1

Harmonic impedance in
residential low voltage networks in
presence of electronic equipment
Panel on Modeling and measurement of network and
equipment impedance for harmonic studies
16PESGM2314

Jan Meyer
Robert Stiegler
Henning Hauptmann
Technische Universitaet Dresden, Germany
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Initial situation
• Newly planned and built residential low voltage network
- About 5 years ago (big city in Germany)
- About 240 domestic customers in single- and multi-family
houses
- Dominating share of modern energy-efficient equipment
- About 90 new energy-efficient street lights

Observed effects:
• Unusual high mains signalling levels (about 2.5 times the injection
level at medium voltage side)
• Limit exceeding for 9th and 15th harmonic voltage
(with respect to EN 50160)
• Sudden changes of some harmonic levels due to street light
switching

Typical indicators for a network resonance

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Typical resonance situations

a) Series resonance
a) Reihenresonanz
Excitation by
Upstream
Übergeordnete harmonic
U   konstvoltages
.
Netzebene
Network I  
b) Parallel resonance
20 kV U , UTF Excitation by
harmonic currents
b) Parallelresonanz

a) b) I   konst.1
I, ITF
f0 
U   2  L  C
I
400 V 400 V • High harmonic
currents in
capacitors
M M
~ ~ • High harmonic
voltages in the LV
network
TF – Mains signaling frequency
„ “
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Layout of the network

3,5 B 26 WE
MVA
WE - homes
SL
WE- street lights
Wohneinheiten
school SL Straßenleuchten
Schule
3,2
MVA 11 WE Breaker
Trennstelle
23 WE  - geschlossen
closed
offen
C  - open
9 10 WE
MVA 62 SL

Sr=630 kVA
uk=5,8 % 11 WE 7 WE

34 WE 1 WE 23 WE 7 WE
23 SL
54 D 35 WE
WE
3,3 MVA
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Simulation: using standard data

• Standard models provided by network calculation software
− PQ load model for domestic users (cos = 0,95 ind.)

• Significant
inductive
characteristic
• No impact of cable
capacitances below
2.5 kHz

No resonance
visible !

???
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Measurement: methodology
• Linear amplifier operated as current source
(up to 10 A, 150 kHz, 2.25 kVA)
• Excitation of the network with a sinusoidal current of varying
frequency („Single Sweep“)
• Impedance calculation based on current and voltage differences
(with/without excitation)

Low voltage grid Coupling Amplifier

(control and calculation)

D/A converter
A/D converter
Zhn

Computer
Vh Vm Ih
Im
Shunt

Signal
conditioning
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Measurement: practical setup

• Powered by separate generator unit to avoid influence of
the measurement setup itself on the network impedance
• Separate measurement of loop impedances (Lx-N)

Separate power Amplifier and Measurement

supply control computer instrument
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Measurement: Results without street lights

• Distinct parallel resonance
Simulation with
standard data at about 500 Hz
(seen as series resonance
from the MV grid)
• Resonance rise of
k = 1,5
• Similar characteristic at
junction boxes
• Good symmetry between
phases

Existence of additional
capacitances, but where ?
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Simulation: adding street lights (1)

Time characteristic Input impedance

• Resonance
frequency
f = 67 Hz
• Capacitive
characteristic for
all harmonics
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Simulation: adding street lights (2)

• Concentrated capacitances at the connection points of the
street lights

Distinct
resonance at
about 900 Hz

• Street lights not

the only reason
• Further
capacitances
must exist ...
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Impedance characteristic of electronic equipment

Rectifier circuits without grid- Rectifier circuits with grid-side
side shunt capacitances) shunt capacitances (filters)
500 250

400 200

i(t) 
i(t) 

150
300
i(t) / mA 

i(t) / mA 
100
200
50
100
0
0
-50

t
-100
0 30 60 90
angle / ° 
120 150 180 20 22
t
24
t / ms 
26 28 30

• Street lights not

the only reason
• Further
capacitances
must exist ...

• Distinctive different characteristic within a power cycle, with

mostly capacitive behaviour in the considered frequency range
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Measurement: “instantaneous” impedance (1)

• Measurement location C (street lights OFF)
• Significant difference in „instantanous“ impedance between
voltage maxima/minima and voltage zero-crossings

Voltage
minimum
(270°) Voltage
maximum
(90°)
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Measurement: “instantaneous” impedance (2)

Magnitude of impedance Phase angle of impedance

480 480
Hz Hz

• Profile close to resonance frequency

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Measurement: “instantaneous” impedance (3)

Magnitude at 480 Hz Phase angle at 480 Hz

ZB
ZM
ZM
ZB

ZA

ZA

ZA – Voltage min./max. ZB – Voltage zero-crossings ZM – „average impedance

• Two distinct impedance states (difference ratio of 5)

• Reason: „synchronized“ recharging of DC-link capacitors in
appliances with simple rectifier circuits (state A)
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Simulation: harmonic impedance model

• Model based on parallel RL- and RC-circuit

(Approach similar to CIGRE harmonic load model) RRC L
• Parameters per home about:
RRC ≈ 0,5 ; C ≈ 5 µF; L ≈ 95 mH; RRL ≈ 130  RRL
C

Limitations of the model:

• Many degrees of freedom for paramterization
• Valid only for harmonic simulations
• General applicability has still to be verified
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Simulation: results
Street lights
Beleuchtung EIN ON
fR Meas. Simulation
A
B
D
C

fR

• Good accuracy in the considered frequency range

• Good reflection of street light switching
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Key findings
• Modern nonlinear equipment significantly impacts the
network harmonic impedance in low voltage networks.

• Additional „distributed“ shunt capacitances can result

in resonances at low frequencies and should be considered
in harmonic studies.

• Standard load models are not able to realistically model

the network harmonic impedance.

• The „instantaneous“ impedance provides a good estimation

of the level of nonlinear equipment with simple rectifier
circuits.

Further measurements in other residential networks have

shown that the analysed network is (still) a special case.
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Further measurements
Central EV charging infrastructure (0 – 6 EVs 3~/32 A)

Anzahl
EV

Small PV plant
Anzahl (5+5+6 inverters 1~/7 kVA)
EV
Anzahl
PV
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Thank you for your

attention !

Open issues:
• How network harmonic impedance is defined in presence of
electronic equipment ?
• Which impedance characteristic should be used for EMC
coordination ?
• Which additional effects cannot be explained by the
classical „average“ impedance method ?

jan.meyer@tu-dresden.de