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Characterization of fluctuating
harmonics from single-phase
power electronics-based
equipment
Characterization
of fluctuating
harmonics
133
A. Prudenzi
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of LAquila,
LAquila, Italy
Keywords Electric load, Harmonics, Electronic equipment and components
Abstract The present paper is intended to analyze time-varying harmonic absorption of
single-phase non-linear loads. To this aim, it is demonstrated that a continuous harmonic
monitoring can be of a certain utility, since this practice allows a better characterization of
harmonic spectra and an improved understanding of impact due to the various stages of typical
operation. Some selected results obtained from a wide monitoring activity performed in a lab are
reported in this paper. The results are relevant to NL appliances with power ratings ranging from
less than 10 W to several hundred watts, such as desktop PC, printer (both laser and ink-jet), cell
phone battery charger, and photocopier. The data thus obtained have been processed in order to
determine probability density functions and distribution functions well evidencing the time-varying
behavior of harmonic content of the absorbed current. Since a continuous harmonic monitoring
allows to follow the nearly instantaneous evolution of the physical quantities (voltage and current)
a cross-correlation based analysis of the various harmonic quantities among themselves is more
meaningful than the monitoring activities providing longer observation time windows (up to
minutes). The results obtained with such calculations can provide good indications for determining
the origin of the time-varying behavior as evidenced.
1. Introduction
Most of the recent harmonic studies are typically based on simulation activities
requiring a detailed knowledge of the harmonic current spectrum produced and
its variability with both system changes and peculiar equipment operation
phases (Capasso et al., 1994, 1998; Dwyer et al., 1995; Mansoor et al., 1995a, b;
Pileggi et al., 1993). It has long been recognized that voltage and current
harmonics are time-variant due to variations in system configuration and load.
Variations can have a non-deterministic nature thus giving origin to a
stochastic process (Caramia et al., 2002; Heydt and Gunther, 1996; Probabilistic
Aspects Task Force of Harmonics Working Group, 1998; Testa et al., 2002).
However, in the international literature of the sector, detailed information
on time-varying harmonic absorption from low demanding single-phase NL
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134
2. Monitoring equipment
The measurement activity has been performed by means of an oscillographic
recorder, for waveform analysis, and a custom monitoring equipment with the
characteristics illustrated in Capasso et al. (1999). This custom equipment,
based on a Pentium PC (120 MHz), allows the simultaneous and synchronous
sampling of multiple single-phase voltage and current signals by using two
different acquisition boards dedicated, respectively, to voltage and current
channels.
Figure 1.
Demand diagram
recorded for some typical
operations of PC
Figure 2.
Main harmonic currents
magnitude probability
density histograms
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136
Figure 3.
Selected intervals of the
power demand recorded
during typical operation
phases of PR2 (right part
of the diagram relevant
to repeated printing
operations)
Figure 4.
PR2 harmonic currents
magnitude distribution
functions
Figure 5.
PR2 main harmonic
currents phase angle
pdfs
Statistics have been calculated for PR2 and Figure 4 shows the harmonic
currents distribution functions as obtained in a monitoring session. The
discrete variations of magnitude can be easily identified in the diagram.
The monitoring activity also provided measurement of harmonic quantities
phase angle. In Figure 5, the results obtained for harmonic currents are shown.
Figure 6.
Demand diagram
recorded for a whole BC
charging cycle
Figure 7.
Main harmonic currents
magnitude pdf
histograms
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138
Figure 8.
Demand diagram
recorded for some typical
PH operation phases
Figure 9.
Selected intervals of the
demand profile of
Figure 9
Figure 10.
Harmonic current
spectrum (main
harmonics) recorded at
instants evidenced in
Figure 10
The monitoring results allow a correct differentiation of the two main operation
phases of stand by and copying.
3.5 Monitoring results analysis
Some comments can be made with reference to the monitoring results so far
illustrated:
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140
Figure 11.
Background (BG)
non-linear load: current
waveshapes related to
different bulk condenser
size, types I and II
Figure 12.
Test condition (a):
voltage and current
waveshapes at
PC terminals
Figure 13.
Test condition (b):
voltage and current
waveshapes at
PC terminals
5. Analysis procedures
The continuous harmonic monitoring allows to follow the nearly instantaneous
evolution of the physical phenomena. Therefore, the cross-correlation of the
various harmonic quantities among themselves is meaningful. The results
obtained with such calculations can provide good indications for determining Characterization
the origin of the time-varying behavior as evidenced.
of fluctuating
In an earlier work, first cross-correlation analyses of time-variant
harmonics
phenomena have been performed on the basis of the same monitoring data
sets analysed in Section 3.
Figures 15-17 show the relevant results obtained by correlating the
141
instantaneous values of the main harmonic currents magnitude with the power
Figure 14.
