2006 IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition Latin America, Venezuela
Behavior of the Scheme Source - Capacitor -
Induction Motor when Voltage Sags and Short
Interruptions Take Place
D. H. Tourn, J. C. Amatti, J. C. Gómez, Senior Member, IEEE, and E. F. Florena
Index Terms—Capacitors, overvoltages, self-excitation, short
interruptions, voltage sags.
I. INTRODUCTION
The capacitors use for power factor correction, either in
form of distributed units or concentrated forming banks of
notable power, it is a widespread practice in the industry. In
numerous cases, capacitors are directly connected to motors in
order to improve the induction motors behavior during the
start process or in steady state operation.
It is also very frequent that motors are located in the vicinities
of important capacitores banks. For the considerable economic
losses that take place in the detentions of the productive
processes, the current tendency is of maintaining the
equipment connected, as long as possible, during supply
perturbations, whenever this time is compatible with the
production process.
The Voltage sags, voltage reductions of magnitude between
10 and 90% and with duration from ½ cycle to one minute,
and the micro-interruptions, having durations between ½ cycle
and one minute, are the supply perturbations that at present
time bigger disruption of productive processes causes. Some
authors indicate that 85% of the customers’ claims to the
utilities for transitory problems are due to these two
phenomenon [1].
D.H. Tourn, J.C. Amatti, J.C. Gomez, and E.F. Florena are with Río Cuarto
National University, (5800) Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentine (e-mail:
jcgomez@ing.unrc.edu.ar).
1-4244-0288-3/06/$20.00 ©2006 IEEE
The individual capacitors or capacitor banks, well calculated
and selected, work perfectly together with induction motors
while in steady state operation. This operation can cease to be
correct, when some transient phenomena happen, such as load
and voltage variations of the electric system, among which the
voltage sags and micro-interruptions represent a serious risk
[2]. Also, the unbalanced perturbation case should be studied,
that is to say single-phase and two-phase events. As it was
already mentioned, the policy of leaving the system connected
by a given period of time, that is to say to slow the contactors
opening, thus it is possible that motors with capacitores of
suitable power or with banks of very high power remain
connected during the delay time.
This condition allows the presence of the voltage self-
excitation phenomenon. This operation of the motor as self-
excited generator, in presence of voltage sags or micro-
interruptions, can under excessive capacitor power drive to the
generation of important overvoltage surges. Such surges, are
applied as much to the motors as to the parallel connected
devices.
This surge rarely damages the motor insulation but can
deteriorate to the parallel connected remaining devices,
especially to those denominated “sensitive equipment". Is
defined as “sensitive equipment” the device that is affected by
Quality Power apartments, being this effect ranging from
single upsetting to immediate damage, passing through
incipient deterioration [1].
This phenomenon, under specific conditions has been
reported as the origin of numerous damages inside industrial
facilities [2], [3].
The current tendency of using magnetic circuits of steel,
increases the saturation levels whose effect is to attenuate the
generated overvoltages and for it to move away the risks for
the case of exclusive individual capacitores for the motor, not
so in presence of big near banks. The presence of mechanic
load in the motor shaft collaborates in the fast surge
attenuation, due to the speed reduction [2].
The motor behavior in front of the previously mentioned
perturbations has been studied by several authors, but without
considering the self-excited overvoltage effects [4], [5], [6].
Based on this introductory presentation, an analytic study with
experimental validation, of the behavior of induction motors
with connected capacitores to their terminals was organized.
 2 3 4 5

Voltage R
1
4
C M
6

Voltage S
REFERENCES 7
1- TRANSFORMER 13200/410/235 V 5- CURRENT SIGNAL
2- CIRCUIT BREAKER B.T. 6- IMPEDANCE
3- SOURCE IMPEDANCE 7- VOLTAGE SIGNAL
4- MAKING SWITCH

Voltage T
Fig. 1. Test circuit for the study of induction motor with connected capacitor.

The plan considers the study of the behavior in front of the

following perturbations: presence of single-phase, two-phase
and three-phase voltage sags, with and without mechanical

Current
load, and also the behavior of the motor-capacitor set with
three-phase micro-interruptions, with and without mechanical
load.
Time [0.1 ms/dv.]

Fig. 3. Induction motor disconnection having connected a 2 x 5 kvar

capacitor.

