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Power Quality is the branch of Power System engineering. It is an umbrella concept for a multitude of individual types of power system disturbances. The issues that fall under this umbrella are not necessarily new. What is new is that engineers are now attempting to deal with these issues using a system approach rather than handling them as individual problems.
There are three major reasons for the increased concern:
We know that newer generation load equipment with microprocessor-based controls and power electronics devices is more sensitive to power quality variations than was equipment used in the past. And also electronically controlled equipment or energy efficient equipment are very much sensitive to the deviations in the supply voltage and frequency.
Our power system is designed for ac motors and incandescent lamps etc. but nowadays power systems supply power to adjustable speed motor drives, microprocessor-controlled equipment, computers, high efficiency lights.
In power systems, sensitive loads refer to electrical devices or equipment that are particularly vulnerable to variations in voltage, frequency, or other disturbances in the electrical supply. These loads are highly sensitive and can be easily affected by even minor fluctuations in the power quality. The term "sensitive" implies that they require a stable and reliable power supply to function correctly and avoid potential damage or malfunction.
Examples of sensitive loads include: