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Mitigrating Harmonics and Detrimental

Waveforms Caused by VFDs
EASA Convention 2014
Hynes Convention Center
Boston, MA
June 28, 2014

Presented by

Rick Hoadley
ABB, Inc.
New Berlin, WI

The Electro•Mechanical Authority

 MITIGATING HARMONICS AND DETRIMENTAL WAVEFORMS CAUSED BY VFDS
Rick Hoadley
ABB
New Berlin, WI

Whenever an application engineer is planning on AC Drive

installing adjustable speed drives for AC motors, line
current harmonics and reflected waves are two factors
that need to be addressed. Four basic questions

AC Motor Output
AC Line Input
should be answered in order to successfully
commission the drive system:
1) What is my power system like today
2) What impact will the additional drive(s) have on
the power quality for the other equipment
3) If needed, what harmonics mitigation method
should be used Converter DC Inverter
4) How long and what type of cable is used AC to DC Bus DC to AC
between the drive and motor Filter
This paper will deal with understanding IEEE Std Fig 2 - Power Sections of a Basic 6-Pulse AC Drive
519 and various mitigation methods in order to meet
First, the AC line is converted to fixed voltage DC
those recommendations. It will also review the types
and is filtered by the DC bus filter. This section may
of filtering that is available to reduce the reflected
be called a converter or a rectifier. The AC to DC
waves, first turn insulation stress, and common mode
conversion is what produces pulses of line currents
voltages seen at the motor terminals.
that are not sinusoidal, but contain harmonics of the
order (6n +/- 1) which are the 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, etc.
POWER CONVERSION BY AC DRIVES
AC drives, also known as adjustable speed drives Next, the fixed voltage DC is changed (inverted) to
(ASDs) or variable frequency drives (VFDs), convert the adjustable voltage and frequency required by the
the fixed frequency, fixed voltage supplied by the utility motor to control its torque and speed. This process
produces a series of voltage pulses whose widths are
to an adjustable frequency, adjustable voltage that is
modulated (PWM) or varied. The inductance in the
connected to an AC motor in order to control the
motor integrates these voltage pulses and draws a
speed, torque and direction of rotation of the motor.
sinusoidal current from the drive. These voltage
Instead of being limited to its torque vs speed curve,
pulses have a high rate of change (dV/dt) which
the drive and motor has an area of operation on the
torque vs speed graph. See Fig 1. causes reflected wave voltage spikes at the motor
terminals.
An industrial drive uses a filter at its input and at its
output in order to minimize the impact the line current
pulses have on the line voltage, and the impact the
Per Unit Torque

motor PWM pulses have on the motor windings. See

Fig 3.

Speed, rpm

Fig 1 – Torque vs Speed Operating Area

However, in the process of converting the fixed 3- Fig 3 - Power Sections of an Industrial AC Drive
phase line voltage and frequency to an adjustable 3-
phase motor voltage and frequency, two power
conversions take place. See Fig 2.

1
AC DRIVE HARMONICS that even if you follow them, it does not guarantee you
Fig 4 shows that for a 3-phase system, utilizing a will not have harmonic issues. You can think of them
full-wave diode bridge rectifier with a capacitor DC bus as “best practices.”
filter, the only time current is allowed to charge the Two tables are critical to understanding what limits
capacitor is whenever the AC line-to-line voltage need to be met within a facility. They are reproduced
exceeds the DC bus voltage. This is the reason why in Table I and Table II below.
there are two current pulses per phase, which means Harmonic Voltage Limits Table 10.2

we have (2 pulses per phase per cycle)*(3 phases) = 6 Low-Voltage Systems

pulses per cycle. When the current waveform is Application Maximum THD (%)
analyzed, it is found to contain an harmonic spectrum Special Applications - hospitals and airports 3.0%
General System 5.0%
similar to Fig 5. Its Ithd is about 83%. Dedicated System - exclusively converter load 10.0%

Table I – Table 10.2 from IEEE Std 519-1992 Showing

Recommended Voltage Distortion Limits
81.50m
82.50m 85.00m 87.50m 90.00m 92.50m
93.50m
Amplitude (200 V or A/div)

800.0 VMab.V = f...

La.I = f(t, b...

Vab Vac Vbus

Cbus.V = f(...
VMac.V = f...
VMan.V [V]...

600.0 600.0 Current distortion Limits for General Distribution Systems (120V through 69,000V)
Maximum Harmonic Current Distortion in Percent of Iload
400.0
Van 400.0
Is c/Iload <11 11<=h<17 17<=h<23 23<=h<35 35<=h T D D  (% )
<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
200.0
Ia 200.0 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
0 0
Even harmonics are limited to 25% of the odd harmonic limits above
-100.0 -100.0 Table 10.3
81.50m
82.50m 85.00m 87.50m 90.00m 92.50m
93.50m

Is c=maximum short circuit current at PCC

Iload=maximum demand load current (fundamental frequency component) at PCC
Time (2.5ms/div)
Fig 4 – Voltages and Currents Associated with the Basic Table II – Table 10.3 from IEEE Std 519-1992 Showing
AC Drive Recommended Current Distortion Limits at the PCC

100 HARMONIC MEASUREMENTS

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 3 5 7 9 11
Fig 5 – Current Harmonic Spectrum for the Basic AC
Drive. The Fundamental is Green, the Harmonics are Blue.
IEEE STD 519-1992
This standard has had a significant impact in the
drive application field from the time it was published.
Its title is, “IEEE Recommended Practices and
Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power
Systems.” [1] Originally published in 1981, and
revised in 1992, its only released update has been a
draft titled, “IEEE P519.1/D9a, Draft: Guide for
Applying Harmonic Limits on Power Systems.” [2]
These documents are very informative as tutorials in
this subject for giving the background that led to the
recommendations given. It is important to point out
that these are not “standards” which have to be met by
law, but are recommendations. Recommendations
simply mean that by following them, you are less likely
to have an issue regarding harmonics. It also means
Several manufacturers build power system
analyzers that include voltage and current harmonic
measurements. Using the instrumentation is
straightforward – connect the voltage probes and
current probes to your power system. Be sure that the
probes and any potential transformers and current
transformers used have the insulation voltage and
13 15 17 19 21 23 25
frequency range required for the measurements.
th
Usually, harmonics up to the 100 is more than
th
adequate. Please realize that the 100 harmonic is
6000Hz, well within the audible range of hearing! The
locations where the measurements are taken, and the
operating conditions of the facility, need to be clearly
noted at the time the measurements are taken. For
example:
a) The Point of Common Coupling (PCC) is the
location where the harmonics are to be
measured. The PCC includes the metering
location for a plant since that is where the
voltage from the utility is shared, or is
common, with other customers. Another
location of interest within a facility is where
linear and non-linear loads share a common
AC bus. [3]
b) The facility is operating under maximum load
conditions which last for 15 minutes or longer.
Temporary operating conditions such as
starting, stopping, momentary overloads, etc,
do not constitute maximum loading. This

2
 maximum loading would include all linear and
non-linear loads. [4][5][6]
Users often request that harmonic measurements be
made at the input terminals of a piece of equipment
within their facility. This may be a point of interest, but
this usually is not the PCC where the IEEE 519
recommends the measurements be taken.
Misunderstanding the above points has led several
users to purchase more harmonic filtering equipment
than is necessary. The additional filtering equipment
did not hurt them with respect to their power system,
but it did have an impact on their finances that could
have been avoided.
Each has pros and cons, and each reduces the
harmonic currents a different amount and in different
ways. [9][10][11]
MITIGATION METHOD – NONE
If no harmonic mitigation is added to the basic AC
drive, the line current harmonics can be between 80-
120% Ithd. Fig 6 is a simplified version of Fig 2 which
is a basic AC drive, also showing the transformer
feeding the rectifier. Fig 7 is an example of its line
current. The only impedance in the circuit is in the
transformer.

HARMONIC ANALYSIS
The readings obtained from the measurements do
not directly determine whether or not IEEE 519 is
being met. Some analysis is required. For example,
an up-to-date one-line diagram of the facility is
required in order to help determine the short circuit
current available at the measurement point(s). If the Fig 6 – Basic AC drive with No Harmonic Mitigation
equipment within the plant is not operating at
This can cause significant voltage distortion, and
maximum load (which may occur only once a year), an
leaves the drive open to over-voltage trips due to line
extrapolation is needed to determine what the
voltage transients seen during the switching of power
expected distortions may be under those extenuating
factor correction caps and large inductive loads.
circumstances.
These transients often cause the unprotected drive to
If the facility has back-up generators, a separate
trip on over-voltage.
analysis is needed when operating under those
conditions. Measurements taken when powered by
the back-up generators are very helpful. [7]
150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m 200.0m
400.0 La.I = f( ...

The analysis will calculate the following parameters:

1) Ifund is the fundamental current component of 200.0 200.0

the current measurement.

0 0
2) Iharm is the harmonic current component of
the current measurement. It is calculate by -200.0 -200.0

taking the RSS (square root of the sum of the

squares) of the individual harmonic currents. -400.0
150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m
-400.0
200.0m

This is the portion of the current that creates

voltage distortion throughout a facility.
Fig 7 – Line Current for Basic AC Drive
3) Ithd is the ratio of Iharm to Ifund, and
quantitatively determines the amount of
distortion contained within a waveform. As can
be seen, the Ithd does not tell the whole story MITIGATION METHOD – AC LINE REACTOR
since it is only a ratio. The least expensive method to reduce the
4) Itdd is the Ithd calculation when the facility is harmonics of an AC drive is to insert a 3-phase line
operating at maximum load. This is considered reactor ahead of the drive. See Fig 8.
to be worst case conditions since Vthd is at its
maximum at this point.
5) Vthd is the ratio of Vharm to the nominal
Vfund. These are calculated the same way as
the current counterparts are calculated.
The result of the analysis of the measurements, not
the measurements themselves, determine if the facility
meets the recommended practices of IEEE 519 or not.
[8]
Fig 8 – AC Line Reactor
After the analysis has been performed, if it has been
determined that additional harmonic mitigation is
required, there are several methods to choose from.
3
 This greatly reduces the characteristic harmonics of
th th
a 6-pulse drive (the 5 and 7 harmonics) by reducing 400.0
150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m 200.0m
La.I = f(t...
the Crest Factor (CF = Ipk / Irms) of the current
waveform. Ithd would typically be between 30-45% as 200.0 200.0

shown in Fig 9.
0 0

150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m 200.0m

400.0 La.I = f(t...
-200.0 -200.0

200.0 200.0
-400.0 -400.0
150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m 200.0m

0 0

Fig 11 – Line Current for DC Link Choke

-200.0 -200.0

The advantage of this method is that the DC bus

-400.0
150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m
-400.0
200.0m
droop is reduced to less than 1% by the impedance of
the DC link choke, even when operating at full speed
and full load. However, protection of the diode
Fig 9 – Line Current for AC Line Reactor
rectifiers is not present as it is with an AC line reactor
This is accomplished by decreasing the rate of solution.
change of the current that is flowing through it. Typical Combining an AC line reactor with a DC link choke is
reactor values are 3% and 5% based on their rated a good way to get the best of both, with an Ithd of
voltage and current. Please realize that when around 25-35%. The maximum recommended is a 5%
operating at maximum speed and load, the DC bus DC link choke with a 3 or 5% AC line reactor.
voltage will be reduced by the percentage of the
MITIGATION METHOD – PASSIVE HARMONIC
reactor used. This will cause the motor to operate at a
FILTER
reduced voltage when its frequency is above 95% of
Passive harmonic filters, seen in Fig 12, operate by
nominal, leading to additional current in the motor and th
providing a tuned circuit filter, typically close to the 5
additional losses in the rotor. Rarely would a 10% line th
harmonic, where the 5 harmonic contained in the AC
reactor help more than it would hurt.
drive’s line current can transfer between the drive and
Line reactors are also very helpful in protecting the
the filter.
drive from transient line voltages by being a buffer
between the transient and the DC bus capacitor.
Unbalanced phases, single phase sources, open
delta distribution transformer sources – problems
caused by each of these can be reduced by using a
line reactor. Multiple drives can share a single line
reactor. A rule of thumb would be a 3% reactor for
three drives, and a 5% reactor for 5 drives. This
allows a minimum of 1% if only one drive in the group Fig 12 – Passive Harmonic Filter
was on and the others were switched off.
They can reduce the Ithd to between 5-8% as shown
MITIGATION METHOD – DC LINK CHOKE in Fig 13.
Another method to limit the rate of rise of the line
current is to place the inductance in the DC bus link, -25.00m -20.00m -10.00m 0 10.00m 20.00m 24.90m

