Rockwell Automation Publication 1426-UM001J-EN-P - August 2019 463
Appendix G
IEEE 1159 Power Quality Event Classification
Power Quality Event 
Classification per 
IEEE 1159-2009
IEEE 1159-2009, Recommended Practice for Monitoring Electric Power 
Quality, categorizes various power quality events that are based on the parameters 
of the event such as voltage change, frequency content, rise time, and event 
duration. Table 227
, excerpted from the standard, summarizes the classifications 
in the recommended practice, and indicates which PowerMonitor™ 5000 models 
support monitoring of each category of phenomena. 
IMPORTANT Table 227
 is adapted from standard IEEE 1159-2009 and is used with 
permission.
Table 227 - Categories and Typical Characteristics of Power System Electromagnetic Phenomena
(1)
Categories  Typical Spectral Content  Typical Duration  Typical Voltage 
Magnitude
1426-M6 1426-M8
1.0 Transients •
1.1 Impulsive •
1.1.1 Nanosecond  5 ns rise  < 50 ns
1.1.2 Microsecond  1 μs rise  50…1 ms
1.1.3 Millisecond  0.1 ms rise  > 1 ms •
1.2 Oscillatory •
1.2.1 Low frequency  < 5 kHz  0.3…50 ms  0…4 pu
(2)
•
1.2.2 Medium frequency  5…500 kHz  20 μs  0…8 pu
1.2.3 High frequency  0.5…5 MHz  5 μs  0…4 pu
2.0 Short-duration root-mean-square 
(rms) variations
••
2.1 Instantaneous ••
2.1.1 Sag  0.5…30 cycles  0.1…0.9 pu • •
2.1.2 Swell  0.5…30 cycles  1.1…1.8 pu • •
2.2 Momentary ••
2.2.1 Interruption  0.5 cycles - 3 s  < 0.1 pu • •
2.2.2 Sag  30 cycles - 3 s  0.1…0.9 pu • •
2.2.3 Swell  30 cycles - 3 s  1.1…1.4 pu • •
2.3 Temporary ••
2.3.1 Interruption  >3 s…1 min  < 0.1 pu • •
2.3.2 Sag  >3 s …1 min  0.1…0.9 pu • •
2.3.3 Swell  >3 s…1 min  1.1…1.2 pu • •
3.0 Long duration rms variations ••