Test condition (c):
voltage and current
waveshapes at PC
terminals
(a)
(b)
(c)
PC current
(A)
PC power
(W)
BG type
BG current
(A)
BG power
(W)
Isc/Itot
V-THD
(percent)
1.27
1.14
1.31
178
178
177
I
II
0
5.1
4.83
0
739
682
108
22
22
1.7
3.2
3.2
Table I.
Load conditions
investigated
Figure 15.
Main harmonic currents
magnitude vs power
demand instantaneous
values for a desktop PC
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142
Figure 16.
Main harmonic currents
magnitude vs power
demand instantaneous
values for a 15 in.
monitor
Figure 17.
Main harmonic currents
magnitude vs power
demand instantaneous
values for an ink-jet
printer
The coefficients of the curves for each harmonic order of different appliances Characterization
are similar. This fact can be explained with the power supply equipping the
of fluctuating
different appliance being of same type.
harmonics
On the basis of the above-mentioned interesting results, additional
laboratory tests have been performed.
The new test sessions have been addressed to study the influence of both
143
voltage distortion level and voltage form factor on the cross-correlation
analytical tool.
The same PCC load conditions considered in Section 4 have been used. In
addition to the analysis performed earlier, the first harmonic current magnitude
and harmonic phase angles have been considered. The relevant
cross-correlation results are shown in Figures 18-23 for both the magnitude
and phase angle variables.
Appliance
Third harmonic
Fifth harmonic
Desktop
PC
15 in. PC
monitor
Ink-jet
printer
y 0.0054x + 0.0032
y 2 1E 2 5x 2 +
0.0049x20.0055
y 2 2E 2 5x 2 +
0.0046x2 0.0012
y 2 6E 2 5x 2 +
0.0047x +0.0074
y 0.0053x + 0.0023
y 0.0052x + 0.0068
Seventh harmonic
y 2 2E 2 5x 2 +
Table II.
0.0036x2 0.003
Analytical expression of
y 2 3E 2 5x 2 +
regression curves of
0.0032x + 0.0022
Figures 15-17 (R 2 never
y 20.0001x 2 +
less than 0.8)
0.0034x + 0.0145
Figure 18.
Main harmonic
currents magnitude
vs power demand
instantaneous values
for test condition (a)
Figure 19.
Main harmonic
currents magnitude
vs power demand
instantaneous values
for test condition (b)
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The regression curves for every series of results have been analogously
calculated. The polynomials thus obtained are reported in Tables III
(magnitude) and IV (phases).
144
6. Conclusions
This paper deals with the time-varying characterization of single-phase
non-linear appliances of high penetration into end-use such as PC, printer,
photocopier, and cell phone BC.
Figure 20.
Main harmonic currents
magnitude vs power
demand instantaneous
values for test
condition (c)
Figure 21.
Main harmonic currents
phase angle vs power
demand instantaneous
values for test
condition (a)
Figure 22.
Main harmonic currents
phase angle vs power
demand instantaneous
values for test
condition (b)
Figure 23.
Main harmonic currents
phase angle vs power
demand instantaneous
values for test
condition (c)
Test
condition
First harmonic
Third harmonic
(a)
y 0.0061x
y 0.0055x
y 0.0044x
(b)
y 0.0063x
y 0.0052x
y 2 9E 2 6x 2 +
0.0048x
(c)
y 0.0063x
y 0.0058x
y 2 6E 2 6x 2 +
0.0056x
y 2 6E 2 6x 2 +
0.0039x
y 24E 2 6x 2 +
0.0016x+
0.0883
y 21E 2 6x 2 +
0.0049x
Test
condition
(a)
(b)
(c)
Fifth harmonic
Seventh harmonic
First harmonic
Third harmonic
Fifth harmonic
Seventh harmonic
y 2 9E 2 5x 2 +
0.0429x 2
3.342
y 2 0.0004x 2 +
0.1587x 2
7.7713
y 2 0.0002x 2 +
0.1038x 2
8.6559
y 2 0.0003x 2 +
0.1697x 2
2.0901
y 2 0.0009x 2 +
0.4273x 2
28.784
y 2 0.0005x 2 +
0.2625x 2
28.293
y 2 0.0006x 2 +
0.3142x 2
6.2653
y 2 0.0013x 2 +
0.7112x 2
50.579
y 2 0.0009x 2 +
0.4437x 2
47.665
y 20.0009x 2 +
0.4713x 2
9.4216
y 20.0007x 2 +
0.8779x 2
68.427
y 20.0011x 2 +
0.623x 2
67.108
Table III.
Harmonic current
magnitude versus
power demand
analytical expression
of regression curves
of Figures 18-20
(R 2 never less than 0.9)
Table IV.
Harmonic current phase
angle versus power
demand analytical
expression of regression
curves of Figures 21-23
(R 2 never less than 0.9)
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146
References
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Characterization
of fluctuating
harmonics
147