POWER QUALITY

Power System Harmonics

Power System Harmonics

Harmonic currents and voltages are integer
multiples of the system's fundamental
frequency. For example, with a fundamental
frequency of 60Hz, the 3rd harmonic frequency
is 180Hz (3 x 60Hz).
 What causes harmonic currents?

Nonlinear loads are the source of harmonic currents.
That is, the load's current waveform is non-sinusoidal.
As a result, the distorted current waveform is rich in
sinusoidal harmonic current waveforms.

Nonlinear loads include electronic devices such as

rectifiers, current controllers, AC and DC drives, cyclo-
converters and devices with switch-mode power supplies
such as computers monitors, telephone systems,
printers, scanners, and electronic lighting ballasts.
 What causes harmonic voltages?

The electrical distribution system's harmonic
impedances cause the load-generated harmonic
currents to produce harmonic voltages (EH = IH x
ZH).

Transformers, and feeder and branch circuit

impedances will cause maximum voltage distortion
at the nonlinear loads.
Examples
Non-linear load
Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD)
Definitions

RMS
The rms value of a periodic current (or voltage)
waveform is defined as:
 Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

The most commonly-used measure for harmonics is
total harmonic distortion (THD), also known as
distortion factor.

It is applied to both voltage and current. THD is defined
as the rms value of the harmonics above fundamental,
divided by the rms values of the fundamental.
 THD & RMS

 Because line losses are proportional to the

square of rms current (and sometimes increase
more rapidly due to the resistive skin effect), then
line losses always increase when harmonics are
present.

 Current distortion in loads varies from a few

percent to more than 100%, voltage distortion is
generally less than 5%. Voltage THDs below 0.05
 Average Power

Harmonic powers (including the fundamental)
add and subtract independently to produce total
average power.

Average power is defined as:
 True Power Factor

Power factor in the presence of harmonics is given

by:
Phase sequence
 Harmonic Effects

Harmonics-related problems on electric utility
distribution systems are usually created by primary-
metered customers.

Typically, these problems are due to 500kVA (and
larger) ASDs or induction heaters.

In weaker systems, or near the end of long feeders,
100 – 200kVA nonlinear loads may be sufficiently
large to create problems.

The significant harmonics are almost always 5th, 7th,
11th, or 13th, with the 5th harmonic being the
problem in most instances.
Resonance
 Tripping of Sensitive Loads

Some computer-controlled loads are sensitive to
voltage distortion.

Although it is difficult to find reliable data on this
subject, one case documented showed that a
THDV of 5.5% regularly shut down computerized
lathes at a large pipe company heat treatment
operation in Houston.

While voltage distortions of 5% are not usually a
problem, voltage distortions above 10% will
cause significant nuisance tripping.
 Blown Capacitor Fuses,
Failure of Capacitor Cells

A common harmonics-related complaint comes from
capacitor crew foremen or other distribution feeder
maintenance personnel who complain that “a capacitor
bank has to be rebuilt often, ”fuses on a capacitor
bank blow regularly,” “a capacitor bank hums,” or “the
capacitance of a bank is diminishing.”

Harmonic voltages produce exaggerated harmonic
currents in capacitors because of the inverse
relationship between capacitor impedance and
frequency.
Capacitor Current
 Transformer Overheating
There are two reasons for overheating.

Losses in a conductor increase when harmonics
are present because losses are in proportion to
the square (at least) of rms current, and rms
current increases with current distortion according
to:

Because of the resistive skin effect, one ampere of

harmonic current produces more losses than does
one ampere of fundamental current.
 Telephone Interference

Telephone interference has been a harmonics-related
concern for many decades, but the gradual phasing
out of open-wire telephone circuits has reduced the
number of interference problems.

While the frequency response of the combined
telephone circuit and human ear is largely Immune to
60 Hz interference, higher harmonics fall into the low-
audio range.

When harmonic currents on power lines inductively
couple into nearby phone lines, they can cause
significant interference.
 Motor Heating

Harmonic voltages can create additional rotor
winding currents and increase the I 2R winding
losses in three-phase motors by several percent.

High efficiency single-phase induction motors are
more sensitive to voltage harmonics than are
three-phase motors.

The series auxiliary winding inductance and run
capacitor create a series resonant path in the 4th
– 11th harmonic range.
 Overloaded Neutral Conductors

In a three-phase, four-wire system, the sum of the three phase
currents returns through the neutral conductor.

Positive and negative sequence components add to zero at the
neutral point, but zero sequence components are additive at the
neutral.

Power system engineers are accustomed to the traditional rule
that “balanced three-phase systems have no neutral currents.”

However, this rule is not true when zero sequence harmonics
(i.e., primarily the 3rd harmonic) are present.

In commercial buildings with large numbers of PC loads, the rms
neutral current can actually exceed rms phase currents.
Neutral Current
Harmonic Analysis

There are two major methods for

harmonic analysis:
1. Time domain method.
2. Frequency domain method.
Fourier Transform

Fourier Series States:

Any physically realizable periodic waveform can be
decomposed into a Fourier series of DC,
fundamental frequency, and harmonic terms. In sine
form, the Fourier series is:

The formulas for computing Idc , Ik , θk are well known.

Fourier Series
Example
 Time domain method

The system is represented by differential equations.

The i-v characteristics of the nonlinear load is
integrated with the system model.

Time domain solution is obtained over a long period
of time (4-6 cycles).

Fourier Transform is applied to the obtained voltage
and current waveforms to obtain the harmonic
spectrum.

RMS, THD and Power loss can be calculated using
the obtained harmonic spectrum.
Example

consider the case shown in where a perfect 120Vac (rms)
power system with 1Ω internal resistance supplies a triac
controlled 1000W incandescent lamp.

Let the firing angle is 90°, so the lamp is operating at half-
power.
Solution
 Power Calculations

If a wattmeter is placed immediately to the left of the
triac, the metered voltage is
Frequency Domain analysis

The nonlinear load is modeled as a current source
at each harmonic frequency.

The system is represented by a linear equivalent
circuit.

The circuit model is solved at each harmonic
frequency with only the harmonic component of
the same frequency exists.

Superposition method is applied to obtain the
overall harmonic content of the system.
Performance measures
The following functions can be evaluated
using the obtained results:
 THDV
 RMSI
 PLoss
 The size of the required filters.
Harmonic Reduction Techniques
The most effective harmonic reduction
techniques are as follows:
 Passive LC filters.
 Active filters.
 3 – 5 % inductive reactance.
 Increase X/R ratio of the cable.
 Change transformer connection.
 Parallel connection of harmonic producing
devices.