Harmonic Analysis

Understanding of Harmonics
 “Harmonics are voltages and/or currents present in an electrical system at
some multiple of the fundamental frequency.” (IEEE Std 399, Brown Book)

 IEEE 519:2014 (Recommended Practice and

Requirement for Harmonic Control in
Electrical Power System)

 The presence of harmonics in electrical

system means that the current and voltage
are distorted and deviate from sinusoidal
waveform
Purpose of Harmonic Study
 With increase in nonlinear loads in commercial buildings and industrial plants,
which can be in the range of 30% to 50% of total load, the effect of harmonic
within the system and their impact on utility and neighboring loads needs to be
examined
 Compliance with IEEE-519 to satisfy the current distortion and voltage distortion
limits at Point of Common Coupling (PCC)
 History of harmonic related problems such as equipment heating & failures,
maloperation of protection devices
 Plant expansion where significant nonlinear loads or capacitor banks are added
 Designing a new facility or power system where load flow, power factor
compensation and harmonic analysis are considered as one integrated study to
determine how to meet the reactive power demand and harmonic performance
limits
What Causes Harmonics?
 Harmonic is generated by Nonlinear loads
 Nonlinear loads: The loads in which voltage and current waveform does not follow
one another. Means that the current waveform does not resemble the applied
voltage waveform
 Type of Nonlinear loads:
 Power converters  Battery chargers
 VFDs  Inverters
 Cyclo-converter  Fluorescent lighting
 Cranes  Arc Furnaces
 Elevators  Welding machines
 Steel mills
 Power supply
 UPS
What Causes Harmonics?
 Utilities (Power Grid)
 Known as “Background Harmonic”
 Pollution from other irresponsible customers
 Usually a voltage source
 Synchronous Generators
 Due to pitch (can be eliminated by fractional pitch winding) and saturation
 Usually a voltage source
 Transformers
 Due to magnetizing branch saturation
 Only at lightly loaded condition
 Usually a current source
 Nonlinear loads
 Either a voltage source or a current source
Why Harmonics Are Harmful?
 Harmonics overlay themselves on the fundamental waveform, distorting it
and changing its magnitude
Why Harmonics Are Harmful?
 Current Distortion Problems
 Increases Eddy current losses in transformer and generators
 Increases I2R losses in conductors, transformers and generators
 Overloaded neutrals

 Voltage Distortion Problems

 Failure of switch mode power supplies on PLC/Computer/Instruments
 Generator AVR malfunction
 False reading on critical sensors and instruments
 Increases operating temperature on induction motor windings & rotor bars
leading to motor failures
Why Harmonics Are Harmful?
 Motors and Generators
 Increased heating due to iron and copper losses
 Reduced efficiency and torque
 Higher audible noise
 Cogging or crawling
 Mechanical oscillations
 Transformers
 Parasitic heating
 Increased copper, stray flux and iron losses
 Capacitors (var compensators)
 Possibility of system resonance
 Increased heating and voltage stress
 Shortened capacitor life
Why Harmonics Are Harmful?
 Power Cables
 Involved in system resonance
 Voltage stress and corona leading to dielectric failure
 Heating and derating
 Neutrals of four-wire systems (480/277V; 120/208V)
 Overheating
 Fuses
 Blowing
 Relays
 Possibility of maloperation
 Metering
 Affected readings
Why Harmonics Are Harmful?
 Communication Systems
 Interference by higher frequency electromagnetic field
 Electronic Equipment (computers, PLC)
 Maloperation
 Burning
 System
 Resonance (serial and parallel)
 Poor power factor
Resonance
 Most power system circuit elements are primarily inductive
 Presence of shunt capacitors used for power-factor correction or harmonic
filtering can cause cyclic energy transfer between the inductive and capacitive
elements
 Resonance Frequency: The frequency at which the inductive and capacitive
reactance are equal is called “ Resonance Frequency”
 Types of Resonance
 Series Resonance (L and C in series)
 Parallel Resonance (L and C in parallel)
Series Resonance

