HARMONICS

OUTLINE
• What are harmonics?
• what cause harmonics?
• How do they affect electrical systems?
• What are the symptoms of harmonics?
• How do I address these systems?
• How do I solve the problem?

Ohm’s Law & Linear systems

Basic law states that when a voltage sine wave at 50Hz is
applied across a resistance, current will also flow in
sinewave. I=V/R
Although the two sinewaves may not align perfectly (because
of power factor ) the current wave will indeed be a 50 Hertz
.Since an applied voltage sinewave will cause a sinusoidal
current to be drawn, systems which exhibit this behavior are
called linear systems. Ex. Incandescent lamps, heaters and, to a
great extent, motors are linear systems

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Non-Linear System
– Computers,VFDS,Electronics Ballasts
Computers, VSDs, electronic ballasts and UPS are non-
linear systems where the resistance is not a constant
and in fact, varies during each sinewave
When voltage is applied to thes loads ,the current drawn
is (approximately) zero until a critical “firing voltage” is
reached on the sinewave.
At this firing voltage, the transistor allows current to be
conducted. This current typically increases over time
until the peak of the sinewave and decreases until the
critical firing voltage is reached on the “downward side”
of the sinewave. The device then shuts off and current
goes to zero.The same thing occurs on the negative
side

Pulse current in non- liner loads

Current drawn is a series of positive and negative
pulses, and not the sinewave drawn by linear systems.
These types of systems are often called non-linear
systems

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How are Harmonics Produced ?

• Power system harmonics: presenting deviations from a perfect sinusoidal-

waveform (voltage or current waveform).
• The distortion comes from a Nonlinearity caused by saturation, electronic-
switching and nonlinear electric loads,
Inrush/Temporal/Arc/Converter/Limiter/Threshold Type Loads .

Today’s AC VSD’s are

Pulse Width Modulated

AC Line

Motor

Input rectifier Inverter

Filter
Input rectifier converts AC line voltage to fixed voltage DC.
Most Drives use 6 Pulse Diode Bridge Rectifiers
DC voltage is filtered to reduce ripple caused by rectification. 6-Pulse generate
5,7,11,13,17,19,23,25 etc.. …. harmonics
Inverter changes fixed voltage DC to adjustable AC voltage and frequency
which is fed to the motor.

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 Harmonics - What are they ?
Harmonics is a term used to describe the shape or characteristic of a voltage or
current waveform with respect to the fundamental frequency in an electrical
distribution system

+ =
Fig-1 Fundamental Sine Wave Fig 2 : 5th Harmonic Figure 3 : Combination of
two waveforms results in a
distorted sine wave

sin( 5 x ) sin( 5 x )
f ( x )  sin( x ) f ( x)  f ( x )  sin( x ) 
5 5

Harmonic Sources
Harmonic Sources Most Common
• Power Electronic Equipment • Variable Frequency Drives
(drives, rectifiers (UPS),
computers, etc.) • Uninterruptible Power
Supplies ( UPS )systems
• Arcing Devices (welders, arc
furnaces, fluorescent lights, etc.) • Computer Power Supplies
• Rotating Machines (generators) • Fluorescent Lighting
Industrial Process Control
• Electronic lighting Systems
ballasts/Controls • LAN/Computer Networks

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 Fundamental form

2nd harmonics wave form

3rd harmonics

4th harmonics

5th harmonics

Third Harmonics
In three phase power systems, the “even” harmonics (second, fourth, sixth, etc.)
cancel each other in a balanced system, so we only need deal with the “odd”
harmonics.
The third harmonic of each of the three phase conductors is exactly in phase.
When these harmonic currents come together on the neutral, they actually
add more current on the neutral conductor than on phase conductors. These
harmonic currents create heat

Third Harmonic
in 3-Phase, 4-Wire, Circuit

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Harmonics Distortion - the Problem
Current Distortion
• Higher current peaks could cause transformer heating or
nuisance tripping by fuses, circuit breakers and other
protective devices since they are typically not rated for
harmonically rich waveforms.

Voltage Distortion
• A distorted current has higher peak values that cause non-
sinusoidal voltage drops across the distribution system The
resulting voltage drops add or subtract from the sinusoidal
voltage supplied by the utility. Other utility customers could
get distorted voltage on the downstream side of the power
distribution circuit.
The distortion travels back into the power source and can effect
other equipment connected to the same source.

