National Power & Energy Conference (PECoo) 2004 Proceedings, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

268

Application of LC Filter in Harmonics Reduction

Najwa Mahamad, C. M. Hadzer and Syafrudin Masri

Abstract-In recent years, harmonics are considered as one of bridge rectifier is presented. The method employs a
the most essential problems in electrical power systems, Even combination of transformer for minimizing current harmonics
though, this new highly efficient electronic technology provides and LC filter for minimizing other component harmonics.
improved product quality with increased productivity by the use
of smaller and lighter electrical components but they are the
11. OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF THE SYSTEM
sources of harmonics. Recent surveys on the three-phase four-
wire electric power distribution systems with computer and
nonlinear loads show excessive currents in the neutral conductor.
The neutral currents are basically zero-sequence current
harmonics, which is mostly, consists of triplen current
harmonics. As a result, the perfect sinusoidal voltage and current
waveform are very much distorted. To solve this problem, a
simple and practical approach to reduce harmonics current in 3-
phase 4-wire power distribution system is proposed. The using of
LC filter in three-phase four-wire system will reduce the
harmonic problem in the system. This LC filter is depending on
value of capacitor and inductor. It i s not only reduce zero-
sequence harmonics bul also reduce other .harmonics io the
system. Besides that, this application also can improve power ....
factor and reduced the THD system to the standard IEEE-std Fig. I . The combination of transformer and LC (iller.
519. The practical excellency and validity of reducing are
demonstrated experimentally. Figure 1 shows the principles of the system. Transformer
that to reduce zero-sequence harmonic is place in parallel with
Keywords-Harmonics, harmonic cancellation, harmonic the load. The neutral current flowing through the source after
reduction, LC filter and filter. the connection of transformer can be calculated as follows:
I. INTRODUCTION

Harmonic distortion is increasing in industrial and

where
commercial power factor due to proliferation of nonlinear load
INS= the neutral current source after compensation.
and deveiopment of industry. Thus, reduction of harmonics is
IN= the neutral current before compensation.
becoming an important topic among electric power engineers
Zap= the zero-sequence impedance of the source.
in these days. The lower component harmonics have large
ZOS =the zero-sequence impedance of the
current magnitudes refer to their harmonic spectrum. The transformer.
harmonics generated will be divided into three types that is
positive-sequence harmonics, negative-sequence harmonics
Practicalty, not all the harmonics can be reduces by
and zero-sequence harmonics. The positive-sequence
transformer and hence not fulfilling the IEEE-std 159,
harmonics current are the current harmonic components such
therefore the LC filter is provided to cancel the entire
as 7th, 13Ih, 19" and negative-sequence harmonics current such
harmonic.
as 5*, 1 I", 17" that is excessive in phase line which increase
The rms value for the line current after the combination is
the THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) of the system. While,
given as:
zero-sequence harmonics current that is triplen harmonics
such as 3, 9, 15 will flaws through the neutral wire and may
cause overheating on that wire.
In this paper, a simple method for minimizing the where
harmonics current distortion associated with a three-phase
lSR,Iss,
IsT= Line current at phase R, S, T
ZF= impedance LC filter
Zs = impedance transformer
Najwa Mahamad, C. M. Hadzer and Syafrudin M a n are with Power I N = neutral current from load
Research Group, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University IT= phase current transformer
Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang Malaysia Ish = harmonic current component
(email: nai I6c3hotmail.com. cmhadrerG~cn,cnrl.usm.my and h=l,3,5,7 ,....
SvafNdin~mailCir~COm)

0-7803-8724-4/04/$20.00 Q2004 IEEE.

 269
LC filter is designed for the second-order passive filter,
which contains two reactive components that are inductor and
capacitor. When a capacitor and an inductor are pla2ed in the 1 g
I Line current waveform
201
same filter, there are nvo reactives devices responding in
opposite ways to the changes of frequency. The inductor
blocks high frequencies and passes low frequencies, while the
capacitor passes high frequencies but blocks low frequencies.
The filtering action of resistoricapacitor filters are also
dependent on the impedance that will vary the frequency. The (a)
impedance of a capacitor is inverseiy proportional to
frequency or increasing frequency leads to reducing h e current harmonic spectru
impedance. For an inductor, its impedance is directly
proportional to the frequency. Increasing frequency leads to
increasing impedance. The frequency for the LC filter can be
calculated as:

. (b)
where Fig. 2. (a) phase current waveform .
f, = frequency resonance. (b)line current harmonic spectrum
t = inductance.
C = capacitance.

