MITIGATION OF POWER

SYSTEM HARMONICS
 Objective
• The reduction or suppression of power system harmonics.
Precautionary (Preventive) solutions:
• Phase cancellation or harmonic control in power converters.
• Developing procedures and methods to control, reduce or
eliminate harmonics in power system equipment; mainly
capacitors, transformers and generators.
Corrective (Remedial) solutions :
• The use of filters.
• Circuit detuning which involves the reconfiguration of feeders
or relocation of capacitor banks to overcome resonance.
 Harmonic Sources
• Transformer Magnetisation Nonlinearities • Three-Phase Current-Source Conversion
• Symmetrical Over excitation • Basic (Six-Pulse) Configuration
• Inrush Current Harmonics • Effect of Transformer Connection
• D.C. Magnetisation • Twelve-Pulse Related Harmonics
• Rotating Machine Harmonics • Higher-Pulse Configurations
• M.M.F. Distribution of A.C. Windings • Effect of Transformer and System Impedance
• Three-Phase Winding • Direct Voltage Harmonics
• Slot Harmonics • Imperfect D.C. Voltage Smoothing
• Voltage Harmonics Produced by Synchronous • Half-Controlled Rectification
Machines • Uncharacteristic Harmonic and Inter-Harmonic
• Rotor Saliency Effects Generation
• Voltage Harmonics Produced by Induction Motors • Frequency Cross-Modulation in Line-
• Distortion Caused by Arcing Devices Commutated Converter Systems
• Electric Arc Furnaces • Three-Phase Voltage-Source Conversion
• Discharge-Type Lighting • Multi-Level VSC Configurations
• Single-Phase Rectification • Inverter-Fed A.C. Drives
• D. C. Power Supplies • Modulated Phase Control
• Line-Commutated Railway Rectifiers • The Switching Function Approach
• A.C. Regulators
• Single-Phase Full-Wave Controller
 Effects of Harmonic Distortion
• Resonances
 Parallel Resonance • Effect of Harmonics on Measuring Instruments
 Series Resonance  Harmonic Interference with Ripple Control Systems
 Effects of Resonance on System Behaviour  Harmonic Interference with Power System Protection
 Complementary and Composite Resonances  Harmonic Problems During Fault Conditions
 Poor Damping  Harmonic Problems Outside Fault Conditions
• Effects of Harmonics on Rotating Machines  Effect of Harmonics on Consumer Equipment
 Harmonic Losses • Interference with Communications
 Harmonic Torques  Simple Model of a Telephone Circuit
• Effect of Harmonics on Static Power Plant  Factors Influencing Interference
 Transmission System  Coupling to Communication Circuits
 Transformers • Effect on Communication Circuits (Susceptiveness)
 Capacitor Banks Power Assessment with Distorted  Telephone Circuit Balance to Earth
Waveforms  Audible Noise from Electric Motors
 Power Factor Under Harmonic Distortion
 Effects of Harmonics
• The main effects of voltage and current harmonics within the
power system are:
• The possibility of amplification of harmonic levels resulting
from series and parallel resonances.
• A reduction in the efficiency of the generation, transmission and
utilisation of electric energy.
• Ageing of the insulation of electrical plant components with
consequent shortening of their useful life.
• Malfunctioning of system or plant components
 Definitions and Terms
• THD Total Harmonic Distortion (or Distortion Factor) of voltage or current is the ratio
of the rms value of harmonics above fundamental, divided by the rms value of the
fundamental.
• PCC. Point of Common Coupling is a point of metering, or any point as long as both the
utility and the customer can either access the point for direct measurements of the
harmonic indices .
• Within an industrial load, the point of common coupling is the point between the
nonlinear load and other loads.
• ISC. Maximum short circuit current at the PCC.
• IL. Maximum demand load current (fundamental frequency component) at the PCC,
calculated as the average current of the maximum demands for each of the preceeding
twelve months. For new customers, this value must be estimated.
• TDD. Total demand distortion, which is the THD of current (using a 15 or 30 minute
averaging measurement period) normalized to the maximum demand load current IL.
Measures of Harmonic Distortion
Voltage and Current Distortion Factors
Contd..
