> ID: 347 <

1

AbstractThe total harmonic distortion of the phase-to-neutral
voltage at buses feeding office load is investigated for various
cable configurations, lengths and cross-sections. The investigation
is carried out with a software model which was validated with
approximate analytical expressions and measurements taken at a
real installation. It is shown that the selection of a cable should
based not only on its ampacity and allowable voltage drop but its
configuration should be taken into account in order to avoid
excessive voltage harmonic distortion. Configurations where the
neutral conductor is part of a four-core cable cause relatively
small harmonic distortion while cable configurations where the
neutral conductor runs separately cause high voltage harmonic
distortion.

Index TermsHarmonics, voltage harmonic distortion, cable
impedance, cable configuration.

I. INTRODUCTION
In this paper, the voltage harmonic distortion at buses
feeding computer or fluorescent lighting loads or a
combination of both is evaluated. Such buses can be found in
almost any office building such as banks, universities, etc. It is
shown that the harmonic distortion of the voltage depends
strongly on the cable configuration that feeds the bus.
The main contribution of this paper is that it gives a
guidance on the proper selection of PVC insulated 0.6/1.0 kV
power cables so that excessive voltage harmonic distortion
(>5%) is avoided.
Loads such as the aforementioned, especially computer
loads, draw large amounts of zero-sequence (3
rd
, 9
th
, etc)
harmonic currents, which, in a three-phase four-wire system (a
TN-S system according to [1]) add up in the neutral conductor.
Therefore, the neutral conductor may be overloaded and this
has been dealt with in many publications such as [2] and [3]
and is already mentioned in the appropriate standards [4], [5].
In a three-phase TN-S system, the neutral conductor will
develop a relatively significant voltage with respect to ground
when the harmonic currents that flow in it and its effective
impedance are large.
A relatively large neutral-to-ground voltage consisting of

Manuscript received December 1, 2006.
Charis Demoulias is with the Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki, Greece
(phone: +302310995960; e-mail: chdimoul@ auth.gr).
Dimitris Goutzamanis., was with the Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki,
Greece. Now he is with Alteren S.A. Thssaloniki Greece (e-mail:
dgoutz@alteren.gr).
Kostas Gouramanis is with the Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki,
Greece, (e-mail: kostisg@eng.auth.gr).
zero-sequence harmonic components may also distort the
phase-to-neutral voltage to unacceptable levels (>5%). Before
installing passive or active harmonic filters [6] in order to
reduce the current in the neutral conductor, the effective
impedance of the neutral conductor must first be kept as low as
possible. The effective impedance of the neutral conductor at
zero-sequence harmonic frequencies, as shown in this paper, is
determined, to a large extend, by its effective inductance rather
than its effective resistance. The effective inductance is
determined by the cable geometry and therefore by the
configuration of the cable that feeds office loads in a three-
phase TN-S system.
The evaluation of the voltage harmonic distortion is carried
out, in this paper, by a simulation model developed with the
Psim software of Powersys Inc. The simulation model is
validated with approximate analytical expressions and with
measurements taken in a real installation that feeds a large
computer room.

II. THE SIMULATION MODEL
A two-bus system, as shown in Fig. 1a, was considered
where Bus1 is the feeding bus (for example the main
switchboard of a building) and was assumed to be free of
harmonic distortion, while Bus2 is the load bus (for example a
subdistribution switchboard) that feeds a non linear load. The
load was assumed to consist of computers, or lighting fixtures
with fluorescent bulbs, or a combination of both.
The computers were simulated as full wave diode bridges
with a capacitor at the dc side and a resistor as load. At the ac
side a RF filter was assumed to be between the ac terminals
and the diode bridge. The PC model is shown in Fig. 2.
Each lighting fixture was assumed to consist of two
fluorescent light bulbs rated 36W, 230 V, connected in DUO
configuration. Magnetic ballasts were assumed. The
fluorescent bulbs were simulated as square-wave voltage
sources behind an inductor (ballast). The model of the lighting
fixture is shown in Fig. 3.
The parameters of the simulation circuits for both the
computers and the lighting fixtures were taken by
manufacturers data and the accuracy of the simulation models
was verified by comparing the line current waveforms of the
two loads with respective measurements as shown in Fig. 4
and Fig. 5.
Voltage Harmonic Distortion at Buses Feeding
Office Loads.
Charis Demoulias, Member IEEE, Dimitris Goutzamanis, Member IEEE, and Kostas Gouramanis, Member IEEE
> ID: 347 <

2




The cable system from Bus1 to Bus2 was simulated as an
impedance consisting of a resistive part and an inductive part.
The inductive part was simulated by the self and mutual
inductances of the four conductors of the cable (the PE
conductor does not carry any current in steady state conditions
and was therefore not simulated).



