Voltage Sag

What is Voltage Sag ?

Sag ( dip ) is the reduction in rms voltage or

current at the power frequency with a magnitude
between 0.1 to 0.9 pu within the time duration of
0.5 seconds - 1 minute.
Sources : Fault ( short circuit system) Starting
large loads ( electric motors , arc furnaces , etc )

voltage sag waveform

Voltage sag Sources

Short Circuit on lines Power transmission
or distribution systems
Starting of large motor
Starting of large loads such as arc furnace

Short circuit sources

- Lightning stroke
- Over voltage (lightning surge & switching surge)
will caused electrical strees on isolator that
exceed of breakdown voltage strength and lead
to isolator breakdown
- Degradation of insulation (present of pollutants
materials, corrosion, moisture , aging factors,
etc.) resulting in decreased breakdown voltage
strength of insulator
Mechanical factor (short circuit between two
conductors through contacts a foreign object such
as an animal / bird or equipment )

Short circuit sources

Lightning strike

Lightning
Strike
Direct lightning strikes on transmission
line will cause the voltage wave form of
the voltage transient impulses with
steep front time and will propagate
towards the substation. Insulator
through which these waves will
experience a high electric field stress

The present of pollutant in line transmission

insulator

One of the main problems

that have been found is
the effect produced by
pollution in the insulators
of electric lines. This
pollution is one of the
main causes of flashover
in the insulators and
finally will cause short
circuit

Insulator washing

The effect of short circuit

1.

3
4

At the point of fault

- Destructive arcing insulators and conductors
- Fire
In a circuit faulted
- Electrodynamic force can result in deformation of the busbar
and cable disconnection
High temperatures can cause damage to the insulator
In another circuit close with a circuit of interrupted
- Sag voltage
- malfunction control and monitoring circuit
- System instability or loss of synchronization on synchronous
machine

Starting of large motor

Starting of large motor

Starting large motor

Starting of
induction motors
can draw a current
of 6 s / d 10 times
the full load current
, it is because at
the time of starting
of induction motors
require a certain
amount of energy
to produce a
magnetic field in
overcoming the
moment of inertia

Starting of induction motor (for

example)
3 Phase 50 HP / 460 V / 60A induction motor

Arc Furnace

Arc Furnace

Arc furnace is operated in a

way to connect an electric
short circuit at a stack of
metal resulting in arcing to
the temperature exceeded 10
thousand der.C used to melt
the metal pile

Fault on power transmission & distribution systems

70% faulted on overhead lines
- Strike lightning
- Flashover (insulation failure)
- Contact with the birds

Short circuit

Short circuit

Short circuit cause

current flow in line
became very high
because only limited by
impedance line only.

For example : voltage sag calculaton

Voltage Sag deeper when short

circuit fault location point is
getting closer to the point load

The type of short circuit

Symmetric short circuit :

- ( 3 phase shor circuitt)
Unsymmetric short circuit
- Phase to earth short circuit
- Phase to phase short circuit
- phase to phase to earth short circuit

The effect of voltage sag

Adjustable Speed Drive

Voltage sag will cause dc link circuit

of ASDs experience trip

Contactor & relay

Progammable Logic Controller

(PLC)

The history of voltage sag

For example : The effect of voltage sag

Fault at point F3 will

generate 0% voltage
sag at load 3, 64% at
load 2 and 98% at load
1.

Fault at point F1 will

generate voltage sag
0% at load 1 and 50%
for all loads

Duration of voltage sag

Duration of voltage sag depends on the

time required by the protection equipment
to detect and isolate fault, generally a few
hundred miliseconds

Protection principle

The Solution of voltage sag

Customer side
By manufacturer of electrical equipments
By utility

Solution by consumers
Consumers add aditional equipment such
as power conditioneer on critical loads

Types of Power Conditioneer

Ferroresonance Transformers (CVTs)

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
Dip Proof Inverter (DPI)
Voltage Dip Compensator (VDC)
Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage Device
(SMES)
Automatic voltage regulator (AVR)

Ferroresonance
Transformer

Transformer Ferroresonance also referred

to as Constant Voltage Transformers
(CVTs) can overcome the problem of
voltage dips. The transformer has a ratio
of 1: 1 the coil be excited high on
saturation curve so that it gives a constant
output power and the input voltage
changes is not affected

Ferroresonace
Transformers

Characteristic load of CVTs againts Sag

Voltage

80

Voltage sag vs CVTs loading Curve

%Input VoltageMinimum

70
60
50
40
30
20
10

25

50

100
% loading of CVTs

Uninterupptible Power Supply

(UPS)

Electrical energy stored in the battery via charger rectifier.