Complex Waveforms due to Harmonics
 Mitigation : Harmonic Filters
• Series-Tuned Filters
• Double Band-Pass Filters
• Damped Filters
• Detuned (Anti-Resonant) Filters
• Active Filters
 Series-Tuned Filters
• A series-tuned filter consists of a series
combination of a capacitor and a reactor
and is tuned to low harmonic frequencies.
• At the tuned harmonic, the capacitor and
the reactor have equal reactances and the
filter has a purely resistive impedance.
• The filter's impedance is capacitive for
lower harmonics and inductive for higher
harmonics, a consequence of which is
aggravating the impedance below the
lowest tuned frequency.
Contd.
• Q=X0/R
• Filter pass band (PB): frequencies at which the filter reactance
equals its resistance, i.e. the impedance angle is 45◦ and the
impedance module √2R.
• The quality factor and pass band are related by the expression
Q=ωn/PB
Contd..
• A single tuned filter is a series RLC circuit (as shown in Figure 6.1) tuned to the
frequency of one harmonic (generally a lower characteristic harmonic).
• Its impedance is given by Z1 =R+j( ωL− 1 /ωC)
• There are two basic design parameters to be considered:
 the quality factor (Q),
relative frequency deviation (δ),
• Filters are not usually designed to give minimum harmonic voltage and normally
a higher Q is selected in order to reduce losses.
• A condition that also has to be considered in the design of filters, and which can
restrict the operation of the converters, is an outage of one or more filter branches.
• The remaining filter branches may then be over-stressed as they have to take the
total harmonic current generated by the converter
Harmonic Filter Design
• Tuning a capacitor to a certain harmonic, alternatively, designing the capacitor to
trap (filter) a certain harmonic, requires the addition of a reactor. At the tuned
harmonic
• Being sensitive to peak voltages, the capacitor needs to be able to with stand the
total peak voltage across it. That is, it needs to have a voltage rating equal to the
algebraic sum of the fundamental and tuned harmonic voltages.
Design steps: series-tuned filter tuned to the
hn harmonic
Problem:A filter is tuned to the 13th harmonic. Given Xc = 507ohms,
calculate the filter elements and plots its impedance.
 Double Band-Pass Filters
• A double band-pass filter is a series
combination of a main capacitor, a main
reactor and a tuning device which consists
of a tuning capacitor and a tuning reactor
connected in parallel.
• The impedance of such a filter is low at
two tuned frequencies.
 Damped Filters
• Damped filters can be 1st, 2nd or 3rd_order
(commonly used is the 2nd-order).
• A 2nd-order damped filter consists of a capacitor in
series with a parallel combination of a reactor and a
resistor.
• It provides a low impedance for a moderately wide
range of frequencies.
• When used to eliminate high order harmonics (17th
and above), a damped filter is referred to as a high-
pass filter, providing a low impedance for high
frequencies but entry restricted for low frequencies.
• Damped filters have a low quality factor, 0.5 < Q < 5.
Design steps: For a second-order damped filter tuned to
the hn harmonic:
Advantages:
• Its performance and loading are less sensitive to temperature
variation, frequency deviation, component manufacturing
tolerances, loss of capacitor elements, etc.
• It provides a low impedance for a wide spectrum of harmonics
without the need for subdivision of parallel branches.
• The use of tuned filters often results in parallel resonance
between the filter and system admittances at a harmonic order
below the lower tuned filter frequency, or in between tuned
filter frequencies. In such cases the use of one or more damped
filters is a more acceptable as alternative.
Disadvantages:
• To achieve a similar level of filtering performance the damped
filter needs to be designed for higher fundamental VA ratings,
though in most cases a good performance can be met within the
limits required for power factor correction.
• The losses in the resistor and reactor are generally higher.
Problem: A second-order damped filter is tuned to hn > 17.
Knowing Xc = 1.734 ohms, calculate the filter elements and plot
its impedance.
 Detuned (Anti-Resonant) Filters

• A detuned filter is tuned below a characteristic harmonic

(usually tuned to the fourth harmonic).
• It absorbs some of the harmonic but not as much as a higher
tuned one.
• It is a reliable and time-tested method to improve the power
factor and also mitigating the risk of resonance.