So, with these W O reactive components, most of the

frequency can block and reduce the number of harmonic
I ~ Neutral current waveform
20

frequency that goes through the system. Because of this, it can

reduce the current harmonics for phase and neutral conductor.
111. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
In order to verify the proposed approach, an experiment in
a system with harmonic has been done. In this system, two
types of loads have been used that is balance load and
unbalance load. Fig. ?(a) and 2(b) shows the phase current
waveform and line current harmonic spectrum in balanced
load. The rms value of this current is 3.85 A. Because the
loads are balanced, the other phase curients are almost the
same. The neutral current waveform and its harmonic
spectrum is shown in fig. 3(a) and 3(b). The rms value of this
current is 6.25A. From this, it can be seen that the rms value
of the neutral current is much higher than the phase current.
The neutral current is mostly consist of zero-sequence current
harmonic. Table 1 shows the values used in this experiment
before reduction in the system.
TABLE I
RESULT BEFORE REDUCTION
-
-10;
-20
time (ms)
r b eutral current harmonic spectru
I
I Harmonic order (hl I
(W
Fig. 3 . (a)neutral current waveform
(b)neutral current harmonic s p e c r
To reduce the harmonic current, the first method is using
transformer that is connected parallel to the load but the
reduction is very small. Fig. 4(a) and 4(b) show the line
current waveform and line current harmonic spectrum. The
rms value for this current is 3.61A. The neutral current
waveform and its harmonic spectrum is shown in fig. 5(a) and
5jb) and the neutral current value i s decrease to 6 . I9A. Table
2 shows the value after reduction using transformer in the
system.
 270
TABLE 2 the system. After using this combination, the rms value for the
RESULT AFTER USING TRANSFORMER
line current is 0.77A and 0.28A for neutral current. Fig. 6(a)
and 6(b) show the line current waveform and harmonic
]
I
Afterreduction with transformer
-
K
I
b
I - 1
1
spectrum. The neutral current waveform and its spectrum
R m s Current [A) 3.61 3.40 3.49 harmonic is shown in fig. 7(a) and 7(b). Table 3 shows the
KW
-
0.46
- -
84.18
0.45 0.45
82.29 83.88 value after combination of transformer and LC filter.

. KVA 0.87 0.82 0.85 TABLE 3

KVAR 0.06 0.10 0.09 RESULT A F E R USING COMBINATION OF TRANSFORMER AND LC
Pf 0.53 0.55 0.53 FILER
DPF 0.99 0.98 0.98
LNeutral current 1 6.19 A J After Combination with transformer and LC
filter

Rms Current

THDl % 11.93 11.93 11.19

(A) "1 2.5 5 7.5 30012.515.017.51

time (ms)

_____ ______________

line current harmonic spectrur

I Line current waveform
-
current 1 - - -_
(A)
0
1 2.5 5. 7.5 10012.515.017.51

I ~~
Harmonic order (h) -'I
-2
time (ms)
(W
Fig. 4. (a) phase current waveform
(blline curreni harmonic specirum
I Line current harmonic spectrum

I Neutral current waveform

201
I Harmonic order (h)
- -.
(b)
Fig. 6. (a) phase current waveform

I -20' time (ms)

(b)line current harmonic spectrum

Fig. 5 . (a)ncutml current waveform

@)neutral current harmonic spectrum

So to reduce-current harmonic to the level of IEEE,

combination of transformer and LC filter is implemented in
 27 1
TABLE 6
Neutral current waveform RESULT AFTER USING COhlBINATIOK OF T R A X F O R M E R A N D LC
FILTER

utral current harmonic spectr

0.25 I

IV CONCLUSION

The experimental results show the effectiveness.of the

Harmonic order 01)
Fig. 7. (a)neunal current waveform
(b)neutral current harmonic spectrum
For unbalanced loads, the current for each phase is
depends on the load. If the load is high, the current will be
small and if the load is small, the current will be high. After
the comhinarion, the power factor of the system is increased if
the high load is applied and the power factor will be decreased
if the m a l 1 load is applied to system. Tabk 4, 5 and 6 show
the results of the unbalanced load.
TABLE4
RESULT BEFORE REDUCTION
method presented. The harmonic in line current and neutral
current can be reduced after using this combination o f
transformer and LC filter The THD system also reach to the
standard of IEEE requiment that is 20% for current harmonic
and 5% for voltage harmonic.
V. REFERENCES
[l] Pekik A.Dahono, Radpandji E.Widjaya. Syafrudin and
Qamaruzzaman. "A Practical Approach to Minimize the Zero-
Sequence Current Harmonics in Power Dismbution Sysiems", IEEE
Trans. On PCC-Nagaoka. 1997.
[2] P.N.Enjeti, et ai. "Analysis and Design of a New Active Power Filter to
cancel Neutral Current Harmonics in Three Phase Four-Wire Electnc
Distribution Systems", IEEE Trans. On Industry Applications. Vol. 30,
No.6. YovlDec 1994.
[3] L.M.Tolberr, H.D.Hollis and P.S.Hale Ir. "Survey of Harmonics
Measurements in Electrical Distribution Systems", IEEE IAS Annual
MeetingSan Diego, CA, pp 2333-2339, Oct 1996.
[4] T.S.Key and J.S.Lai. "IEEE and International Harmonic Standards
Impact on Power Elecrronic Equipment Design". IEEE IECON, New
Orleans, LA, pp. 430-436,Nov. 1998.
[j] Owen Bishop, "Understanding electronic filters". Bunerworth
Heinemann, 1996. pp 65-87.

TABLE 5
RESULT AFTER USING TRANSFORMER

1 I After reduction with transformer

R S ! T
1
Rms Current (A) 3.71 6.49 8.91
THD I ( % ) s1.9 79.9 77.0
KW 0.50 0.90 I.30
KVA 0.9 I 1-58 2.17
KVAR 0.1 I 0.30 0.43
Pf 0.56 0.57 0.60 -
DPF 0.98 0.95 0.95
1 Neutral current I 1 62A