between the rectifier and the bus capacitors. See Fig 150.0 Ia = f( S,...

10. 100.0 100.0

50.0 50.0

0 0

-50.0 -50.0

-100.0 -100.0

-150.0 -150.0
-25.00m -20.00m -10.00m 0 10.00m 20.00m 24.90m

Fig 10 – DC Link Choke Fig 13 – Line Current for Passive Harmonic Filter

Ithd would typically be between 30-40% as shown in Since the harmonics are like reactive currents in that
Fig 11. they do not provide power to the load, they simply

4
move between the drive and the source with an
average of zero Watts every cycle. The filter now is a
source for those harmonics so the transformer feeding
the drive does not have to provide them. The current
into the drive still looks like Fig 9, but the current out of
the transformer looks like Fig 13.
MITIGATION METHOD – MULTI-PULSE RECTIFIER
A passive method for a dramatic reduction in line
current harmonics has been the use of multi-pulse
rectifiers. These are typically 12-pulse and 18-pulse
rectifiers for low-voltage AC drives, and 24-pulse and
36-pulse rectifiers for medium voltage AC drives.
They are made up of multiple 6-pulse diode bridges
fed from phase shifted transformer secondaries. [12]
For example, as seen in Fig 14 and Fig 15, the
bridges can be placed in series or in parallel. Series
bridges are less affected by existing voltage distortion.
Fig 14 – Parallel 12-Pulse Rectifier
Fig 15 – Series 12-Pulse Rectifier
0°
30°
Fig 16 – Pseudo 12-Pulse Rectifier
A method of creating a pseudo 12-pulse rectifier
system would be to place half of the drives in the
facility on a delta-wye transformer, and leave the
5
others untouched. This produces 12-pulse like current
in the primary lines. See Fig 16.
The phase sift between the two secondaries is equal
to 360/(# of pulses desired). So, 360/12 = 30 deg.
This is usually accomplished using a delta-wye
transformer since it provides that phase shift. The
interesting thing is that as the harmonics go through
the phase shifting transformer, they also experience a
phase shift so that the primary current looks different,
but has the same set of harmonics with the same
amplitudes, but at different phase angles with respect
to one another. Fig 17a shows the two sets of
currents that combine to create a 12-pulse current
waveform seen in Fig 17b. Ithd is between 9-12%.
184.00
2DGraphSel1
100.00
AM1dp.I ...
AM1yp.I...
0
-100.00
-182.00
150.00m 160.00m 180.00m 200.00m
Fig 17a – Line Current in the Primary Due to Each
Secondary of the 12-Pulse Rectifier
2DGraphS...
302.50
200.00
-200.00
AM1p.I [A]
-300.00
150.00m 160.00m 180.00m 200.00m
Fig 17b – Line Current for 12-Pulse Rectifier
An 18-pulse system would require three 6-pulse
bridges, each with a phase shift of 20 degrees. Fig 18
and Fig 19 show a parallel connection for this
configuration using either a transformer with three
secondaries or an auto-transformer. [13] A series
configuration could also be made with a transformer
with three secondaries but the secondary voltage
would be less for each series secondary than the
parallel secondary design.
Fig 18 – Parallel 18-Pulse Rectifier
 The interesting part of an active filter is that they can
th
be programmed to supply just the 5 , or just a
combination of harmonics, or all of the harmonics, or
just the reactive current. Realize that the filter need
only be sized for about 30% of the current rating of the
drive(s) since that is about the magnitude of harmonic
current created by the drive(s).
Fig 19 – Parallel Auto-Transformer 18-Pulse Rectifier
MITIGATION METHOD – ACTIVE FRONT END
The current waveform as shown in Fig 20 has an An active front end (AFE) is a different kind of
Ithd of between 4-5%. rectifier for the drive. This would replace the 6 diodes
in the full-wave rectifier with 6 IGBTs as shown in Fig
317.50
2DGraphS...
23. The IGBTs are pulse width modulated in order to
create a sinusoidal voltage source that would work
200.00
against the line supply, and draw a sinusoidal current.
Regenerative AC Drive
0

