Applications & Cases

PQSine active harmonic filters December 2017

Clean power for office towers

The complex power networks of skyscrapers and other modern
buildings must serve a wide range of nonlinear loads. Cutting-edge
active power conditioning solutions based on the EPCOS PQSine S
series of active harmonic filters help skyscrapers and large
commercial buildings eliminate potential power quality issues.

The many power electronics systems in use in large commercial buildings such as skyscrapers include nonlinear loads
such as variable speed drives, UPS systems, computers and servers, lighting, TV sets, and more. A major challenge
facing building operators is the harmonics pollution in their power networks, leading to a marked deterioration in the
quality of the supply voltage.

TDK field applications engineers are joining forces with specialized power quality distribution partners to create a
cutting-edge power conditioning solutions for such buildings based on the PQSine S series of active harmonic filters.

The dangers of harmonic pollution

The nonlinear current draw results in harmonics that cause distortion in the sinusoidal voltage, which in turn can cause
interference for other loads. Harmonics are integer multiples of the basic frequency, i.e. of the line frequency of 50 Hz
or 60 Hz. The harmonics have varying amplitudes and can extend into the upper kHz range. Harmonic pollution has a
series of negative effects on power quality, including:
malfunctions of other loads due to the poor grid power quality;
additional current load on the neutral conductor, as the harmonic currents of the 3rd, 9th, 15th, and 21st orders etc.
are accumulative and lead to inadmissibly high currents;
phase asymmetry (specifically when operating single-phase switch-mode power supplies) which additionally
promotes the generation of harmonics.

In addition, harmonics can severely impair the function of sensitive devices or even destroy them. IT networks with
their servers and PCs are a typical example, where the malfunction of network devices can lead to corrupted data and
enormous consequential damage.

Towering power quality challenge

Due to the sheer size of skyscrapers and the complexity of their various electrical loads and systems, power quality
therefore plays a central role in ensuring lowest possible energy consumption and costs, as well as avoiding
overheating, production/process downtimes, and malfunction of equipment.

The major electrical loads and their characteristics are:

Elevators
The required reactive power compensation for the total of up to more than 100 elevators is very dynamic, and
changes very fast between capacitive and inductive during operation and when they feed recuperative power back
into the network. The THD-I is also very high and changes rapidly. The main contributors to THD are in the 5th, 7th,
11th and 13th orders.
Indoor and outdoor lighting
All lights are LED and CFL (compact fluorescent lamp), which are used to save energy, generate significant
harmonic distortion in the range from 150 Hz up to 2500 Hz. Large-screen LED digital billboards (with up to more
than 2000 m² dot-matrix lighting); the main harmonic current is of the 3rd order, but harmonic distortion is also
present up to the 50th order.
Air-conditioning
The inverters employed are a source of harmonic distortion and require reactive power compensation. They
produce dominant harmonics typically in the 5th, 7th, 11th and 13th order, but also in the 17th and19th order and
above.
Fans, water pumps, cooling machines, and fire protection
The many smaller 6-pulse power converters in the system contribute current harmonics in the 5th and 7th order and
above.
IT networks, UPS, security systems, and access control systems

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Applications & Cases

The many SMPS in the servers, clients and other network devices generate harmonics from the 3rd to 23rd order
and above. Moreover, they require a reliable and secure power supply without interruptions.

Complete power conditioning solution

The extremely complex load profile of skyscrapers requires both dynamic reactive power compensation and the
mitigation of harmonics over a broad frequency spectrum. An ideal solution for such large commercial towers is a
complete power conditioning solution based on the PQSine S series of active harmonic filters.

The first step is a detailed analysis of the building's power network. In this case, TDK field application engineers work
together with specialized power quality distribution partners. For new skyscrapers, this will take place during the
building's construction phase. Such analyses generally reveal significantly elevated THD levels and transient
harmonics in all feeders of a building's network (Figure 1). In a typical office tower distortion is especially high in the
3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th and 13th harmonics.

Figure 1: Typical performance analysis of a power supply system showing the presence of significant harmonic
distortion in all harmonics, especially in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th and 13th orders.

Based on the analysis and the requirements for power quality, energy savings, reliability, the advanced PQSine S
series of active harmonic filters and power optimizers represents an ideal solution (Figure 2). The PQSine S series
extends the comprehensive portfolio of EPCOS components and systems for power quality solutions covering solutions
such as active and passive harmonic filters, de-tuned capacitor banks, and low and medium voltage automatic power
factor correction systems.

PQSine S series for high performance and reliability

The PQSine S series is designed for 3-phase grids with or without neutral conductors and enables harmonics of up to
the 50th order (2500 Hz/3000 Hz) to be detected and filtered (see Table).

