KILOVAR

BRIEFS

Date

November, 1985

FROM THE McGRAW-EDISON POWER SYSTEMS CAPACITOR PLANT

GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA

lssue

HARMONICS AND CAPACITORS

APPLYING CAPACITORS IN THE HARMONIC ENVIRONMENT
The t w o p r e v i o u s i s s u e s o f K i l o v a r B r i e f s d i s c u s s e d t h e s o u r c e o f
h a r m o n i c s and e f f e c t s o f a p p l y i n g c a p a c i t o r s i n a h a r m o n i c
environment.
This issue w i l l discuss t h e proper application o f
c a p a c i t o r s i n a harmonic environment.
The economic b e n e f i t s of a p p l y i n g c a p a c i t o r s t o improve t h e system
power f a c t o r can be a c h i e v e d i n a harmonic environment w i t h o u t
compromising t h e system o r t h e equipment. T h i s i s accomplished by
u s i n g t h e c a p a c i t o r bank c o n n e c t e d i n s e r i e s w i t h a r e a c t o r as a
f i l t e r c i r c u i t t u n e d t o some s p e c i f i c f r e q u e n c y .
The o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e f i l t e r d e s i g n a r e as f o l l o w s :
1. P r o v i d e t h e r e q u i r e d v a r s f o r t h e s y s t e m .
2. A s s u r e t h a t t h e f i l t e r i s a v e r y l o w i m p e d a n c e s h u n t a t
a t c r i t i c a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c harmonic f r e q u e n c i e s o f t h e
p a t h f o r t h e predominant harmonic c u r r e n t s or,
3. T u n e t h e f i l t e r b r a n c h t o b e i n d u c t i v e s o t h a t t h e h a r m o n i c
c u r r e n t s i n j e c t e d i n t o t h e system a r e d e a m p l i f i e d by t h e
p r e s e n c e o f t h e f i l t e r c a p a c i t o r bank.
I n t h i s a r t i c l e , we w i l l d i s c u s s o b j e c t i v e 3.
A reactor i s
s e l e c t e d t o t u n e t h e c a p a c i t o r bank t o a f r e q u e n c y t h a t i s below
t h e f i r s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c harmonic o f t h e harmonic source.
The
advantage o f t h i s approach i s :
1. L o w e r c u r r e n t r a t i n g s f o r t h e e q u i p m e n t .
2. L e s s s t r i n g e n t t u n i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s .
Additional capacitor vars are required i n f i l t e r applications t o
compensate f o r t h e v a r l o s s i n t h e t u n i n g r e a c t o r s .
T h e f i l t e r t u n i n g f r e q u e n c y i s s e l e c t e d t o b e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5%
b e l o w t h e f i r s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c h a r m o n i c o f t h e system.
I n t h e case
of a s i x p u l s e r e c t i f e r where t h e f i r s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c harmonic i s
times t h e
t h e 5 t h , t h e f i l t e r i s t u n e d t o a f r e q u e n c y o f 4.7
f u n d a m e n t a l power f r e q u e n c y .
The e q u i v a l e n t c i r c u i t f o r a c a p a c i t o r i n a harmonic e n v i r o n m e n t i s
Installing a r e a c t o r i n series with the
shown i n F i g u r e 1 A .
c a p a c i t o r bank changes t h e e q u i v a l e n t c i r c u i t o f F i g u r e 1 A t o t h a t
shown i n F i g u r e 1B.

F i g u r e 1A
- Applying Capacitors Without
Harmonic P r o t e c t i o n

P o w Systems Division
McGraw-EdisonCompany
Post Office Box 1224
Greenwood,SC 29648

F i g u r e 1B
Applying Capacitors With
Harmonic P r o t e c t i o n

The h a r m o n i c s p e c t r u m was d e f i n e d i n I s s u e 4 o f t h e K i l o v a r B r i e f s
We now a n a l y z e t h e
and t h e c i r c u i t i n F i g u r e 1A was a n a l y z e d .
c i r c u i t shown i n f i g u r e 1B. T h e f i l t e r i m p e d a n c e i s c a l c u l a t e d a s :

T h e f i l t e r i s d e s i g n e d s o t h a t a t a f r e q u e n c y o f 4.7 t i m e s t h e
fundamental
frequency
the
reactor
and
capacitor
are
series
resonant.
That i s :

