What is the Importance of Harmonic Power Filters For Electrical Systems?

In power systems, harmonics are a voltage or current at different basic frequencies. They are considered noise within the power line.

Harmonic filters suppress these unwanted harmonics and prevent them from entering the end device or load. They can be passive or active.

Reduces Voltage Distortion

Many different types of Harmonic Filters are available to meet each application’s specific needs. Some of these include passive and active filters.

Passive filters are the most commonly used type and are mainly designed to prevent unnecessary harmonics from entering the power system. These filters use a series circuit of reactors and capacitors to shunt the harmonics away from the rest of the network.

For the filter circuit to work effectively, the impedance of the circuit must be lower than that of the rest of the power system. It is achieved by designing the circuit to have a low impedance at a particular frequency compared to the other loads on the network.

In addition, the circuit should be capacitive at the fundamental frequency, generating the reactive power necessary for converters and power factor correction.

If you have these characteristics and other data, it is easier to design a harmonic filter to achieve the desired results. However, these filters are often complex to design and require some expertise.

Active filters are more suitable for applications with many harmonics, and the required power quality is more critical. Active filters are more flexible and can be applied to a wider range of applications, but they are usually more expensive than passive solutions.

Reduces Capacitor Overload

Harmonics in power systems can cause unwanted distortion of the AC waveform, causing damage to equipment and energy costs. They can also contribute to power factor displacement, which leads to higher utility rates.

In some cases, harmonics can even exceed the fundamental capacitor current. It causes an increased voltage across the dielectric of the capacitor and could cause it to fail prematurely.

Installing a harmonic filter by qualityenergy.com.au in your electrical system is the best way to mitigate this issue. These filters can reduce harmonics by up to 8% and improve the overall efficiency of your electrical system.

Two types of harmonic filters can be used in electrical systems: passive and active. Passive filters are generally designed to be installed at the subpanels of a distribution circuit, but they can also be connected in parallel with an individual load.

These passive filters absorb harmonics and cancel them out of the power flow. They can do this by combining series and parallel resonance with the impedance of the circuit.

A harmonic filter can be installed in various applications, from small residential to extensive industrial facilities. These filters can help increase power factor, decrease maintenance costs, and lower electricity bills.

In addition, they can prevent problems due to voltage and current distortion caused by harmonics in the power system.

Reduces Heating

In electrical systems, harmonic currents can cause heating. It can cause several problems, including increased heating on motors, capacitor overloads, fluorescent light flickering, and electronics miss-timing.

Harmonics in the power supply can be reduced by installing Harmonic Power Filters. These filters isolate the harmonic current, which can protect equipment from damage due to voltage distortion.

For electric motors, VFDs, and other electrical equipment, high-quality harmonic filters can extend the life of the equipment and reduce energy costs. They can also improve the overall power quality of a system and increase the efficiency of electric motors.

Many facilities suffer from harmonics in their electrical power system. Various sources, such as electronic switching devices and VFDs, produce these harmonics within the electrical system.

Reduces Interference

The harmonics generated by power electronics and other nonlinear loads can cause interference in the electrical system. This interference can damage equipment, disrupt regular operations and lead to higher power bills. It is the responsibility of every power user to minimize the number and severity of harmonics in their plant.

The use of harmonic filters in a plant can help reduce the impact of these interferences on power quality and equipment. Moreover, they also reduce the nuisance tripping of circuit breakers and fuses.

Harmonics caused by the operation of VSDs can significantly affect the power quality in a facility, particularly for other consumers fed from the same transformer. They can create additional heating and efficiency losses in transformers, motors, and cables; random circuit breaker tripping; and interfere with capacitor banks.

Power authorities usually require that harmonics in the power system be kept to a minimum, typically 5%. To achieve this, harmonic filtering is often required for VSDs.

There are two main types of harmonic filters, passive and active. Passive filters use components such as inductors, resistors, and capacitors to reduce the levels of harmonic distortion.

These filters have a lower physical and financial footprint than their active counterparts. They can also adjust their filtering level to accommodate varying harmonic changes.

Another advantage of using active filters is that they can automatically adapt to the power system and load fluctuations. Consequently, they can be more effective than passive devices in reducing harmonics.

Harmonic filters can be arranged in a single-tuned or damped configuration. The single-tuned filter is designed to remove harmonics at a specific frequency, while the damped filter is used for lower-order harmonics close to the power frequency.