Automated Time-Domain Detection and Characterization of Supraharmonic Impulsive Emissions
I. Zuazo, A. Gallarreta, J. González-Ramos, J. Vildósola, I. Angulo, I. Fernández, A. Arrinda, D. de la Vega University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Bilbao, Spain 2026-06-27

Abstract

Power‑electronics‑based devices inject conducted impulsive disturbances into low‑voltage grids, which can interfere with grid operation, connected devices, and power line communications. This work presents a methodology for the automated measurement and characterization of unwanted high‑amplitude impulsive disturbances. First, the paper proposes a set of algorithms for the automatic acquisition of voltage measurements of conducted emissions. The algorithms controls a commercial oscilloscope, processes the raw voltage data, detects high‑amplitude impulsive disturbances, and stores those sporadic emissions to optimize storage resources. These algorithms provide high reliability and a modular architecture to enable the integration of additional analytical functionalities. The second step of the methodology involves the automatic characterization of the stored impulsive waveforms, by delimiting the waveform, extracting its main features with a set of representative parameters, and applying a search algorithm to detect similar waveforms. The search algorithm relies on cross‑correlation to identify similarities and performs a statistical analysis to quantify variability. In addition, the statistical analysis assesses a benchmark-waveform and extracts the temporal and magnitude features. The paper presents results of some impulsive waveforms to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Key words: Electromagnetic compatibility, power-quality, supraharmonic disturbances.

References

[1] A. Vinayagam, A. Aziz, P.M. Balasubramaniyam, J. Chandran, V. Veerasamy, A. Gargoom, "Harmonics assessment and mitigation in a photovoltaic integrated network", Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks, Vol. 20, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.segan.2019.100264.

[2] L. M. Caro, G. Ramos, K. Rauma, D. F. C. Rodriguez, D. M. Martinez, C. Rehtanz, “State of Charge Influence on the Harmonic Distortion From Electric Vehicle Charging”, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol. 57, 2021, doi: 10.1109/TIA.2021.3057350.

[3] T. Wohlfahrt, C. Waniek, J. M. A. Myrzik, J. Meyer and P. Schegner, "Supraharmonic disturbances: Lifetime reduction of electronic mass-market equipment by the aging of electrolytic capacitors", 2018 18th International Conference on Harmonics and Quality of Power (ICHQP), Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2018, doi: 10.1109/ICHQP.2018.8378899.

[4] Ł. Michalec, P. Kostyła, Z. Leonowicz, “Supraharmonic Pollution Emitted by Nonlinear Loads in Power Networks—Ongoing Worldwide Research and Upcoming Challenges”, Energies, Vol. 16, 2023. doi: 10.3390/en16010273.

[5] A. Mariscotti, A. Mingotti, “The Effects of Supraharmonic Distortion in MV and LV AC Grids”, Sensors, Vol. 24, 2024, doi: 10.3390/s24082465

[6] M. Wasowski et al., "Sources of Non-Intentional Supraharmonics in LV Network and Its Impact on OSGP PLC Communication – Experimental Study," IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Vol. 37, 2022, doi: 10.1109/TPWRD.2022.3175090.

[7] D. Shrestha, X. Mestre, M. Payaró, "On channel estimation for power line communication systems in the presence of impulsive noise", Computers & Electrical Engineering, Vol. 72, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.compeleceng.2018.10.006.

[8] I. Elfeki, S. Jacques, I. Aouichak, T. Doligez, Y. Raingeaud, J.-C. Le Bunetel, “Characterization of Narrowband Noise and Channel Capacity for Powerline Communication in France”, Energies. Vol. 11, 2018, doi: 10.3390/en11113022.

[9] S.K. Rönnberg, M.H.J. Bollen, H. Amaris, G.W. Chang, I.Y.H. Gu, Ł.H. Kocewiak, J. Meyer, M. Olofsson, P.F. Ribeiro, J. Desmet, “On waveform distortion in the frequency range of 2 kHz–150 kHz—Review and research challenges”, Electric Power Systems Research. Vol. 150, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.epsr.2017.04.032.

[10] I. Fernández, M. Alberro, J. Montalbán, A. Arrinda, I. Angulo, D. de la Vega, “A new voltage probe with improved performance at the 10 kHz–500 kHz frequency range for field measurements in LV networks”, Measurement, Vol. 145, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.measurement.2019.05.106