Common Sources of Harmonics

 Fluorescent lighting
 Computer switch mode power supplies
 Static VAR compensators
 Variable frequency motor drives (VFD)
 DC-DC converters
 Inverters
 Television power supplies M
 AC or DC motor drives AC and DC drives

 DC power supplies in Computer, TV, Fax machines, printers etc

 Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
 Electronic Process Control equipment, PLC’s etc
 Electronic Lighting Ballasts, including Light Dimmer

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Harmonic symptoms/problems
• overheating neutral conductors
• Nuisance tripping of circuit breakers ,False Relay
operations
• Malfunction of UPS systems
• Metering error/problems
• Computer malfunctions
• Over voltage problems
• Power factor correction capacitor failure
• Overloading/overheating of motors
• Over loading of capacitors/transformers

Skin effect
A problem exists with higher frequencies (harmonics>50), that is,
they do not fully penetrate the conductor. They travel on the outer
edge of the conductor. This is called skin effect . When skin effect
occurs, the effective cross sectional area of the conductor
decreases; increasing the resistance and the I 2R losses, which in
turn heats up the conductors and anything connected to them.

Heating effect causes circuit

breakers to trip, neutral and
phase conductors to heat up
to critical flash over
temperatures, and premature
failure of motors and
transformers.

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 EFFECT OF HARMONICS

Circuit breakers -False Tripping

HRC Fuse - Frequent blow off
Transformer -Noise, Heating and Ultimately result in insulation failure of
winding and Watt losses
Motors-Noise, Heating and Increased Losses, Lower Efficiency, Counter Rotating mmf,
Cogging ( Torque Pulsation )

• Fan Motors – Electronic regulators produce a humming sound

• Protective Relays – Unpredictable behavior

• Electronic Loads – Failure and / or permanent damage

• PF Correction Capacitors – Blower of fuse, over heating, series / parallel resonance, over

voltage and high circulating current

• Computers – Triggers the and circuits falsely leads to chaos.

Harmonic Limits
•PCC (Point of Common Coupling) is defined as the point where
another customer can be served

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Neutral Heating – Oversize Equipment

10A at 180 Hz
10A at 60 Hz
R 10A at 180 Hz
10A at 60 Hz
Y 10A at 180 Hz
10A at 60 Hz
B
N
0A at 60 Hz
30A at 180 Hz

Harmonic solution
Two methods: filtering or cancellation.
Harmonic filter consists of a capacitor bank and an
induction coil. The filter is tuned to the predetermined
non-linear load and to filter a predetermined harmonic
frequency range. Usually this frequency range only
accounts for one harmonic frequency.

Harmonic-Shunt or Trap Filters: Tuned to a specific harmonic order

Used in applications with a high such as the 5th, 7th, 11th,… etc to
non-linear ratio to system to meet requirements of IEEE
eliminate harmonic currents

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 • Passive Filter-Low cost:
•Built-up by combinations of capacitors, inductors (reactors)
and resistors
•most common and available for all voltage levels
• Active Power Filter APF:
•Inserting negative phase compensating harmonics into the
AC-Network, thus eliminating the undesirable harmonics
on the AC Power Network.

Harmonic filters
• Tuned Harmonic filters consisting of a capacitor bank
and reactor in series are designed and adopted for
suppressing harmonics, by providing low impedance
path for harmonic component. The Harmonic filters
connected suitably near the equipment generating
harmonics help to reduce THD to acceptable limits.

• Benefits of Harmonic Filters

Improve power factor ratings through harmonic
recombination
Isolate harmonic currents
Minimize equipment problems through THD cancellation
Reduce wasted energy
Minimize current carried in plant cables

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 Active Harmonic Filter Installation Diagram

M ain Tim es One

Panel Active
M otor Harm onic
Control Filter
Delta Center
A B

Variable
Tim es One Speed M otor
Active Drive
Harm onic
W ye Filter
A B
Transform er
/ Panel

A B
Loads Lighting Uninterruptable
Power Supply
Linear Non-Linear Com puter

Harmonic cancellation

Special Transformers
There are several special types of transformer connections
which can cancel harmonics. Additional special winding
connections can be used to cancel other harmonics on
balanced loads. These systems also use more copper.
Harmonic canceling transformers also known as phase-
shifting transformers. It is a relatively new power quality
product for mitigating harmonic problems . Designed to
remove high neutral current and the most harmful
harmonics from the 3rd through 21st.

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 Other Remedies
Oversizing Neutral Conductors
Oversize the neutral conductor up to 200% when the load served
consists of non-linear loads.
Using Separate Neutral Conductors
On three phase branch circuits, another philosophy is to not
combine neutrals, but to run separate neutral conductors for
each phase conductor.
Segregate sensitive electronic and computer loads on separate
branch circuits all the way back to the electrical panel
• Power System Design:
• Limiting the non-linear load penetration to 30% of the maximum transformer’s
capacity
• Limiting non-linear loads to 15% of the transformer’s capacity, when power factor
correction capacitors are installed

Estimate % THVD &THID in Your system

Actual harmonic distortion is determined for

linear and non-linear loads both on the
system. Harmonics distortion depends
on the percentage of non-linear loads
on the system.