DC Power from battery is converted to AC power through
an inverter to be connected to the load
If the supply of electrical energy from the utility is fault,
then the loads will be supplied from the inverter

On Line UPS system

In both normal
condition and when
voltage sag occurs,
load is supplied
directly from the UPS

Standby UPS (Off Line UPS)

In normal conditions
the load is supplied
from a source
directly, when voltage
sag occurs , the load
will be supplied from
the UPS through an
automatic switch

Hybrid UPS system

CVT prevent switching

load to the UPS circuit
until the voltage sag
down to the level
where the CVT is no
longer able to cope

The Application of UPS

Unit control systems
Control room & Monitors
Computer networks
Central data

Application of UPS in power

Substasion

Dip proof inverter (DPI)

Under normal condition, the rectifier will charge the capacitor and the load is conected
directly to the power supply, when sag voltage occurs, the load will be connected to the
DPI for 1 3 seconds in which DPI will supply a square wave AC voltage.

Dip proof inverter connection ( for example)

Voltage dip compensator

(VDC)

Voltage dip compensator

connection

Dynamic Voltage Restorer

Active voltage conditioneer

Superconduction magnetic
energy storage (SMES) device
Protected
load

Line

Insulation
switch

Inverter

Voltage regulator
GTO switch

DC Supply

Superconducting
Magnetic

SMES
Storing electrical energy as well as UPS .
SMEs are designed in a range of 1-5 MJ
Advantages :
- The size is much smaller than the UPS
- Doesnt need battery
- less cable connection than the UPS
- Higher reability
- less maintenance

Electrical equipment
problem

Consumers generally dont know or

understand the performance characteristic
of electrical equipment bought

The solution by manufacturer

1.

Manufacturer of electrical equipment must include in detailed

information about performance characteristics of the equipment
against voltage sag so that users can determine the type of
equipment which corresponding to the desired

2. Manufacturer in making new equipment must be having the

procedure with regard to the importance of usability equipment,
e.g. a electrical appliances that are critical of sag voltage should be
designed so that the equipment is capable of operate properly
(given protection) if there is a voltage sag, conversely if the
equipment is not sensitive to the equipment may not be needed
protection against voltage sag

Advantage for consumer

Consumers know & understand

performance characteristics of electrical
equipment, so can choose the apropriate
equipment

Solution of the utility side

Advantages
To prevent damage to the ectrical
equipment
Provide services that can providing
satisfaction for users
Disadvantage :
High cost

Insulator problem

The pressure of the electric field (the

Working Voltage, overvoltage of
lightning surge & switching surge)
Mechanical stresses (heavy
conductors, windswept, ice/snow)
Pressure environment (rain, damp,
dust, sand, salt, etc.) give rise to the
existence of a thin layer of insulator
surface pollutants, as result flashover
voltage conductor will decline reaches
20-25% of the normal voltage
insulator flashover

Solution problem of
insulator

Installation Arrrester (protection against high

pressure electric field of lightning surge or
switching surge)
shielding wire on the phase conductor
The addition of the number of suspension
insulator to increase the strength of the dielectric
material
Insulator washing
Insulating coating with silicone material

Arrester

Arrester serves to cut the lightning impuls voltage. In normal

conditions, the arrester acts as isulator but in abnormal conditions
act as a conductor

The Addition of Arrester

Generally the arrester is placed on the protected

equipment such as near a transformer, or placed
in one pole is considered frequent lightning
strikes. This way less effective because of
lightning flashover will cause fashover can result
in short circuit
With the addition of arrester on line will reduce
the voltage sag because the waves would be split
by lightning arester in line, so as to minimize the
occurrence of flashover

The addition of arrester on lines power

gelombang
petir

gelombang
petir

Titik Sambaran petir

Arrester

Tahanan
pentanahan

Arrester placed every 2 or 3 pole line

Shield wire on tower of transmission

lines
Ground wire transmission line
aims to protect from direct
lightning strikes. The ground
wire is mounted above the
wire transmission line.

Addition the number of

insulator

Isolator washing

Insulation is an important part of the power

system. In coastal regions or areas of desert
places, Insuations will be contaminated by dust or
salt so it can descrease the insulation breakdown
streangth,so flashover or breakdown voltage can
occur as a result of failure of isolation, therefore
insuation needs to be cleaned periodically

Insulator washing

Cutting of tree

Short circuit , temporary or

permanent faults is often
caused by trees with branches
and twigs that hit the
distribution networks , to the
prevention needs to cut
branches of trees.

Repair fault clearing

Addition recloser
Modification feeder design
Addition network loop

Recloser

Most fault on Transmission

lines are transient , so that
power can be recovered after
the multiple periods. Most
automatic circuit breakers are
designed to cover the back in
3 or 4 times . That circuit
breaker in the distribution
system is known as the
Recloser

Addition recloser
Main feeder

Circuit
Breaker
Fuse

Substation

before adding recloser

Reduced number of momentary

interruption

Recloser
added

Circuit
Breaker
Fuse

Main feeder

Substation

after adding recloser

Modifcation of feeder
design
close Tie

New
recloser

recloser

CB
No fast
tripping
New
recloser

Tie Line added