The test circuit is shown in Fig. 1, using a three-phase motor

Fig. 2. Induction motor disconnection having connected a 1.5 kvar capacitor.
The investigation was carried out in analytic form using
Matlab and experimentally in the laboratory of the Electric
Power System Protection Institute belonging to the Rio Cuarto
National University, Argentine.
II. EXPERIMENTAL WORK
A. General
The carried out tests include: disconnections, voltage sags and
micro-interruptions.
of 5.5 kW, 220 V, 50 Hz, connected to a controllable eddy-
currents brake. Three-phase capacitors of 380 V were used of
three rated power values, 1.5, 5 and 10 kvar. The values of
capacitor power were determined based on a series of supply
disconnection tests, with connected capacitor. These values
must allow individualizing the capacitor rating from which the
self-excitation overvoltage phenomena takes place.
Fig. 2, 3 and 4 show the voltage decay for the no-load motor
disconnection with capacitor of 1.5 kvar, no-load motor
disconnection with capacitor of 2 x 5 kvar, and rated load
motor with capacitor of 2 x 5 kvar respectively, showing
clearly the presence of self-excited overvoltage phenomenon
in Fig. 3, the obtained values are shown in Table I.
The voltage sags are generated by means of the connection of
a short circuit (load of very low ohmic value), producing this
way a high voltage drop in the source impedance. The micro-
interruptions simply take place by means of a contactor that
disconnects the supply. The perturbation duration, voltage sag
and micro-interruptions start and end angles are regulated by
means of an adjustable electronic timer. The motor three
phases voltages and one of the line currents were registered by
using a digital oscilloscope.
B. Voltage sags
- Three-phase voltage sags
Several determinations were carried out, with voltage sags of
variable depth, and duration of 42 + / - 1 ms, for diverse
values of mechanical loads. In Fig. 5 and 6, typical self-
excited overvoltages can be seen for no-load and full load
Fig. 7, shows the generated voltage for full load motor, with
capacitor of 2 x 5 kvar. From comparing with Fig. 6, the
difference in magnitude and frequency of the generated surge
can be clearly seen. The overvoltage values measured during
the described tests are shown in Table I.

Voltage R
Voltage R

Voltage S
Voltage S

Voltage T
Voltage T

Time [0.02 ms/dv.]

Fig. 6. Three-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 1.5 kvar connected to the
5.5 kW full-load motor.
Current

Voltage R

Time [0.1 ms/dv.]

Fig. 4. Induction motor disconnection having connected a 2 x 5 kvar

Voltage S

capacitor.
Voltage T

Fig. 7. Three-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 2 x 5 kvar connected to the

5.5 kW full loaded motor.
Voltage R

Time [0.02 ms/dv.]

Voltage S

Fig. 5. Three-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 1.5 kvar connected to the
5.5 kW no-load motor.

- Two-phase voltage sags

Similarly to the study of the previous paragraph, overvoltage
differences are shown in Fig. 8, 9 and 10. Overvoltage per unit values
Voltage T

are presented in Table I

Fig. 8. Two-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 1.5 kvar connected to the 5.5
kW motor.
- Single Phase voltage sags TABLE I
The here obtained results are similar to the two-phase voltage OVERVOLTAGE EXPERIMENTAL VALUES FOR THE CARRIED
sags ones. OUT TESTS

Overvoltage Fig. n°
Type of test
[p.u.]
Disconnection motor capacitor 1.5 kvar 1.16 2
Disconnection motor capacitor 2x5 kvar 1.35 3
Disconnection full-loaded motor, capacitor 2x5
1.18 4
kvar
Three-phase voltage sag, capacitor 1.5 kvar 1.26 5
Three-phase voltage sag full-loaded motor,
1.32 6
capacitor 1.5 kvar
Three-phase voltage sag full-loaded motor,
1.16 7
capacitor 2x5 kvar
Two-phase voltage sag capacitor 1.5 kvar 1.41 8
Two-phase voltage sag full-loaded motor,
1.25 9
capacitor 1.5 kvar
Three-phase voltage sag, capacitor 2x5 kvar
1.17 10
full loaded motor

III. ANALYTICAL STUDY

With the objective of reducing the quantity of experimental

Fig. 9. Two-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 1.5 kvar connected to the 5.5
kW full-loaded motor.
determinations, models were built to emulate the tests cited in
the previous section. The use of these models facilitates the
determination of the critical operating conditions. Fig. 11, 12
and 13, analytic homologous of Fig. 2, 6 and 7 show the good
accuracy of the built models. Using the previously presented
model, the following critical conditions were determined,
which are shown in Fig. 14, were an important overvoltage
value can be seen

Fig. 11. Simulation of induction motor disconnection having connected a 1.5

kvar capacitor.

