BRIEFS

June, 1985

KILOVAR
FROM THE McGRAW-EDISON POWER SYSTEMS CAPACITOR PLANT GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA
Issue

HARMONICS AND CAPACITORS EFFECTS OF CAPACITORS I N A HARMONIC ENVIRONMENT Harmonic v o l t a g e and c u r r e n t s can a f f e c t a l l equipment i n t h e power system, however, t h i s a r t i c l e w i l l d e a l s p e c i f i c a l l y w i t h the effect that harmonics have upon capacitors; such as additional heating and h i g h e r dielectric stress. ANSI/IEEE S t a n d a r d 18- 1980 d e t a i l s l i m i t a t i o n s on v o l t a g e , c u r r e n t , and r e a c t i v e power f o r c a p a c i t o r banks. This standard indicates t h a t t h e c a p a c i t o r can be a p p l i e d w i t h i n t h e f o l l o w i n g l i m i t a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g harmonic components: 110% 120% 180% 135% of of of of rated rated rated rated
RMS v o l t a g e peak v o l t a g e RMS c u r r e n t r e a c t i v e power

(Par# (Par# (Par# (Par#

8.3.1 8.3.1 8.5.1 5.2.2

of of of of

Std Std Std Std

18- 1980) 18- 1980) 18- 1980) 18- 1980)

I f harmonic problems e x i s t , t h e y most o f t e n m a n i f e s t themselves f i r s t a t s h u n t c a p a c i t o r banks i n t h e f o r m o f a u d i b l e n o i s e , blown fuses o r c a p a c i t o r u n i t f a i l u r e s . The r e a s o n f o r t h i s i s t h a t t h e c a p a c i t o r banks can cause r e s o n a n t l o o p s r e s u l t i n g i n m a g n i f i c a t i o n o f s p e c i f i c harmonic components. The r e s u l t i n g h a r m o n i c v o l t a g e s a r e h i g h e s t a t t h e c a p a c i t o r bank.
To b e s t i l l u s t r a t e simp1 i f i e d c i r c u i t : these conditions, consider the following

Figure 1 T h i s c i r c u i t c o n s i s t s o f t h r e e ( 3 ) components:

1.
2.
3.

A t h y r i s t o r d r i v e system (6300 KVA,

4 1 6 0 V)

An i n d u c t i v e s o u r c e ( 6 3 0 0 K V A ,
A c a p a c i t o r b a n k (2400
KVAR,

10% impedance)

4 1 6 0 V)

Power Systems Division McGraw-Edison Company PO Box 1224 Greenwood, SC 29648

The r e c t i f i e r d r i v e s y s t e m c a n b e m o d e l e d a s a h a r m o n i c c u r r e n t source. An i d e a l s i x p u l s e r e c t i f i e r h a s t h e f o l l o w i n g h a r m o n l c c u r r e n t spectrum: Harmonic Order

% o f Fundamental C u r r e n t ( I H )

The 2 4 0 0 KVAR c a p a c i t o r b a n k was s e l e c t e d t o c o r r e c t t h e n a t u r a l p o w e r f a c t o r o f t h e r e c t i f i e r f r o m 75% t o 98%. F o r harmonic c a l c u l a t i o n s , the equivalent F i g u r e 2, a c c u r a t e l y m o d e l s t h i s a p p l i c a t i o n . circuit shown in

Figure 2

When c a l c u l a t i n g t h e e f f e c t s o f h a r m o n i c s i n t h e s y s t e m , t h a t t h e power s o u r c e i s s h o r t e d u s i n g s u p e r p o s i t i o n t h e o r y . h a r m o n i c v a l u e s c a n t h a n b e summed w i t h t h e 6 0 h z v a l u e s . equivalent c i r c u i t i s a p a r a l l e l resonant tank c i r c u i t . bank The r e s p e c t i v e s y s t e m a n d c a p a c i t o r c a l c u l a t e d by u s i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g formulas: currents can

note The The be

The c i r c u i t r e s o n a n t f r e q u e n c y can b e c a l c u l a t e d a s f o l l o w e d : C a p a c i t o r Impedance ( 6 0 h z ) T r a n s f o r m e r Impedance ( h z )

Network Resonant Frequency =

=60 (5.17) = 310.2 Hertz

Note t h a t t h e n a t u r a l f r e q u e n c y i s q u i t e c l o s e t o t h e 5 t h h a r m o n i c . T h i s i s shown g r a p h i c a l l y i n F i g u r e 3. Where t h e system resonant frequency i s determined by t h e 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 o f t h e s y s t e m impedance a n d t h e c a p a c i t o r impedance c u r v e s p l o t t e d as a f u n c t i o n o f f r e q u e n c y .

I
Impedance (Ohms)

P a r a l l e l Resonant Frequency

Harmonic Order Figure 3 The t h y r i s t o r s y s t e m b a s e c u r r e n t i s c a l c u l a t e d as f o l l o w s :

IBASE = 6300 4160

lo3 = 874. Amps

(6)

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From t h i s t h e h a r m o n i c c u r r e n t s t h a t a r e i n j e c t e d i n t o t h e network system a r e calculated. The d i v i s i o n o f t h e h a r m o n i c c u r r e n t s between t h e power system and t h e c a p a c i t o r bank a r e n e x t d e t e r m i n e d u s i n g e q u a t i o n s 1&2.

% Capacitor
Vo 1t a g e 134.7 9.1 1.4 .7 .3 .2

.1 .1
Note t h a t s i n c e t h e c a p a c i t o r bank t u n e s t h i s c i r c u i t so c l o s e l y t o a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c harmonic of t h e r e c t i f i e r , t h e capacitors a r e subjected t o unacceptable overvoltages. Harmonic e f f e c t s on system equipment and performance a r e usual l y d e f i n e d i n t e r m s o f t h e v o l t a g e d i s t o r t i o n (VDF) a s f o l l o w s :

where DF i s t h e d i s t o r t i o n v o l t a g e VH i s t h e harmonic v o l t a g e V 1 i s the fundamental voltage. I n our example, t h e v o l t a g e d i s t o r t i o n a t t h e c a p a c i t o r bus e q u a l s 1 3 5 % VR. U s u a l l y i t i s d e s i r a b l e t o 1i m i t t h e v o l t a g e I n m a n y c a s e s i t i s l i m i t e d t o 1%. d i s t o r t i o n t o 5%.

As i s e v i d e n t b y t h i s e x a m p l e , t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f c a p a c i t o r s i n t h e harmonic environment caused p a r a l l e l resonance between t h e c a p a c i t o r bank and t h e system impedance. This resulted i n a m p l i f i c a t i o n o f t h e harmonic c u r r e n t s through t h e c a p a c i t o r s w h i c h i n c r e a s e d t h e peak c a p a c i t o r b u s v o l t a g e t o 135% VR. When c a p a c i t o r s a r e s u b j e c t e d t o h i g h e r t h a n r a t e d v o l t a g e , f o r extended periods o f time, d i e l e c t r i c wearout occurs. In this s i t u a t i o n one would e x p e c t t o see s p u r i o u s .fuse o p e r a t i o n s a n d / o r reduced c a p a c i t o r l i f e . Capacitors can be effectively applied in these types of environments by s e l e c t i n g compensation l e v e l s t h a t do n o t t u n e t h e c i r c u i t o r by t h e use o f a f i l t e r . The n e x t i s s u e o f "KILOVAR BRIEFS" w i l l discuss the proper application of c a p a c i t o r s i n a harmonic environment.

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