AC Motor Output
AC Line Input
-200.00 AM1p.I [A]

-290.00
150.00m 160.00m 180.00m 200.00m

Fig 20 – Line Current for 18-Pulse Rectifier

Converter DC Inverter
AC to DC Bus DC to AC
MITIGATION METHOD – ACTIVE HARMONIC Filter
FILTER
An active harmonic filter is an additional power Fig 23 – Active Front End (AFE)
converter that monitors the line current feeding a drive There is a 10% line reactor between these two
or group of drives, and provides the harmonic currents voltage sources. By controlling the magnitude and the
needed in order to off-load those currents from the phase angle of the PWM, the current through the line
transformer. See Fig 21. reactor can be controlled with respect to its magnitude,
direction, and phase angle. This is how the drive with
an AFE can operate in all four quadrants – motoring
and regenerating, forward and reverse. It is also able
to maintain unity power factor over its operating range.
See Fig 24.

Fig 21 – Active Harmonic Filter

This can easily reduce the Ithd on the secondary of

the transformer to between 3-6% as shown in Fig 22.

-25.00m -20.00m -10.00m 0 10.00m 20.00m 24.90m

150.0 Ia = f( S,...

100.0 100.0

50.0 50.0

0 0

-50.0 -50.0

-100.0 -100.0
Fig 24 – Current Magnitude, Phase Angle, and Direction
-150.0
-25.00m -20.00m -10.00m 0 10.00m 20.00m 24.90m
-150.0
Determined by Magnitude and Phase Angle of AFE
The current waveform, shown in Fig 25, requires an
Fig 22 – Line Current for Active Harmonic Filter additional LC filter in order to reduce the notching that
otherwise would be seen. With this LCL filter, though,

6
very low harmonic distortion can be achieved – within the motor windings which could lead to a
between 3-5%. shorted turn within a phase, or a line-to-line short
between phases, or a line-to-ground short to the frame
200.0
145.0m
150.0m 162.5m 175.0m 187.5m
195.0m
Lx1.I = ...
of the motor, a filter needs to be placed at the output of
the drive. Four types of filters have been successfully
100.0 100.0 used.

0 0 REFLECTED WAVE MITIGATION – LOAD

-100.0
-200.0
145.0m
150.0m 162.5m
Fig 25 – Line Current for Active Front End
Active front ends are also called synchronous
converters, synchronous rectifiers, regenerative
rectifiers, or low-harmonic rectifiers.
As we have seen, there are several different
methods available to reduce the harmonics produced
by the rectifier section of an AC drive. With the proper
selection of the PCC for measurements, the least
costly solution can be utilized. Most drive
manufacturers have a tool to help estimate the
harmonics that would be seen within a facility and help
determine which solution would be needed to meet
IEEE 519. As mentioned previously, demanding a 5%
Ithd at the equipment input terminals is not always
necessary or cost effective.
REFLECTED WAVES
Reflected waves began to show up at the motor
terminals as the power switching devices within the AC
drives became faster, and as the cable length between
the drive and motor became longer. Previously, this
was just a phenomenon in the transmission line world.
If the peak voltage of the ringing reflected wave
exceeds the Corona Initiation Voltage (CIV) level of
the insulation system, corona will begin to damage the
insulation. See Fig 26.
2DGraphSel1
3.00
REACTOR
-100.0 A 3% reactor on the output of a drive helps reduce
the reflected wave voltage peak seen at the motor
175.0m 187.5m
-200.0
195.0m terminals, but is not very effective. The addition of this
reactor will also cause a voltage drop about equal to
the percentage of the inductance. In this case, the
voltage drop would be about 3% at full load. This also
can be a problem for drives that do an auto-tuning or
an ID-run in order to determine the motor parameters.
The additional inductance will appear to be part of the
motor and the motor model may not allow ideal
operation. A scalar mode of operation may have to be
used in the drive. See Fig 27.
M
Fig 27 – Load Reactor
REFLECTED WAVE MITIGATION – DV/DT FILTER
A dV/dt filter incorporates a reactor and capacitor to
reduce the rate-of-rise of the voltage pulses sent to the
motor. The reactor would typically be around 0.2% so
very little voltage drop would be seen across the
reactor. The capacitor does the majority of the work in
reducing the steepness of the voltage pulses and the
reactor prevents the capacitor from looking like a short
circuit for the voltage source inverter. This is very
effective for cable lengths up to 300m. See Fig 28.

