Chapter 15

Power And Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

15.1. 15.2. 15.3.

15.4. 15.5. 15.6.

Average power in terms of Fourier series RMS value of a waveform Power factor THD Distortion and Displacement factors Power phasors in sinusoidal systems Harmonic currents in three-phase systems AC line current harmonic standards

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

15.1. Average power

Observe transmission of energy through surface S
i(t) + Source + v(t) Load

Surface S

Express voltage and current as Fourier series:

v(t) = V0 + i(t) = I0

V cos nt + I cos nt
n=1 n n=1 n n

relate energy transmission to harmonics

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Energy transmittted to load, per cycle

T

Wcycle =
0

v(t)i(t) dt

This is related to average power as follows:

Wcycle 1 Pav = = T T

v(t)i(t) dt
0

Investigate influence of harmonics on average power: substitute Fourier series

T

Pav = 1 T
0

V0 +

n=1

cos nt n

I0 +

n=1

cos nt n dt

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Evaluation of integral
Orthogonality of harmonics: Integrals of cross-product terms are zero
T

Vn cos nt n

I m cos mt m dt =

0 V nI n cos n n 2

if n m if n = m

Expression for average power becomes

Pav = V0I 0 +

n=1

V nI n cos n n 2

So net energy is transmitted to the load only when the Fourier series of v(t) and i(t) contain terms at the same frequency. For example, if the voltage and current both contain third harmonic, then they lead to the average power VI
3 3

2
Fundamentals of Power Electronics

cos 3 3
5

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Example 1
1

v(t)

i(t)

Voltage: fundamental only Current: third harmonic only

0.5

-0.5

-1

Power: zero average

0.5 0 -0.5 -1

p(t) = v(t) i(t)

Pav = 0

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Example 2
1

v(t), i(t)

Voltage: third harmonic only Current: third harmonic only, in phase with voltage

0.5

-0.5

-1

p(t) = v(t) i(t)

Power: nonzero average

1 0.5 0 -0.5 -1

Pav = 0.5

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Example 3
Fourier series:

v(t) = 1.2 cos (t) + 0.33 cos (3t) + 0.2 cos (5t) i(t) = 0.6 cos (t + 30) + 0.1 cos (5t + 45) + 0.1 cos (7t + 60)
Average power calculation:

Pav =

(1.2)(0.6) (0.2)(0.1) cos (30) + cos (45) = 0.32 2 2

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Example 3
v(t)
1.0

Voltage: 1st, 3rd, 5th Current: 1st, 5th, 7th

0.5

i(t)
0.0

-0.5

-1.0

0.6

p(t) = v(t) i(t)

Power: net energy is transmitted at fundamental and fifth harmonic frequencies

0.4 0.2

Pav = 0.32

0.0

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

9 -0.2 Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

15.2. Root-mean-square (RMS) value of a waveform, in terms of Fourier series

1 T
T

(rms value) =

v 2(t) dt
0

Insert Fourier series. Again, cross-multiplication terms have zero average. Result is

(rms value) =
Similar expression for current

V2 0 +

n=1

V2 n 2

Harmonics always increase rms value Harmonics do not necessarily increase average power Increased rms values mean increased losses
10 Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

15.3. Power factor

For efficient transmission of energy from a source to a load, it is desired to maximize average power, while minimizing rms current and voltage (and hence minimizing losses). Power factor is a figure of merit that measures how efficiently energy is transmitted. It is defined as

(average power) power factor = (rms voltage) (rms current)

Power factor always lies between zero and one.

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

11

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

15.3.1. Linear resistive load, nonsinusoidal voltage

Then current harmonics are in phase with, and proportional to, voltage harmonics. All harmonics result in transmission of energy to load, and unity power factor occurs.

In =

Vn R

n = n

so cos ( n n) = 1

(rms voltage) =
(rms current) =

V2 0 +
I +
2 0

n=1

V2 n 2
2 V2 V 0 n + R 2 n = 1 2R 2

n=1

I2 n = 2

= 1 (rms voltage) R VI Pav = V0I 0 + n n cos ( n n) 2 n=1

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 12 Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

15.3.2. Nonlinear dynamical load, sinusoidal voltage

With a sinusoidal voltage, current harmonics do not lead to average power. However, current harmonics do increase the rms current, and hence they decrease the power factor.

V 1I 1 Pav = cos ( 1 1) 2

(rms current) =

I +

2 0

n=1

I2 n 2
cos ( 1 1)

(power factor) =

I1 2

I2 0 +

n=1

I 2

2 n

= (distortion factor) (displacement factor)

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 13 Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Distortion factor

Defined only for sinusoidal voltage.

(distortion factor) =

I1 2
2 0

I +

n=1

I2 n 2

(rms fundamental current) (rms current)

Related to Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):

n=2

(THD) =

I
I1

2 n

(distortion factor) =
Fundamentals of Power Electronics 14

1 1 + (THD) 2
Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

Distortion factor vs. THD

100%

Distortion factor

90%

80%

70%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

THD
Fundamentals of Power Electronics 15

Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems

100%

Peak detection rectifier example

Conventional singlephase peak detection rectifier

100%

100% 91% 73% 52% 32% 19% 15% 15% 13% 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 9% 19

Harmonic amplitude, percent of fundamental

Typical ac line current spectrum

80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

THD = 136% Distortion factor = 59%

Harmonic number
Fundamentals of Power Electronics 16 Chapter 15: Power and Harmonics in Nonsinusoidal Systems