METHODS FOR MITIGATION OF VOLTAGE FLUCTUATION EFFECTS

Mitigation of voltage fluctuations is one of the most difficult issues of the electric power supply. The effects of
voltage fluctuation depend on the amplitude, rate of occurrence, and duration of voltage changes. Whereas
the amplitude depends, inter alia, on the power system supplying fluctuating loads, the rate of occurrence
depends on the load type and the manner of its operation and, consequently, on the technological process. So
far mitigation measures are focused on limiting the amplitude of voltage fluctuations; the technological
process is influenced to a lesser extent. An example of these measures in the case of an arc furnace can be a
series reactor, also a controlled saturable reactor, proper functioning of the electrode control system,
segregation and initial preparation of charge, admixing electrodes material, et cetera—all methods well-known
to the steel-making process engineers.

Numerical measure L1 L2 L3
min. 1.901 2.080 2.064
av. 3.690 3.807 3.757
Plt 95 % 4.212 4.383 4.340
max. 12.113 12.341 12.002

Figure 66—Exemplary records of flicker severity indicator at the electric steelworks terminals (MV).
Figure 66 shows exemplary records of the voltage fluctuation index in electric steelworks feeder line (HV/MV
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transformer) .

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According to [105, 106], a constant, or almost constant, correlation coefficient related to load characteristics
occasionally occurs between Plt and Pst indicators. For example, the relationship between flicker severity
indicators, determined for arc furnaces from numerous measurements carried out in their vicinity, takes the
form: Plt95%  0,84Pst95% .

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In the case of wind turbines, one mitigating measure is the reduction in the number of switching operations by
keeping the turbine in standstill condition until wind achieves a steady speed greater than the turbine cut-in
speed.

As follows from the relation (1), the amplitude of voltage fluctuations —after modifications to the
technological process (if possible)—can be limited in two ways:

 Increasing the short circuit power (with respect to the load power) at the point of a fluctuating load
connection. Practical means include: (a) connecting the load to a higher nominal voltage system
busbars, (b) supplying this category of loads directly from a high voltage system through dedicated
lines, supplying fluctuating loads and steady loads from either separate windings of a three-winding
transformer or from separate two-winding transformers (separation of a fluctuating load), (c)
supplying the fluctuating load from a transformer of a larger rated power and/or lower short circuit
voltage, (d) installing series capacitors, et cetera
 Reducing reactive power changes in the supply network by means of the so-called dynamic voltage
compensators/stabilizers

A separate category of measures is the improvement of loads immunity to voltage fluctuations [32].

DYNAMIC VOLTAGE STABILIZERS

Dynamic voltage stabilizers are a technically viable solution for the elimination or mitigation of voltage changes
(in the case of an arc furnace, the use of dynamic voltage stabilizer may also improve efficiency of the
metallurgical process). Their effectiveness depends mainly on their rated power and fast reaction. They cause
voltage drops on the supply network impedances, since they generate reactive power in the domain of the
fundamental harmonic. Depending on whether the reactive current is inductive or capacitive, the rms voltage
value at the point of common connection (PCC) can be increased or reduced (Figure 2).

DYNAMIC VOLTAGE STABILIZERS

ROTATING
STATIC
(Synchronous Machine)

Power electronic systems Saturable reactors

Line- Self- STATCOM

commutated
converters commutated DVR
converters

Thyristor switched capacitors (TSC)

Thyristor controlled reactor (TCR) with fixed (FC) or

switched capacitor (TSC)

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 Figure 67—Classification of dynamic voltage stabilizers.

Figure 67 shows the classification of various solutions for dynamic voltage stabilizers. They are primarily three-
phase systems, of large rated power, designed for voltage stabilization at the node of a distribution system or
stabilization of the specific load/group of loads at PCC. Since these systems are often used as dynamic
compensators of the reactive power/current fundamental component, the terms stabilizer and static VAR
compensator can be used interchangeably.