2.00 CIV Level

1.00 DC Bus

0
M
-1.00

CIV Level
-2.00
VM1.V [V]
VM2.V [V]

-3.00
500.00u 750.00u 1.00m 1.25m 1.50m 1.75m 2.00m 2.25m 2.50m 2.75m 3.00m Fig 28 – dV/dt Filter
Fig 26 – Ringing Reflected Wave at the Motor (blue)
Exceeding the CIV of the Motor Insulation System REFLECTED WAVE MITIGATION – SINEWAVE
NEMA MG-1 parts 30 and 31 [22] state that a motor FILTER
designed for drive applications should meet their A sinewave filter is larger and more complex than a
standard such that its insulation system can withstand dV/dt filter in the sense that it must trap all of the
2.04 x rated voltage peaks with rise times of 1us or harmonics other than the fundamental. Usually, the
greater. in order to reduce the risk of causing corona output inverter operates at a fixed carrier frequency or

7
within a frequency window. The filter is then tuned to
that carrier frequency and multiples of it in order to
leave only the fundamental for the motor. A drive
using this type of filter must operate with a scalar
control since the motor’s parameters cannot be
determined by the drive. With this filter, though,
cables as long as 10km is possible. Also, motors older
than 25 years may work well with this drive and filter
without causing degradation to their insulation system.
See Fig 29.
M Fig 31 – Uneven distribution of voltage along a winding
Fig 29 – Sinewave Filter
REFLECTED WAVE MITIGATION – RC
TERMINATION
Another type of mitigation method for reflected
waves is to use an RC termination located at the motor
terminals. This helps to match the surge impedance of
the cables to the surge impedance of the motor,
effectively reducing the peak voltage seen. Since this
filter is in parallel with the motor, one filter size can be
used with several different motor power ratings. See
Fig 30.
M -500
Fig 30 – RC Termination
FIRST TURN FAILURES
Fast rising waveforms do not distribute their voltage
evenly across a motor winding as the normal line
voltage would do. This results in an uneven
distribution where 50% or more will appear across the
first one or two turns of the winding. This causes a
greater amount of stress on the insulation system and
can lead to premature failure of the insulation between
the first two turns. See Fig 31. The only ways to
reduce the likelihood of a first turn failure are to
improve the insulation system of the winding, don’t use
a random wound construction, and reduce the dV/dt of
the output voltage waveform.
8
due to fast rise-time of the voltage
COMMON MODE VOLTAGES AND CURRENTS
The waveform of the output motor voltage with
respect to ground of a PWM drive contains the high
dV/dt switching due to the IGBTs turning on and off,
creating a variable voltage, variable frequency for the
motor. Not only is the output voltage switching at a
fast rate, the sum of all three phases do not add to
zero, creating a common-mode voltage with respect to
ground. See Fig 32. 2DGraphSel1
500
400
300
200
100
VMpg.V [V]
VMng.V [V]
0
VMcng1....
-100
-200
-300
-400
175.00m 180.00m 182.50m 185.00m 187.50m 190.00m 192.50m 195.00m 200.00m
Fig 32 – Common mode voltage on the output of a PWM
drive
In addition, since there is parasitic capacitance
between the motor leads and ground, and between the
motor stator winding and ground, and even between
the motor stator and its rotor, higher than normal
currents will flow through that capacitance (I = C x
dV/dt). The faster the switching rate, the higher the
dV/dt, the greater the amount of common mode
current will flow in the system. The normal line
frequency voltage causes very little current to flow
through the parasitic capacitance within the system
due to its low frequency (low dV/dt). This common
mode current can become an issue if its path back to
the drive is not controlled, and it is allowed to flow
through other equipment on its way back to the drive.
One key solution is to use shielded cable between
the drive and motor, and ground the shield at both
ends, in order to provide a low impedance path for the
common mode currents from the motor back to the
drive. This way, those currents will not affect other