T h i s a s s u r e s t h a t a t f r e q u e n c i e s g r e a t e r t h a n 4.7
times the
fundamental, t h e c a p a c i t o r r e a c t o r branch appears i n d u c t i v e .
Since
t h e s i x - p u l s e r e c t i f i e r p r o d u c e s no h a r m o n i c c u r r e n t b e l o w t h e 5 t h
harmonic, harmonic c u r r e n t a m p l i c a t i o n c a n n o t o c c u r due t o t h e
presence of t h e power f a c t o r c o r r e c t i o n c a p a c i t o r .
. ,
R e c t i f i e r Network Impedance Spectrum
W i t h A C a p a c i t o r F i l t e r Tuned To The
4 . 7 Harmonic

Parallel
Resonant

HARMONIC ORDER
Figure 2

T h i s i s b e s t i l l u s t r a t e d g r a p h i c a l l y i n F i g u r e 2.
The f i l t e r
i m p e d a n c e , Z F ( n ) , i s p l o t t e d as f u n c t i o n o f f r e q u e n c y . I t i s
n o t e d t h a t i t c r o s s e s z e r o a t 4.7 t i m e s t h e f u n d a m e n t a l f r e q u e n c y .
The parallel r e s o n a n t f r e q u e n c y i s d e t e r m i n e d g r a p h i c a l l y as t h e
It i s
i n t e r s e c t i o n o f t h e n e g a t i v e v a l u e o f Z S ( n ) w i t h ZF(n).
observed t h a t t h e p a r a l l e l resonant frequency always occurs a t a
value l e s s than t h e s e r i e s resonant frequency o f t h e c a p a c i t o r /
r e a c t o r f i l t e r system.
I f t h e f i l t e r t u n i n g p o i n t i s a t o r below
t h e f i r s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c harmonic frequency o f t h e motor d r i v e ,
harmonic c u r r e n t a m p l i f i c a t i o n i s n o t a problem.
The f i l t e r d e s i g n i s a n i t e r a t i v e p r o c e s s a n d i s d e s c r i b e d b e l o w .
The r e a c t i v e p o w e r r a t i n g o f t h e c a p a c i t o r b a n k r e q u i r e d t o c o r r e c t
t h e c o n v e r t e r power f a c t o r i s d e t e r m i n e d t h r o u g h normal power
correction analysis.
From t h i s , t h e power f r e q u e n c y impedance o f
t h e c a p a c i t o r b a n k i s c a l c u l a t e d as:
2
Z c ( l ) = (V LL ) I Q cap
(3)
'The r e a c t o r i m p e d a n c e a t t h e p o w e r f r e q u e n c y r e q u i r e d t o t u n e t h e
c a p a c i t o r b a n k i n t o r e s o n a n c e a t a h a r m o n i c , n, i s :
2
ZL(l) = ZC(l) / n
(4)

The p r e s e n c e o f t h e r e a c t o r i n s e r i e s w i t h t h e c a p a c i t o r c a u s e s a
p o w e r f r e q u e n c y v o l t a g e r i s e t h a t t h e c a p a c i t o r bank m u s t b e r a t e d
t o withstand. If harmonic v o l t a g e s a r e s i g n i f i c a n t , t h e i r magnitude
s h o u l d b e summed l i n e a r l y w i t h t h e p o w e r f r e q u e n c y v o l t a g e a n d t h e
c a p a c i t o r b a n k s s h o u l d b e r a t e d a p p r o x i m a t e l y a s shown b e l o w .
This
l i n e t o l i n e v o l t a g e r i s e i s c a l c u l a t e d as:

A new c a p a c i t o r bank r e a c t i v e p o w e r r a t i n g i s t h e n c a l c u l a t e d f o r
purpose o f s p e c i f y i n g t h e equipment.
(6)
The r e a c t i v e power r a t i n g Q c a p s h o u l d be a d j u s t e d t o p i c k a
s t a n d a r d s i z e bank r a t i n g .
T h e may n e c e s s i t a t e r e c a l c u l a t i n g t h e
capacitor
impedance,
ZC(l),
and
consequently
the
reactor
impedance,
The presence o f t h e f i l t e r r e a c t o r reduces t h e
o u t p u t o f t h e bank w h i c h i s c a l c u l a t e d as f o l l o w s :

effective

Kvar

t h e r e a c t i v e power o u t p u t o f t h e f i l t e r i s i n a d e q u a t e t h e
c a p a c i t o r b a n k r e a c t i v e p o w e r r a t i n g s h o u l d b e i n c r e a s e d and t h e
d e s i g n p r o c e d u r e r e p e a t e d i t e r a t i v e l y t o m a i n t a i n t h e p r o p e r power
factor w i t h the given f i l t e r tuning constraints.