III. ANALYTICAL APPROACH
The influence of cable configuration (actually the position
of the neutral conductor with respect to the phase conductors)
on the voltage harmonic distortion will be demonstrated by the
analytical examination of the simple case as shown in Fig. 1.
The voltage drop along the conductor of phase L1 and the
neutral conductor for every harmonic order, h, is given by the
following equations (1) and (2):

1,1 1,2
1 0 11 1 0 12 2 0 13 3 0 1
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
L L
N N
U h U h
r jh L I h jh L I h jh L I h jh L I h e e e e
=
( = + + + +


(1)
,1 ,2
0 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 3 3
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
N N
N NN N N N N
U h U h
r jh L I h jh L I h jh L I h jh L I h e e e e
=
( = + + + +


(2)
where,
0
=2f
0
, is the fundamental radian frequency,

L1,1
(h),
L1,2
(h),
N,1
(h) and
N,2
(h) are the voltages with
respect to ground of phase-L1 conductor and neutral conductor
at Bus1 and Bus2 respectively at the harmonic frequency hf
0
.
r
1
, r
N
are the resistances per unit length of phase-L1 conductor
and neutral conductor respectively. L
ij
, with i, j taking the
values 1, 2, 3 and N are the self and mutual inductances per
unit length of the phase and neutral conductors. ( )
i
I h , with i
taking the values 1, 2, 3, and N are vectors, at the harmonic
frequency hf
0
, of the line currents as shown in Fig. 1a. l is the
length of the cable.
In a TN-S system, the neutral conductor is grounded at the
main low-voltage switchboard. Assuming that Bus1 is the main
low-voltage switchboard, then,

,1
( ) 0
N
U h = (3)

Using Eq. (1)-(3) the phase-to-neutral voltage at Bus2 is
given by (4),


Fig. 1. a) Cable system connecting Bus1 with Bus2 in a TN-S system. b)
The neutral conductor is part of the 4-core cable; c) The neutral conductor is
formed by a separate single-core cable. d) The cable system consists of
single-core cables.
-0,80
-0,60
-0,40
-0,20
0,00
0,20
0,40
0,60
0,80
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Time, ms
C
u
r
r
e
n
t
,

A
Simulation
Measurement

Fig. 5. Current drawn by a 2x36W lighting fixture. Comparison between
simulation and measurements.

-4,0
-3,0
-2,0
-1,0
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Time, ms
C
u
r
r
e
n
t
,

A
Simulation
Measurement

Fig. 4. Current drawn by a PC. Comparison between simulation and
measurements.


Fig. 3. Simulation model of one lighting fixture with 2x36 W fluorescent
lamps and magnetic ballast.


Fig. 2. Simulation model of one PC.

> ID: 347 <

3
0,00
0,50
1,00
1,50
2,00
2,50
3,00
3,50
4,00
4,50
5,00
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21
Harmonic order (the fundamntal is 50 Hz)
R
M
S

V
o
l
t
a
g
e
,

V Simulation UL1,2-UN2
Measurement UL1,2-UN2
Fig. 6: Comparison of the harmonic spectrums of the measured and
simulated phase L1-to-neutral voltage (UL1,2-UN2 according to Fig. 1).

