Types of Power Quality Disturbances on AC Electric Traction Drives: A Survey

Modern electric traction drive systems make use of power electronic devices which directly affect its performance and efficiency. Numerous power quality phenomena are associated namely: Voltage flicker, Harmonic voltage and current distortion, voltage dip, transient over voltages, voltage and current unbalances. It is important to emphasize the fact that all the above mentioned phenomena appear due to the non linearity of the loads, who by themselves act as harmonic current generators. This paper gives a brief overview of the power quality disturbances which cause significant impact on the traction drive system as well as the supply side.