Influence of the Network Reconfiguration in the Performance of Harmonic Filters Located in an Electric Power System.

Abstract

Voltage and current harmonics on an electric power system are consequence from the non-linear operating characteristics of system loads and network components. Power electronic devices, arc furnaces and transformer saturation usually produce the harmonic currents. In order to minimise voltage distortion and improve the power quality of the system, harmonic filters are used and they can be designed and tuned in accordance with the pollution sources, the load demand and the network topology.

In this paper it is studied and analysed the influence of the system reconfiguration in the harmonic distortion, using the software package Harmonique applied to a test power system. Different load levels and changes in power factor compensation were analysed. For each of these scenarios it was studied the influence of the network reconfiguration after the occurrence of a contingency.

Finally, some conclusions that provide a valuable contribution to the better understanding of the current and voltage distortion in order to tune harmonic filters in an electric power system are pointed out.