1,2 ,2
1,1 1 0 1 11 1
0 1
0 2 12 2 0 3 13 3
( ) ( )
( ) {[ ( )] ( )
[ ( )] ( ) (4)
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )}
L N
L N
N NN N N
N N
U h U h
U h r jh L L I h
r jh L L I h
jh L L I h jh L L I h
e
e
e e
=
= + + +
+ + +
+ +

The self (L
ii
) and mutual (L
ij
) inductances are functions of
the cable geometry and are defined by the following equations,

0
ln
2
i i
m
A
L
d

t
=
(5)
0
ln
2
ij
ij
A
L
D

t
=
(6)

where,

=410
-7
H/m, is the magnetic permeability of free
space, A, is the radius of a fictitious cylinder that is considered
as the return path of the conductor currents, D
ij
is the distance
between the centers of conductors i and j, and d
m
=Re
-0.25
, is
the geometric mean radius of a conductor with radius equal to
R. The value of A can be arbitrary since the terms L
ii
and L
ij

always appear as differences when calculating voltage drops.
However, A should be selected to be much larger than any D
ij

so that A can be considered as a constant magnetic flux area.
Using (5) and (6), Eq. (4) becomes,

1,2 ,2
0 1 0 1
1,1 1 0 1 0
1
0 0 13 12
0 2 0 3
2 3
(7)

( ) ( )
( ) {[ ln ] ( ) [ ln ] ( )
2 2
ln ( ) ln ( )}
2 2
L N
m N
N N L
mN N
N N
U h U h
d D
U h r jh I h r jh I h
D d
D D
jh I h jh I h
D D

e e
t t

e e
t t
=
= + + + + +
+ +


where, d
m1
=R
1
e
-0.25
and d
mN
=R
N
e
-0.25
are the geometric mean
radii of phase-L1 and neutral conductor respectively.
If a symmetrical, three-phase load is connected at Bus2 and
the voltage at Bus1 is assumed to be free of harmonics, then, at
frequencies corresponding to zero-sequence harmonics, the
following relations apply:

1,1
( ) 0, for 3 ,
L
U h h k k Z
+
= = e
(8)
1 2 3
( )
( ) ( ) ( ) , for 3 ,
3
N
I h
I h I h I h h k k Z
+
= = = = e
(9)

Therefore, at zero-sequence harmonic frequencies, Eq. (7)
becomes,

1,2 ,2
4
0 1 2 3 1
0 1N 3
1 12 13
(
( ) ( )
( )
[ ] ( ) ln ( ) Z ( ),
3 2 3
for 3 ,
L N
N N N N
N N N
mN m
U h U h
D D D r I h
r I h jh I h h
d d D D
h k k Z

e
t
+
=

= + + =

= e

10)

This expression gives the phase-to-neutral voltage (PTNV)
at load bus (Bus2 in Fig. 1a) at zero-sequence harmonics. The
PTNV that is developed at Bus2 at zero-sequence harmonic
frequencies is proportional to the neutral current at the same
frequency and to an effective impedance 1 ( ) N Z h that is a
function of the cross section of phase and neutral conductors,
of the frequency, and of the cables configuration. It is evident
from (10) that increasing the distances D
1N
, D
2N,
and D
3N
, the
harmonic voltage developed at Bus2 increases. Distances D
1N
,
D
2N
and D
3N
are relatively small in cable configurations similar
to the one shown in Fig. 1b and relatively large in cable
configurations similar to the ones shown in Fig. 1c, 1d.

IV. MEASUREMENTS
The validity of the simulation of the overall system (cable
plus loads) was verified by comparing the simulation results
with measurements taken at a real installation. The installation
is a laboratory building in the Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, Greece. Part of the building is a large computer
room. The building is fed from a nearby substation via an
180m cable with a configuration similar to the one shown in
Fig. 1d. The cable is of the J1VV 1x185 mm
2
type. During the
measurements all other loads, except the computers in the
computer room, were switched off. During the measurement,
18 computers were connected on phase L1, 9 computers on
phase L2 and 7 computers on phase L3. All computers were of
the same type.
Fig. 6 shows a comparison of the harmonic spectrums of the
measured and simulated phase-L1-to-neutral voltage. The
fundamental harmonic is omitted so that the vertical axis scale
results in a clearly visible figure. The agreement between
measurements and simulation results is very good at relatively
low-order harmonics but drops at larger harmonics probably
due to the assumption that the cable is laid in its entire length
according to Fig. 1d. Actually there are two points (at bends)
where this layout is violated. This change in layout leads in a
small change in the mutual and self-inductances which is
evident at high-frequency harmonics. However, since the
harmonic voltages at large-order harmonics are much smaller
than the respective ones at low-order harmonics, the accuracy
of the simulation model can be considered good.
> ID: 347 <