• This is achieved by shifting the resonance frequency to lower
levels, thereby ensuring that no harmonic currents are present
 Active Filters
Active filters are being developed to overcome the disadvantages
of conventional passive filters:
• The filtering characteristics being dependent on the source
impedance.
• Aggravating the impedance below the lowest tuned harmonic.
• Being inadequate for filtering non-characteristic harmonics
(different from the filter's tuned frequency), such as those
produced by cycloconverters.
 Types of Active Filters
• Series Active Filter
• Shunt Active Filter
• Hybrid Active Filter
 POWER CONVERTERS
• Three-phase converters produce harmonics because of the
commutation of dc side current between the three ac phases.
• Line-commutated converters are so called since they get the
voltage necessary for commutation from the network. .
• DC / AC Inverters:
• A three-phase model of which is represented in Fig. 3.18, are
encountered in:
• Electric vehicles • Photovoltaic and wind energy systems
• Aircraft and space power supplies • Uninterruptable power
supplies "UPS's" • Variable frequency ac motor drives.
Each of the SCR pairs {1, 6), {1, 2), {3, 2), {3, 4), {5, 4), and {5, 6)
conducts for 60°, thus each SCR conducts for 120°.
Battery Converters
• Battery converters, shown in Fig.
3.19, are widely used in
photovoltaic and wind energy
projects.
• They control the frequency of the
ac grid by feeding power from the
batteries to the grid or charging
batteries with surplus energy.
• A transformer is normally used to
match the ac voltage to the grid
voltage.
Six-Pulse Converters
• A six-pulse three-phase converter, shown in Fig. 3.20, can be
operated as an ac/dc {dc power supply or charger) if E is
positive.
• A negative value of E and a greater than 90° firing angle put the
converter in the dc/ac inversion ( ac power supply or
discharging) mode.
• Each of the SCR pairs {1, 6), {1, 2), {3, 2), {3, 4), {5, 4), and {5, 6)
conducts for 60°. Thus, each SCR conducts for 120°.
Contd..
• The commutation gating sequence is presented in Table 3.2.

• Each of the SCR pairs {1, 6), {1, 2), {3, 2), {3, 4), {5, 4), and {5, 6)
conducts for 60°. Thus, each SCR conducts for 120°.
Contd..
• Figs. 3.21 and 3.22 plot the output voltage for a firing angle a =
30° and 60°, respectively.
Tutorial
• A six-pulse three-phase dc/ac inverter is being operated with a
firing angle of 135°. How does the input voltage look like?
Provide a plot of the output voltage waveform of a three-phase
six-pulse bridge controlled rectifier at a firing angle of 15°.
Twelve-Pulse Converters
• Consider two identical six-pulse converters operating in parallel
through Y-Y and Y -∆ transformers as depicted in Fig. 3.25.
• The turns ratios are such that the same voltage magnitude is
applied to both converters.
• In an actual twelve-pulse ASD, a three winding transformer is used, having one
winding on the line-side, and two parallel wye-delta and delta-delta windings on
the load-side.
• The power electronics are in effect divided into two halves so that each half
carries one-half of the load power.
• Since harmonics in a balanced system fall into the predictable phase sequences
shown in Table 3.2, it is clear that a wye-delta transformer will advance some
harmonics by 30°and delay other harmonics by 30°.
• This property makes it possible to cancel half of the harmonics produced by
ASDs (most importantly the 5th and 7th) through a principle known as phase
cancellation.
• The result is illustrated in Figure 3.3, where two parallel six-pulse converters
combine to yield a net twelve-pulse converter with much less current distortion.
• Transformer phase shifting may be used to create net 18-pulse, 24-pulse, and
higher-pulse converters.
Impedance Plots for Filter Banks
• The plots for the impedance of three different filter banks,
namely:
• A three-branch 33 kV filter; 7th and 11th tuned plus a high pass
(second order damped) branch for all harmonics from the 17th
and above.
• A four-branch 20 kV filter; 5th, 7th, nth and 13th tuned .
• A five-branch 690 v filter; sth' 7th, 11th and 13th tuned plus a
high pass (second-order damped) branch for all harmonics from
the 17th and above.
Impedance Plots for a Three-Branch 33kV
Filter
Impedance plots for the
three-branch filter