Investigation on Multipoint Measurement Techniques for PQ Monitoring

The problem of locating the sources of harmonic distortion in power networks is still a critical task. Several methods based on multipoint measurement techniques have been recently proposed in the literature for harmonic-pollution monitoring. The main goal of this paper is to compare the two most powerful tools designed for this purpose. In this paper, the results of both computer simulations on an IEEE test network and experimental tests performed by means of simultaneous measurements on an ad hoc benchmark power system are presented along with a discussion on the practical usability of such monitoring techniques

I. Introduction

Any Deviation of voltage and current characteristics from sinusoidal, symmetrical conditions, and nominal frequency is commonly referred to as a power-quality (PQ) issue. Due to several and well-known causes, PQ issues are widely present in electrical networks. Therefore, measurements oriented to assess the causes of the voltage and current distortions, to attribute the responsibility for PQ degradation and, finally, to quantify the degradation itself have a great interest in a competitive market. Several contributions in this field can be found in the scientific literature, and many of them are focused on harmonics and unbalance. A wide variety of solutions have been proposed to tackle the problem, but they can be basically grouped in two categories: 1)

approaches based on the measurements performed on a single metering section of the network [1]–[5];

2)

approaches based on the simultaneous measurements performed in different nodes of the considered network [6]–[8].