pieces of equipment within the facility. Another is to
provide a high frequency path within the drive between
ground and its DC bus for these currents to follow.
Common mode reactors will reduce the currents as
well. This will also reduce bearing currents. See Fig
33.
CM Reactor dV/dt Filter Shielded Cable
CM Filter
Fig 33 – Proper filters and shielded cables to mitigate
common mode currents
SUMMARY OF HARMONIC MITIGATION
Installations where the majority of the load is AC
drives, harmonic mitigation is critical for each drive or
for each group of drives. Most installations usually
require a minimal amount of harmonic mitigation since
the fundamental current far exceeds the harmonic
current. However, most specifications call for
harmonic levels to be measured at the input to AC
drives, at levels significantly lower than the
recommendations of the IEEE 519 standard. This
leads to an increase in the cost of the equipment
which is not necessary. A simple study can help
determine how much mitigation is required instead of
demanding the most expensive solution for every
piece of equipment installed. [14][15][16][17][18]
To summarize:
1. At a minimum, use a Line Reactor
2. 18-Pulse
a. Widely accepted
b. Most often specified
c. Works well
3. Passive Filters
a. Suited to lower power ratings <100 hp
b. Numerous suppliers
c. Leading PF at no load
4. Active Filters
a. Showing up on specifications
b. Versatile – used for single drives or
multiple drives
5. AFE
a. Widely accepted in Europe
b. Growing in acceptance in North America
SUMMARY OF REFLECTED WAVE MITIGATION
The behavior of reflected waves is well understood.
The switching speed of the IGBTs along with the
length of cable between the drive and motor have a
significant impact on the peak voltage seen at the
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motor. The consultant or the specifier should work
with the drive manufacturer in order to determine the
most cost effective solution for this issue. [19][20]
One other solution that was not mentioned since it
isn’t a “filter” to speak of is the use of shielded cable
between the drive and motor. The inherent properties
of a shielded cable provide a dV/dt type of filter and
will usually lower the peak reflected wave voltages at
the motor. In addition, the shielded cable provides a
controlled path for common mode currents to return
directly to the drive without finding their own way
through the facility, causing odd behavior in other
equipment. [21]
To summarize:
1. No output Filter
a. Acceptable for most short distance
applications
2. dV/dt Filter
a. Low cost
b. Good for distances up to 1000 ft
3. Broadband Filter
a. Greater voltage drop for the motor
4. RC Filter
a. One-size-fits-all
b. Must be located at the motor
5. Sine-wave Filter
a. Best waveform
b. Good for very long distances
c. Most expensive
SUMMARY OF FIRST TURN FAILURE MITIGATION
1. Improve the insulation system of the winding
2. Use a form wound construction
3. Add a dV/dt filter to the output of the drive
SUMMARY OF COMON MODE MITIGATION
Common mode currents can be more difficult to
trace and reduce, but there are some basic practices
that should always be followed:
1. Insulate both bearings on the motor
2. Use a shaft grounding brush
3. Use a bonding strap to connect the motor to its
driven equipment
4. Use shielded cables between the drive and
motor, and ground both ends
5. If needed, use an isolation transformer on the
input to the drive
CONCLUSION
Being aware of these issues and the many solutions
available, the AC drive installation can be made
problem free for the lifetime of the equipment.
REFERENCES
[1] ANSI/IEEE Std 519-1992, IEEE Recommended
Practices and Requirements for Harmonic Control in
 Electrical Power Systems, New York, NY:
Press, 1992
[2] IEEE P519.1/D9a, IEEE Draft: Guide for Applying
Harmonic Limits on Power Systems, New York, NY:
IEEE Press, 2004
IEEE [16] F.L. Hoadley, “Harmonic Fundamentals and a
Comparison of Harmonic Mitigation Methods for AC
Drives,” a tutorial from PCIC, 2006
[17] M.H.L. Bollen, Understanding Power Quality
Problems, New York, NY, IEEE Press, 2000

