New Smart Sensor for Voltage Unbalance Measurements in Electrical Power Systems.

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Power Systems Analysis

Background:

• Voltage unbalances are common in power systems.
• Existing methods for quantifying voltage unbalance have limitations and divergences.
• The EN 50160 standard provides a framework for assessing voltage quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare existing voltage unbalance factors and highlight their differences.
• To propose a new, standardized methodology for quantifying voltage unbalance.
• To introduce a novel, cost-effective smart sensor for voltage unbalance measurement.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of various voltage unbalance factors.
• Development of a new methodology based on the EN 50160 standard.
• Implementation of a smart sensor utilizing a single voltage sensor and a diode bridge rectifier.
• Validation through simulations and experimental testing.

Main Results:

• Identified significant divergences among existing voltage unbalance factors.
• Proposed a new voltage unbalance factor (VUF) and its quantification methodology.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of the single-sensor smart device for accurate VUF measurement.
• Validated the proposed method through simulation and experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology offers a simplified and accurate approach to voltage unbalance quantification.
• The novel smart sensor reduces hardware requirements compared to traditional methods.
• The new VUF and methodology are compliant with the EN 50160 standard, enhancing power quality monitoring.