If the load was entirely made up of VSD’s,

each having a 5% impedance line reactor, then
the distortion at PCC would be:
35% THID x 100%VSD/100% total load = 35%
THID at PCC
Now if the same VSD’s were only 25% of the
total load at PCC then:
35% THID x 25%VSD/100% total load = 8.6 %
THID at PCC

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Energy Loses

2 to 2.5 transformer capacity

10 % efficiency decrease in motors
Torque pulsation crate mechanical resonance
creating noise and vibration
Decrease in melt time in furnaces

IEEE 519-1992 Standard

MAXIMUM HARMONIC CURRENT DISTORTION
IN PERCENT OF IL
Individual Harmonic Order (Odd Harmonics)
I SC /IL 〈11 11〈h〈17 17〈h〈23 23〈h〈35 35 〈 h % TDD
〈 20 * 4.0 2.0 1.5 0.6 0.3 5.0
20-50 7.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 0.5 8.0
50-100 10.0 4.5 4.0 1.5 0.7 12.0
100-1000 12.0 5.5 5.0 2.0 1.0 15.0
〉 1000 15.0 7.0 6.0 2.5 1.4 20.0
Even harmonics are limited to 25% of the odd harmonic limits above.
Current distortions that result in a dc offset, e.g., half-wave converters, are not allowed.
* All power generation equipment is limited to these values of current distortion, regardless of
actual ISC / IL.
Where,
ISC = Maximum Short Circuit at PCC.
IL = Maximum Load Current (Fundamental Frequency) at PCC.

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 Harmonics Limits

Total Harmonic Distribution for Different Voltage Levels in %

Bus Voltage at PCC Individual Total Voltage

Voltage Distortion THD (%)
Distortion (%)
69 kV and below 3.0 5.0
69.001 kV Thru 161 kV 1.5 2.5
161 kV and above 1.0 1.5

Case Study : Harmonics :

FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
Harmonic measurements were carried out with the help of Fluke Instrument and
the associated software to understand and evaluate the functioning of the
equipment and the consequent power quality effects on the input power supply.
Both instantaneous and continuous measurements were carried out using a
logging mechanism on the laptop computers. Measurements were taken at
different loading cycles to estimate the impact of load power factor. Observations on
the readings are detailed below.
200 CNC MACHINE (225KVA)

PHASE V AMPS KW KVA KVAR PF TDH-C 5TH -A 7TH-A

R 237 48.3/80.5 5.6 12.4 18.5 0.45 18.3 7.8%(3.8A) 7.8%(3.8A)

Y 238 35.7/56.6 5.1 8.5 6.6 0.6 16.2 6.9%(3.0A) 8.3%(3A)

B 237 22.9/35.5 1.8 5.4 5.1 0.34 13.2 12.2%(2.8A) 8.5%(3.1A)

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 Date

Phase Harmonics With and

Without Harmonic filter
No Blockade Harmonic Current Spectrum
100%
• Typical computer power
100%
90%
% Fundamental

80%
supply spectrum showing 70%

high 3rd harmonic with

60% 55%
50%

other harmonics 40%

30%
30%

decreasing in a smooth 20%

10%
11%
7%
curve.
5%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 2% 0% 2% 0% 1%
0%
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19
Harmonic Number

Blockade Harmonic Current Spectrum

100%
100%
90% 3rd order reduced
% Fundamental

80% from 55% to 5%

70%

• Note that the 3rd harmonic 60%

50%
has been almost 40%

completely removed and

30%
20%
20%
10% 11%
other harmonics are 10%
0%
0%
4%
0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 0%
4%
0% 1% 0% 1% 0% 2%

reduced. 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19
Harmonic Number

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• A way of describing distortion to a voltage or current
waveform

Harmonics

Harmonics
• A “linear” load connected to an electric power
system is defined as a load which draws
current from the supply which is proportional
to the applied voltage (for example, resistive
loads, incandescent lamps etc.).

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 Harmonics
• “Non‐linear” loads are, e.g., computers, variable
frequency drives, discharge lighting etc. They create
voltage distortion.

• Harmonics can affect both distribution system

equipment and loads connected to it.

• Use of non‐linear type devices is ever‐increasing.

Effects of
Harmonics
• Voltage harmonics
– Additional heating in induction and synchronous motors
– Weaken insulations of cables, windings and capacitors
– Malfunction of electronic devices

• Current harmonics
– Overheating of cables
– Overheating of distribution systems

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 Mitigation of
Harmonics

• Active filters, passive filters

• Power system design
• Isolation transformers
• Limiting non‐linear loads to 30%

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