Example Circuit Series Resonance

 L and C in series
 Results in Low Impedance
 Result of a series resonance may be the flow of unexpected amounts of
harmonic currents through certain elements
 A common manifestation of excessive harmonic current flow is inadvertent
relay operation, burned fuses, and overheating of cables, etc
Series Resonance

 Low value of R (usually in power equipment), the

magnitude of current can be large at resonance
 Impedance appears capacitive at low frequencies and
becomes inductive as the frequency increases
Parallel Resonance

Example Circuit Parallel Resonance

 L and C in parallel
 Results in High Impedance as R will be usually very small
 Result of a parallel resonance may be the flow of unexpected amounts of
harmonic currents through certain elements
 A common manifestation of excessive harmonic current flow is inadvertent
relay operation, burned fuses, and overheating of cables, etc.
Parallel Resonance

 Resonances can produce very large equivalent

impedances at or near the resonant frequency,
since R is generally small
 One unique property of the parallel resonant
circuit is that when excited from a current
source at this frequency, a high circulating
current will flow in the capacitance-inductance
loop even though the source current is small in
comparison
 Parallel resonance can produce undesirable
overvoltages
Quality Factor (Q Factor)-Single Tuned Filter
 Shape of impedance plot is often given in terms of Q factor

n=harmonic order (fn/f1)

 Quality Factor (Q) often plays an important role in filter design because most
single tuned harmonic filters are simple RLC series resonant circuit
 Typical value of Q fluctuate between 15 to 80 for industries
Harmonic Distortion Measurements
 Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
 Most popular index to measure the level of harmonic distortion to
voltage and current

 Ratio of the rms value of the harmonic components to the rms value of
the fundamental component and usually expressed in percent
 Individual Harmonic Distortion (IHD)

 Ratio of a given harmonic to fundamental

 To track magnitude of individual harmonic
Harmonic Distortion Measurements
 Total Demand Distortion (TDD)
 The total demand distortion (TDD) is the total harmonic current distortion

 Ratio of the rms value of the harmonic components to the maximum load
demand current and usually expressed in percent
 Where IL is the maximum demand load current at fundamental frequency
at point of common coupling (PCC)
 It is calculated as the average current of the maximum demands for the
previous twelve months
Voltage Distortion Limits-IEEE 519:2014
Current Distortion Limits-IEEE 519:2014
Current Distortion Limits for Systems Rated 120V Through 69kV
Current Distortion Limits-IEEE 519:2014
Current Distortion Limits for Systems Rated Above 69kV Through 161kV
Current Distortion Limits-IEEE 519:2014
Current Distortion Limits for Systems Rated Above 161kV
Effect of Variation of Source MVA

 Fault MVA is varied from 4000MVA to 10000MVA keeping X/R ratio constant
 Increase in source fault MVA increases the resonance frequency
 Conclusion: Industrial systems connected to very strong utility supplies (high
fault MVA) are less likely to encounter problematic resonance conditions at
low frequencies.
Effect of Size of Capacitor Banks

 The plots reveal, first, that resonant frequency decreases as capacitor bank
size (and therefore power factor) increases
 Peak resonant impedance increases as capacitor bank size (and therefore
power factor) decreases
Effect of System Resistance

 The resistance path (offers low impedance path) is taken by harmonics

during parallel resonance
 Higher loading levels on the system result in a lower impedance near a
parallel resonance
Reducing System Harmonics
 Add Passive Filter
 Shunt or Single Tuned Filters
 Broadband Filters or Band Pass Filters
 Provide low impedance path for harmonic current
 Least expensive

 Increase Pulse Numbers

 Increasing pulse number of convert circuits
 Limited by practical control problems
Reducing System Harmonics
 Apply Transformer Phase Shifting
 Using Phase Shifting Transformers
 Achieve higher pulse operation of the total converter installation
 Either standard phase shift or special phase shift can be used

 Add Active Filters

 Instantly adapts to changing source and load conditions
 Costly
Thank You