ASHRAE SEMINAR 07

Dealing with Deregulation: What will Happen to Power Quality?

VSD Power Quality

The Harmonics Dilemma
1. Harmonics Issue
2. Cost Effective Mitigation Techniques
3. Future Technology

Author: Thomas F. Lowery

HVAC Marketing Manager
Presented By: Ed Swan
Hermetic Motor Marketing Manager
Both with Rockwell Automation – Reliance Electric
This presentation was given at the ASHRAE 2000 show in
Dallas
Harmonics - What are they ?
• Harmonics is a term used to describe the shape or characteristic of a voltage or
current waveform with respect to the fundamental frequency in an electrical
distribution system

+ Figure 2 : 5th Harmonic with

Figure 1 : Fundamental Sine Wave Frequency = 5 times fundamental frequency

=
Figure 3 : Combination of the above two waveforms results in a distorted sine wave
Harmonics Distortion - the Problem

• Energy efficiency is driving the need for more VSD’s. Larger loads such as
chillers are being run on VSD’s . The VSD’s are contributing more non-linear
load as a percent of overall electricity consumption.

Current Distortion
• Higher current peaks could cause transformer heating or nuisance tripping by
fuses, circuit breakers and other protective devices since they are typically not
rated for harmonically rich waveforms.

Voltage Distortion
• A distorted current has higher peak values that cause non-sinusoidal voltage
drops across the distribution system The resulting voltage drops add or
subtract from the sinusoidal voltage supplied by the utility. Other utility
customers could get distorted voltage on the downstream side of the power
distribution circuit.
Harmonics Distortion - the Problem

• Other erroneous electrical problems may occur such as

connected sensitive equipment under or over voltage trips.

• Even harmonics cancel each other in a balanced system.

Since harmonics are much smaller than the fundamental,
they have minimal impact on the electrical circuit itself !
Where Does the Power Go?
Similar to residential
energy consumption,
commercial buildings
use over 40% of
electrical power for
HVAC. If 50% of
these loads are on
VSD’s, the non-linear
load is roughly 25% of
overall building
electrical usage.
Today’s AC VSD’s are
Pulse Width Modulated

AC Line

Motor

Input rectifier Inverter

Filter
Input rectifier converts AC line voltage to fixed voltage DC.
Most Drives use 6 Pulse Diode Bridge Rectifiers
DC voltage is filtered to reduce ripple caused by rectification. 6-Pulse generate
5,7,11,13,17,19,23,25 etc.. …. harmonics
Inverter changes fixed voltage DC to adjustable AC voltage and frequency
which is fed to the motor.
 The IEEE-519 Guidelines
IEEE-519 is a recommended guidelines for designing
electrical systems in buildings, NOT a mandatory
standard.

• Harmonics is a system issue more than any particular equipment issue. IEEE-
519 sets limits on the voltage and current harmonics distortion at the point of
common coupling (PCC, usually the secondary of the supply transformer).

• The total harmonic distortion at the PCC is dependant on the percent of

harmonics distortion from each non-linear device with respect to the total
capacity of the transformer and the relative load of the system.
Consider this...
Line impedance dampens harmonics
Expected harmonic current distortion for VSD’s having various amounts of total input
impedance:

Reactors are by far, the most economical way of reducing harmonic distortion on a
drive system
Consider this too...
Actual harmonic distortion is determined for linear and non-linear loads
both on the system. Harmonics distortion depends on the percentage of
non-linear loads on the system.

If the load was entirely made up of VSD’s, each having a 5% impedance

line reactor, then the distortion at PCC would be:
35% THID x 100%VSD/100% total load = 35% THID at PCC
Now if the same VSD’s were only 25% of the total load at PCC then:
35% THID x 25%VSD/100% total load = 8.6 % THID at PCC
(Source: Proceedings of the 12th International Power Quality 99 Conference)
Rocks and Ponds…..
•Harmonics are the rocks
and the distribution
system is the pond
•Small rocks in big ponds
are not a problem
•Large rocks in small
ponds are a concern
•Solutions:
• Larger Ponds or Smaller Rocks
• Xformer, Reactors, Filters to
dampen the “splash”
Electrical Distribution Effects

•Simple HP/KVA Ratios can help

you recognize if Voltage or
Current Harmonics may be a
problem:
•HP/KVA >.40 -- Add Additional
Impedance.
•KVA/HP < .30 -- Most Meet IEEE
519 without need for additional
equipment
Must Know the system, not just the Drive

To properly project harmonics you

must have the following minimum
electrical system data:

• Point of Common Coupling (Where on the

pond are we predicting the splash?)
• Upstream Xformer size and % impedance
(How big is the pond?)
• Drive HP or running load amps (How big
are the rocks?)
• Isolation Xformers, Line Reactors, Bus
Inductors, Filters or Multi-Pulse
cancellation devices on the system (splash
guards in the pond)
Voltage THD Vs. Motor HP/Input KVA

10%
9%
8%
% of Voltage D is tortion

7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.
2 6 4 3 24 2 17 15 13 12 11 1 09 08 08 07 07 06 06 06
6 5 7 3
M otor H P/Trans forme r K VA

IE E E D e d. IE E E Ge n. IE E E Spc l. N o A C C ho k e 5 % A C C ho k e S1 2
Current THD Vs. Motor HP/Input KVA

30%

25%
% Current Distortion

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0. 0 0
2 6 4 3 24 .2 17 .15 .13 .12 .11 .1 09 .08 .08 07 0.07 .06 .06 0.06
6 5 7 3

Motor HP/Transformer KVA

IEEE Gen. No AC Choke 5% AC Choke S12

Engineering Specs… Some Points to
Note:
• The IEEE-519 recommended practice defines “dedicated,” “general,” and “special”
classifications. Hospitals and airports fit into the “special” category while most others fit in
the general classification. Systems with only VSD loads are defined by IEEE as dedicated and
allow higher distortion.

• Limits for general installations are 5% Total Harmonic Voltage Distortion (THVD) and 12%
Total Harmonic Current Distortion (THID). Limits for special applications are 3% THVD and 8%
THID. Dedicated systems allow 10%THVD and up to 22% THID.

• IEEE States that the estimated load current should be an average running current for a 1 year
period. If not known 80% of Full Load Amps is a good approximation.

• IEEE-519 should not be blindly specified. Owners and engineers must be educated on
applying IEEE-519. Raising costs for customers without rational clarification of the guidelines
is not the optimum engineering solution - its like specifying 100,000 CFM when only
20,000CFM is required.
Emerging Technologies
Ongoing research on AC to AC Inverter (Matrix
Converter)

• Uses 9 Bi-directional Transistors (3 per phase) to convert fixed frequency

and voltage to variable frequency and voltage. No Conversion to DC is
required so no capacitors are required to store energy. Does required a
minimum of 5% line impedance to operate.

• Unity Power Factor.

• No harmonics produced back on the line.

In Summary...
•More VSD’s means more concern
over power system harmonic
effects.
•IEEE should be applied at the
system level and may have
impacts as utilities charge
penalties for harmonically rich
waveforms generated on the grid.
•In 3-5 years AC to AC technology
will obsolete harmonic concerns
when applying VSD’s.
Any Questions
30%

25%
% Current Distortion

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

?
1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0. 0 0
2 6 4 3 24 .2 17 .15 .13 .12 .11 .1 09 .08 .08 07 0.07 .06 .06 0.06
6 5 7 3

Motor HP/Transformer KVA

IEEE Gen. No AC Choke 5% AC Choke S12