In addition to outstanding filtering capabilities, PQSine active harmonic filters also ensure balancing of the loads to all
three phases. Moreover, neutral conductor currents are also compensated when using 4-wire devices. These features
avoid line resonance and ensure high performance and reliability.

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Applications & Cases

The optimized active harmonic filtering solution with PQSine has the following key features:
Harmonic and reactive power compensation dual function
The PQSine S series of active filters effectively compensate system harmonics, while at the same time providing
fast reactive power compensation for both capacitive and inductive loads, which can keep the system power factor
at very nearly 1.0.
Intelligent switching design
Special bus system, to ensure that any two of the three ACB cabinets (two incoming and one bus coupler) are
always switched in for performance and redundancy purposes.
Ultra-fast reaction speed
The PQSine S series of active filters feature a reaction time of under 50 µs and can thus respond quickly to the high
and rapidly changing loads.
Modularity and scalability
In order to allow for future system expansion to meet changing power conditioning requirements, each installed
PQSine cabinet has two or three empty slots.

Optimum reliability is ensured by means of a series of self-monitoring systems. The most important of these are:
overload protection, shutdown on overtemperature, protection against overvoltage or undervoltage and fan monitoring.
The PQSine S series includes a 7-inch TFT color touchscreen for user-friendly input and reading of the data. PQSine
offers a number of Modbus (RTU) and TCP/IP (Ethernet) interfaces for control, programming, and diagnostics
purposes.

Figure 2: EPCOS PQSine S series of active harmonic filters can be installed in floor cabinets (left) or
wall-mounted cabinets (right).

The PQSine S series of active harmonic filters are based on the latest state of the art in power electronics technology.
They are installed in parallel to the polluting loads. The active filter analyzes the line current and its associated
harmonics and generates a compensation current which neutralizes the harmonic currents and creates an almost
sinusoidal waveform (Figure 3). With its fast reaction time, PQSine offers excellent performance for fast-changing
loads, such as those generated by elevators. Using the data determined in real time, PQSine feeds a compensation
current into the grid, which cancels the nonlinearity of the load current.

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Applications & Cases

Figure 3: Functional principle of EPCOS PQSine. PQSine ensures a sinusoidal current draw.
Harmonics and phase shifts are effectively reduced.

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Applications & Cases

Optimized design for demanding harmonics

In order to optimally compensate harmonic currents from the electrical loads in a recent installation, a total of 76
PQSine S series units were installed for the various feeders on eleven levels of the skyscraper. Figure 4 shows a
typical single line diagram of an electrical distribution board.

Figure 4: Typical single line diagram of an electrical distribution board

Reliable harmonic current compensation for a wide range of applications

After the installation of the complete power conditioning solution, the TDK field application engineers and their partners
typically perform a comprehensive power quality analysis with specific focus on harmonics as proof of the installation's
effectiveness.

According to the power quality data gathered on site at a recent installation, the PQSine S series limits the system
THD-I to below 3 percent. The system current was about 160 ARMS during the specific measurement. Overall, the
PQSine solution successfully delivered the highest level of power quality. The current phases were sinusoidal with a
very low level of THD-I (Figure 5), and the power factor was nearly 1.0.

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Applications & Cases

Figure 5: With the PQSine active harmonic filter and power optimizer, the current phases were sinusoidal
with a very low level of THD-I and the power factor was nearly 1.0.

PQSine has proven very effective in mitigating harmonics and also providing dynamic reactive power compensation to
ensure the optimal power quality for all loads and users of large commercial buildings.

PQSine active harmonic filters and power optimizers are especially suitable for fast current harmonics, reactive power
compensation or neutral current compensation in a wide range of power networks in
Data centers and IT-enabled service facilities,
Renewable energy power generation,
Process industries,
Sensitive manufacturing facilities, and
Office buildings, shopping centers, hospitals.

Key data for the EPCOS PQSine S series of active harmonic filters

Rated voltage [V] 380 (228 to 456) 480 (384 to 552) 690 (480 to 790)
Mains frequency [Hz] 43 to 62
Filter current [A] 25, 35, 50, 60, 100, 150 75, 90 75, 90
Neutral filtering capability 3 times the rated filter current (in case of 4-wire device)
Harmonic current 2nd to 50th harmonic order, or specified harmonics 0-110%
compensation range
Rate of harmonic reduction > 95
[%]
Target power factor Adjustable from -1 to +1
Switching/control 20/20
frequency [kHz]
Reaction time [µs] < 50
Overall response time [ms] < 5

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