[3] T.M. Blooming and D.J. Carnovale, “Application of [18] R.C. Dugan, M.F. McGranaghan, S. Santoso, H.W.
IEEE Std 519-1992 Harmonic Limits,” in IEEE PPIC Beaty, Electrical Power Systems Quality, New York,
Conference Record, 2006, pp14-22 NY, McGraw-Hill, second edition, 2003

[4] ANSI C57.110-1986, “IEEE Recommended practice [19] G. Skibinski, R. Kerkman, D. Leggate, J. Pankau, D.
for establishing transformer capability when supplying Schlegel, “Reflected Wave Modeling Techniques for
non-sinusoidal load currents”, 1430 Broadway, New PWM AC Motor Drives,” in IEEE IAS Conference
York, NY Record, 1998

[5] A. Kelly et al, " Transformer De-rating for Harmonic [20] G.L. Skibinski, “A Series Resonant Sinewave Output
current a wide band measurement approach for Filter for PWM VSI Loads,” in IEEE IAS Conference
energized transformers” IEEE Transactions on Record, 2002
Industry Applications, Vol. 35, No. 6, Nov, 1999, pp.
1450-1458 [21] G. Skibinski, D. Leggate, R. Kerkman, “Cable
Characteristics and Their Influence on Motor Over-
[6] J. Frank, " Origin, development and design of K-rated Voltages,” in IEEE IAS Conference Record, 1997
Transformers” IEEE Industry Applications Magazine,
Sept, 1997, pp. 67-70 [22] NEMA Standards Publication MG 1-2009, Motors and
Generators, Rosslyn, VA, 2009
[7] R. Paes, T. McDaniel, G. Seggewiss, “Application of
Medium Voltage Adjustable Speed Drives on
Generator Fed Supplies,” in IEEE PCIC Conference
Record, 2004, pp189-198
Frederick (Rick) Hoadley
[8] IEEE Std 1459-2000, IEEE Standard Definitions for
the Measurement of Electric Power Quantities Under ABB
Sinusoidal, Nonsinusoidal, Balanced, or Unbalanced 16250 W Glendale Dr
Conditions, New York, NY: IEEE Press, 2000 New Berlin, WI 53151
Rick.L.Hoadley@us.abb.com
[9] F.L. Hoadley, “Comparison of Methods for the www.abb.com
Mitigation of Line Disturbances due to PWM AC
Drives,” in IEEE PPIC Conference Record, 2007

[10] F.L. Hoadley, “Curb the Disturbance,” IEEE Industry

Applications, vol. 14, no. 5, Sept/Oct, 2008

[11] F.L. Hoadley, G.L. Skibinski, S. Kennedy,

“Comparison of AC to DC Rectifier Topologies
Operating on Various Power Distribution Networks,” in
IEEE PCIC Conference Record, 2008

[12] D.A. Paice, Power Electronic Converter Harmonics,

New York, NY: IEEE Press, 1995

[13] G.L. Skibinski, N. Guskov, D. Zhou, “Cost Effective

Multi-Pulse Transformer Solutions For Harmonic
Mitigation in AC Drives,” in IEEE IAS Conference
Record, 2003

[14] M.M. Adibi, “Power System Restoration,” a tutorial

from PowerCon, 2004

[15] J. Arrillaga, D.A. Bradley, P.S. Bodger, Power System

Harmonics, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1985

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