Improving the Detection of RVCs for a Better Assessment of Their Influence on Flicker

Rapid Voltage Changes (RVC) produce sudden illuminance changes that can generate flicker. The IEC 61 000-4-30 standard defines the procedure for the measurement of RVCs, but it does not include a metric to assess the effect of RVCs on the perception of flicker. The IEC 61 000-4-15 standard establishes the specification of a flickermeter, which assesses the effect of voltage fluctuations on flicker by calculating the flicker severity, $P_\text{st}$, during a 10 min interval. However, $P_\text{st}$ is ineffective to adequately assess voltage variations as fast and short as RVCs. This work analyzes the main characteristics of the RVCs affecting flicker. The relationship between the amplitude and rate of change of the RVC and the instantaneous flicker perception, $P_\text{inst}$, during the event is quantified. A method to estimate the amplitude of RVCs, and consequently to detect them, is proposed. The method is based on the maximum variation and rising slope of $P_\text{inst}$. The model is tested on 576 hours of recordings from five different low voltage locations. It provides high precision, with a mean deviation below 0.2% in the RVC estimated amplitude. This method could be used by the IEC flickermeter to define a more precise and complete strategy to address the flicker assessment.