4

Fig. 7 Examined cable configurations. L1, L2, L3 are phase conductors.
N, is the neutral conductor.
TABLE I: AMPACITY OF THE EXAMINED CABLE CONFIGURATIONS
Load consisting of PCs only
C
r
o
s
s

S
e
c
t
i
o
n
,

m
m
2

C
o
n
f
i
g
u
r
a
t
i
o
n

A
m
p
a
c
i
t
y

a
c
c
.

t
o

[
4
]
,

A

A
m
p
a
c
i
t
y

D
e
r
a
t
i
n
g

F
a
c
t
o
r

[
7
]

F
i
n
a
l

A
m
p
a
c
i
t
y
,

A

N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

P
C

s

N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

f
l
u
o
r
e
s
c
e
n
t

l
i
g
h
t
s
.

95 A 246 0.69 170 175 -
95 B 246 0.69 170 175 -
95 C 264 0.69 182 188 -
95 D 264 0.69 182 188 -
120 A 285 0.69 197 203 -
120 B 285 0.69 197 203 -
120 C 307 0.69 212 218 -
120 D 307 0.69 212 218 -
240 A 445 0.69 307 317
240 B 445 0.69 307 317
240 C 483 0.69 333 344
240 D 483 0.69 333 344
Load consisting of 60% PCs and 40% Fluorescent Lights
(2x36W)
95 A 246 0.78 192 166 110
95 B 246 0.78 192 166 110
95 C 264 0.78 206 178 118
95 D 264 0.78 206 178 118
120 A 285 0.74 212 183 122
120 B 285 0.74 212 183 122
120 C 307 0.74 229 197 132
120 D 307 0.74 229 197 132
240 A 445 0.69 306 263 176
240 B 445 0.69 306 263 176
240 C 483 0.69 332 286 191
240 D 483 0.69 332 286 191

Similar comparisons hold true for the other two phases. The
measured total harmonic distortion (THD) of the PTNV of
phases L1, L2 and L3 were 2.66%, 1.98% and 1.89%
respectively. The respective results of the simulation model
were 2.72%, 2.06% and 1.99%. The initial, i.e. at no-load,
THD of the PTNV was 1.6%, 1.5% and 1.6% for phases L1,
L2 and L3 respectively. This initial THD was also taken into
account in the simulation model. The measurements were
taken with the Fluke 433 instrument.

V. RESULTS
The THD at the load bus is evaluated for four cable
configurations that feed computer or fluorescent lighting loads
or a combination of both. The configurations are designated as
A, B, C and D and are shown in Fig. 7. The loading of each
cable was assumed to be equal to its ampacity [4] multiplied
by a derating factor determined according to the methodology
presented in [7]. Two types of load were examined. The first
type is a load consisting of PCs only. The second type of load
was assumed to consist of 60% PCs and 40% lighting
fixtures. A PC and a lighting fixture consisting of 2x36 W
fluorescent bulbs, draw approximately the same amount of
active power (110W and 108 W respectively). Therefore an
analogy in the number of PCs and lighting fixtures yield the
same analogy in terms of active power too. Table I shows the
ampacity of the cables examined and the number of computers
and fluorescent lights (2x36W) that can be connected per
phase so that the ampacity is not exceeded. The voltage THD
at the bus that feeds the two types of load is shown in Figures
8-13 as a function of the cable length, configuration and cross-
section.
The following remarks can be made from the results shown
in Figs. 8-13:
- For a given cable length the THD of the voltage is
significantly reduced when the neutral conductor is part
of the four-core cable, i.e. when configuration A is used.
The voltage THD becomes maximum when configuration
C is employed due to the large distance between the
neutral conductor and the phase-L1 conductor. The large
distance causes a relatively large effective impedance in
the neutral conductor which then causes a relatively large
voltage in the neutral conductor with respect to ground
and thus a large distortion in the PTNV.
- When the load consists of PCs and lighting fixtures the
THD of the voltage is also reduced due to the reduction
of the zero-sequence harmonic currents in the neutral
conductor. The current in the neutral conductor is
reduced because the zero-sequence harmonic currents of
the PC are almost out of phase with the zero-sequence
harmonic currents of the lighting fixture with
electromagnetic ballast. The reduction of the voltage
THD for the same cable length can be noticed by
comparing figures that correspond to the same cable
cross-section (for example Fig. 8 with Fig. 9). The
reduction of the voltage THD is more pronounced when
comparing configuration C.
- The voltage THD increases with the cable cross-section.
This can be noticed by comparing Fig. 8 with Fig. 10 and
Fig. 11. For a given cable length and assuming that each
cable carries a load equal to is ampacity, the voltage
THD caused by the 240mm
2
cable is the largest. This is
explained by the fact that at larger cross-section the
distances between the neutral conductor and the phase
conductors is increased leading to a respective increase
of the neutral conductor impedance.
> ID: 347 <

