An IEC 61000-4-30 class a — Power quality monitor: Development and performance analysis

Power Quality assessment is today one of the main ways to improve energy efficiency. International standards tend to restrict the way this assessment is done, by defining the measurements methods that should be adopted by an instrument. This work describes some of the constrictions and requirements assumed for the design of the high performance Power Quality data logger PQ1000, taking into account the international standards IEC 61000-4-30 Class A and the IEC 61000-4-15 published in August 2010. Trough it, the most important demands of the IEC 61000-4-30 class A instruments are exposed. Details of the hardware components are also shown, and the most important points of the signal processing path are explained. The performance in the RMS values determination is given, also the frequency response for harmonics measurement are shown, and a detailed analysis of fulfillment of the tests given in the IEC 61000-4-15 ed. 08-2010 are given in the final section. Before the publication of this ed.08-2010 the Cigre C4.1.01/CIRED 2 CC02/UIE WG2 - 2004 protocol was the reference document that in addition with the IEC standard was used for the evaluation of digital flicker meters. This protocol aim is to guarantee a higher degree of compatibility between instruments of different manufacturers and models. The tests here presented intend to submit the equipments to a more real situation, and try to show possible hardware or firmware defects. The results given by the PQ1000 widely surpasses the standards exigencies.