As a synchronous machine is regarded to be the origin of the industrial voltage stabilizers development path,
the present-day power electronics offers a wide selection of diverse technical solutions which, inter alia, fulfill
the stabilization task.

The effectiveness of voltage fluctuation mitigation/limitation by means of static compensators can be

evaluated using the so-called flicker reduction factor given by the relationship:

Pst
RF  (78)
Pst(K)

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where: Pst is short-term flicker severity indicator in the system without a compensator , and Pst(K) after the
compensator installation. The Pst(K) value for an arc furnace supplied with a static VAR compensator can be
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estimated from the relationship :

S F,SC 1
Pst( K )  kst TCU1/U2 (79)
SSC KSVC

where: kst —a constant coefficient related to the furnace design features; if unknown
it can be determined from analyzing operation of similar power and technology arc furnaces.
According to UIC research, it is contained within the interval 85≥kst≥50. A typical value for
present day arc furnaces is kst = 75,

SF,SC —the arc furnace short-circuit power. It is determined under conditions of three-
phase short circuit between electrodes and the charge, when the short-circuit current is
about twice the rated current of the transformer (without series reactors). In the event of
parallel operation of several furnaces, this is the short-circuit power of an equivalent arc
furnace:

TPst ,U1 ,U2 —flicker transfer coefficient between two voltage levels: U1 and U2,

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[107] provides empirical formulas that allow predicting the Pst CP99 indicator for: AC arc furnace—
Pst99  60S F,SC  / SSC ; DC arc furnace— Pst 99  0,70  60S F,SC / SSC  .

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The extent of voltage fluctuation mitigation due to connecting a series reactor can be estimated on the basis
of predicted reduction of the furnace short-circuit power.

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 KSVC —flicker reduction factor attained in effect of application dynamic
compensators/stabilizers (Static Var Compensator—SVC), its value for the FC/TCR system can
be evaluated from the formula:

SSVC
KSVC  1  0.75 (80)
STrN

SSVC —the SVC rated power

STrN —the furnace transformer rated power.

Figure 68 shows an example of voltage fluctuations ordered characteristic for the furnace operation with and
without the compensator. For the measurements as in Figure 68:

48MV  A
theoretical value of the flicker reduction factor - K SVC  1  0.75  1.75
48MV  A

4.6 3.9
actual values read off from Figure 68 - K SVC,CP99   1.44 K SVC,CP95   1.50
3.2 2.6
The flicker reduction factor KSVC value is contained within the interval 3-6 [46, 56] in the case of the STATCOM
compensator.

The speed of compensator operation is essential. The required short response time often means the necessity
of oversizing the compensator then its power can be estimated using the empirical relationship [46]

 R 1
SSVC  STrN  F  (81)
 0,75 

Figure 68—Ordered values of the Pst indicator during the furnace operation with and without a compensator
[39].

Research has shown that eliminating only the changes in the load reactive power in the fundamental harmonic
domain guarantees about (35-40)% mitigation of voltage fluctuations. If the compensator serves the additional
function of a symmetrizator, then the reduction level may increase up to 50%. Compensation of reactive
power changes, symmetrization, and filtering of voltage harmonics enables the reduction of voltage
fluctuations by 90-95%.

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The above calculations are only an estimate because voltage fluctuations due to an arc furnace operation
depend on multiple factors of a random nature, hence the prediction of their impact is very difficult.

Figure 69—The shape of Pst indicator cumulative probability curves and the difference of the read off percentile
values vs. the measurement duration [13].

The result of the compensator effectiveness assessment also depends on the duration of check measurements,
both with and without the compensator. This is evident in the cumulative probability curves shown in Figure
69. The curve obtained from the measurements performed over a short time clearly reflects technological
stages of the arc furnace operation.

Figure 70 shows exemplary waveforms that illustrate changes in the rms voltage value at the electric
steelworks busbars (MV) for the FC/TCR compensator turned on and off, a high effectiveness of the
compensator operation is evident.

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