Design of Power Quality Virtual Lab Toolbox using LabVIEW/Multisim

Abstract

This paper presents a Power Quality (PQ) virtual lab that can be used by electrical engineers (EE) to enhance their knowledge and awareness on power quality disturbances in accordance to power quality standards. It will offer the EE the facility to become more aware about the problems tackling power systems and nonlinear devices, and their effects on the power quality indices. This work is built using NI LabVIEW/Multisim and is composed out of many simulations and experiments each with its learning objectives. The established measured power quality indices are mainly the root mean square (RMS), the total harmonic distortion (THD), the distortion index (DIN), the telephone influence factor (TIF), the crest factor (CF), the voltage transformer product (VT), the current transformer product (IT), the displacement power factor (DPF), the true power factor (TPF) and the unbalance factor (UF). Each of these indices is measured and analyzed in order to check how they are affected by the PQ issues.