Fig. 10. Two-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 2x5 kvar connected to the
5.5 kW full-loaded motor.

C. Short interruptions
The experimental tests with short interruptions or micro-
interruptions, did not demonstrate phenomenon or behavior
different to the one obtained with the three-phase voltage sags.

Fig. 12. Simulation of three-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 2x5 kvar
connected to the 5.5 kW full-loaded motor.

Fig. 13. Simulation of three-phase voltage sag with capacitor of 1.5 kvar
connected to the 5.5 kW no-load motor.
Time [0.1 ms/dv.]
Fig. 14. Simulation of three-phase micro-interruption with capacitor of 5 kvar.
Fig. 15. Circuit used to model in MatLab.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
From the investigation can be concluded that in the event of
short interruptions, the mentioned phenomenon is not excited
provided the capacitors doesn't overcome a certain value of
reactive power. Transients of considerable magnitude are
presented, being its energy function of the induction motor
shaft load. For higher number of capacitors or higher reactive
power, a smooth voltage fall takes place showing also an
important reduction of speed, being followed by high
overvoltages previous to the voltage restoration. The
overvoltage surge takes place with higher reactive power,
what leads to the damage of the capacitors. The same
phenomenon but in smaller scale is presented with three phase
voltage sags.
V. REFERENCES
[1] J. C. Gómez, Power quality for users and utilities (In Spanish),
Editorial EDIGAR S.A., Argentina, 2005.
[2] P. K. Sen, L. J. Burleson, “Induction motor overvoltage due to power
factor improvement capacitor”, IEEE 1989 Industrial Application
Society Annual Meetting, vol. 1, pp. 219 - 225, October 1989.
[3] M. Ermis, Z. Cakir, I. Cadirci, G. Zenginobuz, H. Tezcan, “Self-
Excitation of induction motors compensated by permanently connected
capacitors and recommendations for IEEE Std. 141-1993”, IEEE Trans.
On Industry Applications, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 313-324, March/April
2003.
[4] L. Guasch, F. Corcoles, J. Pedra, “Effects of unsymmetrical voltage sag
types E, F, and G on induction motors”, 9th International Conference on
Harmonics and Quality of Power 2000, Vol. 3, pp. 796-803, October
2000.
[5] M. H. Bollen, Understanding Power Quality Problems, Voltage Sags
and Interruptions, IEEE Press, USA, 2000.
[6] T. S. Key, “Predicting behavior of induction motors during service
faults and interruptions”, IEEE Industry Applications Magazine, Vol.
32, pp. 6-11, January/February 1995.
VI. BIOGRAPHIES
D. H. Tourn received the Engineer degree from Río Cuarto National
University, Argentine, in 1987. Member of the Electric Power System
Protection Institute since 1987. His research interests are Electric Power
System Protection.
J. C. Amatti received the PhD degree in electrical engineering from Valencia
Polytechnic University, Spain, in 2003. He is member of the Electric Power
System Protection Institute Río Cuarto National University (RCNU) since
1991. Dr. Amatti is also professor of electrical engineering at RCNU. His
research interests are Distribution Management System and Distribution
Protection.
J. Carlos Gómez (M’84, SM’01) received the PhD degree in electrical
engineering from Sheffield Hallam University, England, in 1994. After
working for four years at the National University of Cuyo he joined Río
Cuarto National University (RCNU), Argentina, where he is Director of the
Electric Power System Protection Institute since 1980. Dr. Gomez is also
professor of electrical engineering at RCNU. His research interests are power
quality and distribution protection.
E. F. Florena received the Engineer degree from Río Cuarto National
University, Argentine, in 2001. Member of the Electric Power System
Protection Institute since 1997. His research interests are power quality and
distribution protection.