pu)
 Long duration variations (> 1 min)
 Sustained interruption (0.0 pu);
 Undervoltages (0.8-0.9 pu);
 Overvoltages (1.1-1.2 pu)

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 2

er Quality Analysis
 Typical cause - load switching
 Switching of large inductive loads
 Weak system with low short circuit capacity
 Low short circuit ratio – load is large
compared to supply system capability
 Voltage dip during starting of large induction
motor
 Switching of reactive compensations
 Voltage swell at energization of capacitor
 Voltage dip at de-energization of capacitor

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 3

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 Sag induced by motor-starting
Speed
1.00

Speed
0.0

Current
1.25

Motor current
-1.25

Vload
15.0

AC line voltage
-15.0

Vrms
1.000

RMS voltage
0.750

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 4

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 Typical cause – system faults
 Interruptions, dips and swells
 Dip occurs at the faulted phase
 Swell may occur at unfaulted phases, depending on
the neutral-grounding condition
 Momentary interruptions when line/busbar/… is
isolated to clear fault
 Duration depends on setting of protective device
 5-6 cycles before breaker operates to isolate fault
 12 cycles to 5 s depending on reclosing practices
 Extensive impacts if system is highly meshed /
interconnected
Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 5
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 0.1
Iwye

load
#1 #2 #1 #2
Vwye

Idelta

load
#1 #2
Vdelta

Ifault
1 J Q BRK

0 K CQ BRK

51 COUPLED
RMS
Ifa
PI Vfault
Timed
SECTION Fault
AB->G Logic

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 6

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 Effect of grounding conditions
Fault at 1 km from transformer
with star-ground connection

Fault at 10 km from transformer

with star-ground connection

Fault at 1 km from transformer

with ungrounded star connection

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 7

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 Effect of transformer connections

Single-phase fault
with grounded
transformer near by

Single-phase fault
with ungrounded
transformer near by

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 8

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Effect of grounded / ungrounded faults

Two-phase
grounded fault

Two-phase
ungrounded fault

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 9

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 Equipment sensitivity
 Magnitude only
 Under voltage relay; process controls; motor drive controls and
many automated machines
 Sensitive to minimum (maximum) rms magnitude for dip (swell)
 Magnitude and duration
 All equipment that uses electronic power supplies
 Power supply output voltage drops after energy stored in DC link
capacitor is depleted
 Duration that rms voltage is below a threshold
 Other characteristics – unbalance, point-in-wave when
sag is initiated, phase shifts
 More subtle and difficult to generalize
 Indices mostly focused on rms magnitude and duration
Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 10
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 Switched mode power supplies
 AC/DC power supplies, nominal input voltage:
 100/110/120Vac, or 208/220/240Vac, or 100-240Vac
 Typical topology
 0-150W: discontinuous mode flyback.
 150W-500W: forward converter.
 500W-8kW: full bridge, phase shift
 Switching frequencies:
 0-50W: 100kHz-1MHz, depending of application.
 50W-500W: 200-500kHz; 200kHz for higher efficiency; 500kHz
for higher density and easier filtering.
 500W-5kW: 100-200kHz; 100kHz for higher efficiency;
otherwise 200kHz.

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 11

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 Waveform of switched mode power supply
Va
400

Input AC voltage

-400

Vd
350

Unregulated rectifier
DC voltage
0.0

Id
250
200 Rectifier DC
150
100 side current
50
0

Vout
60.0
55.0
50.0 Regulated invertor
45.0
40.0
DC voltage
35.0
30.0
Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 12
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 Solutions
 Utility-side solutions
 Reduce / prevent faults
 Faster fault clearance and isolation
 Network segregation to minimize impact (permanent or temporary
such as current limiter, static transfer switch)
 Customer-side solutions
 Protecting sensitive equipment
 Varying sizes – single device (< 5 kVA) or groups of equipment
(~300 kVA)
 Improve equipment tolerance (include in specifications)
 Temporary energy storage that is pumped back into the
system to boost the voltage during sags
 Capacitor, saturated transformer, battery, motor-generator set,
flywheel, superconducting magnet, …
 Interfaced via power electronic devices

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 13

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 Operation of DVR
SeAcVolts
6.0
4.0 ReAcVolts
6.0
2.0
4.0
0.0
2.0
-2.0
0.0
-4.0
-2.0
-6.0
-4.0
-6.0

SerWdgV
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
-1.0
-2.0
Nov 2004
-3.0
-4.0
PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 14
-5.0
er Quality Analysis
Evaluating system voltage sag performance

 Contribution to voltage sag from individual

device
 Voltage sag magnitude depends on
 Fault location
 Fault type: single-, two- or three-phase; grounded or
ungrounded
 Fault impedance / resistance
 Voltage sag duration depends on
 Protection type and settings
 Multiply by device failure rate / year  number
of incidences / year

Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 15

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 Contribution from a feeder / line
0.1
Iwye

load
#1 #2 #1 #2
Vwye

Idelta

load
#1 #2
Vflt Vdelta

Vflt
Ifault

1
1 J Q BRK RMS
BRK

Tdur
C
2 Vrms Voltage TSag
0 K CQ RMS Min
D Sag Vsag
3 VSag
RMS E
RMS
Ifa
C 51 COUPLED COUPLED COUPLED COUPLED COUPLED
RMS Max
Ifb D 1 2 3 4 5
PI PI PI PI PI Vfault
E SECTION FltLocFltType SECTION FltLocFltType SECTION FltLocFltType SECTION FltLocFltType SECTION FltLocFltType
RMS
Ifc FltTime FltTime FltTime FltTime FltTime
Rflt

Rflt

Rflt

Rflt

Rflt
+

+
 Divide line into sections
 Likelihood of faults: exposures, bents, joints
 Protection set up accordingly
 Randomly set fault type, location, resistance
 Evaluate voltage sag minimum magnitude and duration
Nov 2004 PSCAD Transient Simulation for Pow 16
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