Sensors and Instrumentation for Power Systems in the Wide Frequency Range up to 150 kHz

Dear Colleagues,

Society’s increasing use of switching devices (inverters, bulky power electronic converters, active filters, etc.), both as loads and as part of generators, especially for renewable energy sources, has driven a consequent proliferation of conducted disturbances of up to hundreds of kilohertz to grid voltages, currents, and at the MV level due to the harmonics of the switching frequency and other switching by-products.

Some of the applications, which have frequencies up to 150 kHz, that require the measurement of the voltage and current are described in the following.

The conducted emissions of new switching devices can interfere with Power Line Communication (PLC). PLC is a widely used communication technique over electrical grids to fulfil vital operations such as control and automation. However, this interference degrades the quality of the delivered information, and the failure of vital grid operations can occur. High-frequency emissions from one device (a load or a generator, including high-power converters) can easily couple with other devices, causing interference to the control systems of the other devices, with possible consequent malfunctions or even complete failure. Moreover, these emissions increase the root-mean-square (rms) value of the current, which causes temperature increases together with a pronounced skin effect and, consequently, accelerated ageing and a reduced useful life of the components.

Another topic of great interest is the accurate measurement of the performance of power converters (DC/DC, AC/DC, AC/AC) which make use of new generation switching components, e.g., SiC MOSFET, allowing for increased switching frequencies. Accurate knowledge of their performance can allow us to improve efficiency, electromagnetic emissions, and compatibility, helping designers to guarantee the eco-design paradigm. For MV grids, this fact opens measurement needs that low-voltage (LV) grids already experience. These needs, in turn, ask for new and improved performance in terms of accuracy and wide frequency ranges. Unavoidably, the same requirements apply to ITs, as they are the first element of every voltage and current measuring chain in almost all applications.

The accurate measurement of disturbances of up to 150 kHz in AC and DC grids would provide reliable information to Distribution System Operators (DSOs), so they have complete knowledge of the operation of the grid they manage, and to the Technical Committees (working, e.g., in the standardisation of grid operation, compatibility levels planning, power quality measurements, etc.) for the correct identification of the characteristics of disturbances. Therefore, they have the strong need to measure HF emissions and to decide the appropriate actions to take. All the players in the electric grids (final users, DSOs, IT manufacturers) who want to measure HF emissions at the MV level must build their own measurement reference setup and define internal procedures to perform specific accuracy tests on ITs, thus making HF measurements not validated and not traceable.

This Special Issue is focused on all scientific aspects regarding sensors, instrumentation and techniques, and algorithms for measurement applications to power systems in wide frequency ranges up to 150 kHz. All papers concerning innovative aspects of these topics are very welcome.

Dr. Mario Luiso
Dr. Antonio Delle Femine
Dr. Giovanni D’Avanzo
Guest Editors

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• voltage and current sensors
• instrument transformers
• power system instrumentation
• high-frequency measurements
• high-frequency distortion
• calibration
• impedance measurements
• AC/AC, AC/DC, DC/DC converter characterisation
• power system high-frequency modelling
• measurement algorithms for power systems