A proposed flicker meter test protocol

This paper describes work underway by the Cigre C4.05/CIRED 2/UIE PQ joint working group on voltage quality to develop a test protocol for flicker meters designed according to the IEC 61000-4-15 standard. It is intended to provide a systematic method suitable for use by manufacturers, end users, independent test laboratories and other certification bodies to determine if flicker meters meet the IEC design specifications for a wide range of fluctuating voltage conditions that have been observed in power systems. The test protocol should be valid for incandescent lamp characteristics defined in 61000-4-15 and its amendments whether it is operated at 50 Hz or 60 Hz. This work was started after reports from flicker meter users that meters from different vendors sometimes provided different results when connected to the same signals. This situation was confirmed when formal tests were performed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) at their Power Electronic Application Center (PEAC).