If

We w i l l now d e s i g n a f i l t e r t u n e d t o t h e 4.7 h a r m o n i c f o r t h e
A
example problem p r e s e n t e d i n I s s u e 4 o f .the K i l o v a r B r i e f s .
d e f i n i t i o n o f k e y p a r a m e t e r s i s summarized b e l o w f o r t h e c i r c u i t i n
f i g u r e 1A.
'Load i s a s i x p u l s e t h y r i s t o r d r i v e s y s t e m ( 6 3 0 0 K V A ,
'Source i s a t r a n s f o r m e r (6300 K V A , 10% impedance)
' C a p a c i t o r b a n k i s 2 4 0 0 K v a r , 4160 V ( 9 9 % p o w e r f a c t o r )
Z C ( l ) = ( 4 1 6 0 ) 2/ (2400 x l 0 3 ) = 7 . 2 1

(from equation 3)

Z L ( l ) = 7.21 / (4.7) 2 = .33

(4160)

4160 V)

(from equation 4)

(4.7

1) +

4460 v
(from equation 5)
N e x t we s e l e c t a 4 8 0 0 v o l t L - L v o l t a g e - r a t i n g ( t h e c l o s e s t s t a n d a r d
r a t i n g ) f o r t h e c a p a c i t o r and c a l c u l a t e t h e K v a r r a t i n g
(7.21 x

= 3196 Kvar

(n)

(from equation 6)

N e x t we c h o o s e a s t a n d a r d K v a r s i z e and r e c a l c u l a t e c a p a c i t o r a n d
r e a c t o r impedance.
Let Q Cap
= 7.68

3 x

( f r o m equation 3)

(from equation 4)

The a c t u a l v a r o u t p u t o f t h e f i l t e r i s c a l c u l a t e d a s :
(7.68

t =

= 2361 Kvar

(from equation 7)

The power f a c t o r o f t h e c i r c u i t s h o u l d b e c h e c k e d t o make s u r e t h e

f i l t e r r a t i n g i s adequate.
F o r o u r e x a m p l e t h e power f a c t o r i s
99%.
T a b l e I summarizes t h e c i r c u i t c u r r e n t s and v o l t a g e s w i t h t h e 4.7
h a r m o n i c s f i l t e r i n s t a l l e d and u s i n g a 3000 K v a r ,
4800 v o l t
c a p a c i t o r bank.
THE SUMMARY OF CIRCUIT CURRENTS AND VOLTAGE
WITH
- FILTER INSTALLED

Harmonic
Order

IH(n)
Amps

I (n)
Amps

Is(n)
Amps

Capacitor
Voltage
Volts
2514.60

The l i n e a r sum o f t h e v o l t a g e s a c r o s s t h e c a p a c i t o r s i s 2806 v o l t s

T h i s v a l u e i s used t o s e l e c t t h e c a p a c i t o r u n i t r a t i n g .
(L- N).
T h i s a p p r o a c h assumes t h a t t h e r e i s no p h a s e s h i f t b e t w e e n h a r m o n i c
components
and r e p r e s e n t s t h e h i g h e s t
v o l t a g e magnitude t h e
As a r e s u l t , 2770
c a p a c i t o r d i e l e c t r i c s y s t e m w i l l b e exposed.
v o l t u n i t s a r e used i n t h e bank, w h i c h a r e t h e c l o s e s t s t a n d a r d
r a t i n g available.
The t o t a l v o l t a g e d i s t o r t i o n ( d e f i n e d i n i s s u e # 4 o f t h e K i l o v a r
without
the filter.
B r i e f s ) i s 105% a t t h e bus compared t o 135%
e v i d e n c e d b y t h i s example, c a p a c i t o r b a n k s c a n be e f f e c t i v e l y
a p p l i e d i n t h e harmonic environment through t h e a p p l i c a t i o n s o f
filters.
I n g e n e r a l , t h e a d d i t i o n a l c o s t o f t h e r e a c t o r equipment
does n o t s i g n i f i c a n t l y i n c r e a s e t h e p a y b a c k p o i n t o f t h e power
f a c t o r c o m p e n s a t i o n equipmment.

AS