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RESOLVING TRANSFORMER NOISE AND ELECTRICAL HARMONICS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP WELL PUMPING SYSTEMS

Craig Patterson, Project Engineer, Meurer & Associates Paul D. Goldfain, Associate Principal, Meurer & Associates Robert Anderson, Electrical Engineer, The RMH Group David Kaunisto, District Manager, East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District

East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District

East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District




 

Approximately 50,000 population 10-15 MGD yearly range Water Supply


Arapahoe aquifer (1,500 - 1,800 deep) deep)

Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer (1,800 2,300

Deep Well Installation Diagram


480 Volts UTILITY TRANSFORMER (XFMR) 480 Volts 2300 Volts STEP-UP TRANSFORMER

VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE (VFD)

SUBMERSIBLE WELL PUMP AND MOTOR

Deep Well Installation Diagram


480 Volts 480 Volts 2300 Volts

VFD
PUMPING WATER LEVEL (PWL) 1-YEAR

PUMPING WATER LEVEL (PWL)

10-YEAR

Variable Speed Pumps


Head 3000
70 Hz 60 Hz

2000

10 Year PWL

50 Hz
1 Year PWL

0 0 200 400 Gallons Per Minute 600


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Discussion of Problem Power Factor


Power Factor is the percentage difference between apparent and actual power.  The Electric utility requires at least 95%.


 P.S. SA-8 was 84%.

Discussion of Problem Power Factor


 The current lags the voltage because of motor load.

Discussion of Problem Transformer Noise




Complaints from neighbors about transformer noise.

Transformers
Utility

Stepup

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Physical Muffling of Transformer Noise by Fence

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Goal
Equipment combination that will: Provide adequate power factor Reduce noise to acceptable level Provide operating flexibility to meet varying demands.

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Electrical Analysis


RMH Group analyzed the power systems at several pump stations. They determined that problem was caused by voltage and current harmonics generated in the VFDs.

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Variable-Frequency Drive
Accusine Active Filter VFDs

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Variable Frequency Drive


6-step VFD voltage source output

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Electrical Harmonics
Graph of harmonics

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Electrical Harmonics
Graph of harmonics

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Harmonic Current Distortion


Well SL-10 VFD operating without Accusine

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Transformer Vibration

Core Base connected to box

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How Noisy Is It?


decibels (dB) Whisper 30 Light Traffic 40-50 Vacuum Cleaner 70 Garbage Disposal 80 Circular Saw 100 Rock Concert 110-130 Threshold of Pain 108-130 Jet Takeoff 140
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Decibels vs. Audible Noise

Decibels (dB)

Equipment Tested
 12-step or Pulse-Width Modulated VFD
More frequent pulsing reduces distortion.

 Southwest Electric Quiet Transformers


Larger core, rubber supports, sound proofing

 MTE load filter

(for PWM drive) Converts VFD output to sinusoidal wave

 Accusine Active filter


Senses current, then gates just the right amount of power through the filter to correct distortion.
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Transformer Vibration

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Harmonic Current Distortion


Well SL-10 VFD operating without Accusine

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Harmonic Current Distortion


Well SL-10 VFD operating with Accusine

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Accusine Installation Diagram


480 Volts UTILITY TRANSFORMER (XFMR) 480 Volts 480 Volts 2300 Volts

ACCUSINE ACTIVE FILTER

6-STEP VFD

STEP-UP TRANSFORMER

SUBMERSIBLE WELL PUMP AND MOTOR


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MTE Load Filter Installation Diagram


480 Volts UTILITY TRANSFORMER (XFMR) PWM (VFD) 480 Volts 480 Volts 2300 Volts

MTE LOAD FILTER

STEP-UP TRANSFORMER

SUBMERSIBLE WELL PUMP AND MOTOR


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Equipment Tests
6-Pulse VFD Utility Transformer 72 dB Step-up Transformer 68 dB

P.S. SA-8/SL-8

SWE Quiet Step-up Transformer 60 dB 12-Pulse VFD with Phase-Shift Transformer Utility Transformer 68 dB SWE Quiet Step-up Transformer 60 dB TAPS Phasor Step-up Transformer 63 dB
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Equipment Tests
Before:

P.S. SA-8/SL-8

Utility Transformer 72 dB Step-up Transformer 68 dB Utility Power Factor 84%

After adding Accusine Active Filter and Quiet Xfmrs: Utility Transformer 66 dB SWE Quiet Step-up Transformer 60 dB Utility Power Factor 97%

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Equipment Tests

P.S. A-19/L-19

Well A-19 equipped with Toshiba PWM 12-pulse VFD Well L-19 equipped with Toshiba PWM 6-pulse VFD A-19 Step-up Transformer 81 dB L-19 Step-up Transformer 82 dB Utility Transformer 69 dB Installed MTE Output (Load) Filters A-19 Step-up Transformer 64 dB L-19 Step-up Transformer 69 dB Utility Transformer 62 dB, Power Factor 99%
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Equipment Tests

P.S. SA-1/SL-1

Both wells equipped with Centrilift 6-step VFDs and SWE Quiet transformers. Without Accusine operating: SA-1 Step-up Transformer 57 dB SL-1 Step-up Transformer 50 dB Utility Transformer 66 dB, Power Factor 25% With Accusine operating: SA-1 Step-up Transformer 55 dB SL-1 Step-up Transformer <50 dB Utility Transformer 59 dB, Power Factor 95%
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$ Equipment Costs $
  

6-pulse drive $18,000 - $22,000 12-pulse drive $22,000 $24,000 Regular Step-Up Xfmr SWE Quiet Xfmr
130 KVA $7,600 260 KVA $11,300 130 KVA $13,000 260 KVA $17,600

  

PCS300 Accusine Active Filter $36,900 MTE Load Filter $4,500 Transportation and Installation Add 20 - 30%

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Results
Installation of Quiet transformers generally
reduced transformer noise by 1/2.

Installation of Accusine Active Filter corrected


power factor to better than 95%, and reduced utility transformer noise.

Installation of MTE load filter on PWM drives


reduced transformer noise by almost 1/2.

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Questions?

Craig Patterson, Project Engineer, Meurer & Associates Paul D. Goldfain, Associate Principal, Meurer & Associates Robert Anderson, Electrical Engineer, The RMH Group David Kaunisto, District Manager, East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District

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PWM Wave

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PWM Output Wave Forms

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