DC power quality analysis: technical insights for LVDC networks and measurement systems

The adoption of DC grids in distribution networks is on the rise and is anticipated to gain further prominence in the coming years owing to several benefits compared to conventional AC systems. Nonetheless, the integration of DC in the electric grid faces many obstacles and challenges to guarantee its effective implementation. Some of these obstacles can be listed as follows: the lack of standards for the assessment of Power Quality in DC grids (DCPQ), which includes voltage and current ripples, transients, spectral components, etc., the recommendation of DCPQ indices to characterise these disturbances and the definition of measurement techniques for DC grids. Therefore, this paper aims to address these challenges by conducting a comprehensive literature review and analysing measurements obtained from a LVDC prototype developed in China.