5
0
1
2
3
1
5

Z
8
9
10
10 20 30 10 50 0 Z0 80 90 100
6ab|e Length, m
V
o
|
t
a
g
e

T
h
0
,

7

Fig. 8: THD of the PTNV at the load bus as function of the cable length and
configuration. The cross-section of the cable is 95mm
2
. The load consists of
PCs only. The position of the neutral conductor is shown in shaded color.

0
1
2
3
1
5

Z
8
9
10 20 30 10 50 0 Z0 80 90 100
6ab|e Length, m
V
o
|
t
a
g
e

T
h
0
,

7

Fig. 9: THD of the PTNV at the load bus as function of the cable length and
configuration. The cross-section of the cable is 95mm
2
. The load consists of
60% PCs and 40% fluorescent lighting . The position of the neutral
conductor is shown in shaded color.

0
1
2
3
1
5

Z
8
9
10
11
10 20 30 10 50 0 Z0 80 90 100
6ab|e Length, m
V
o
|
t
a
g
e

T
h
0
,

7
Fig. 10: THD of the PTNV at the load bus as function of the cable length
and configuration. The cross-section of the cable is 120mm
2
. The load
consists of PCs only . The position of the neutral conductor is shown in
shaded color.
0
1
2
3
1
5

Z
8
9
10
10 20 30 10 50 0 Z0 80 90 100
6ab|e Length, m
V
o
|
t
a
g
e

T
h
0
,

7

Fig. 11: THD of the PTNV at the load bus as function of the cable length
and configuration. The cross-section of the cable is 120mm
2
. The load
consists of 60% PCs and 40% fluorescent lighting. The position of the
neutral conductor is shown in shaded color.
0
1
2
3
1
5

Z
8
9
10
11
12
13
11
15
1
10 20 30 10 50 0 Z0 80 90 100
6ab|e Length, m
V
o
|
t
a
g
e

T
h
0
,

7

Fig. 12: THD of the PTNV at the load bus as function of the cable length
and configuration. The cross-section of the cable is 240mm
2
. The load
consists of PCs only. The position of the neutral conductor is shown in
shaded color.

- The voltage THD increases with the cable length. By
setting an allowable upper limit (for example 5%) the
maximum cable length can be determined from Figs. 8-
13 according to the cable configuration, cross-section and
the load type.











> ID: 347 <

6
0
2
1

8
10
12
11
10 20 30 10 50 0 Z0 80 90 100
6ab|e Length, m
V
o
|
t
a
g
e

T
h
0
,

7

Fig. 13: THD of the PTNV at the load bus as function of the cable length
and configuration. The cross-section of the cable is 240mm
2
. The load
consists of 60% PCs and 40% fluorescent lighting. The position of the
neutral conductor is shown in shaded color.


VI. CONCLUSIONS
It is shown in this paper that the selection of a cable feeding
office loads should be based not only on its ampacity and on
the allowable voltage drop as the present standards dictate, but
also on the type of its configuration if excessive voltage
harmonic distortion is to be avoided. Four-core cables with the
fourth core being the neutral conductor should be preferred
while configurations where the neutral conductor runs
separately should be avoided or used for very short lengths.
Mixing PCs with fluorescent lights that operate with
magnetic ballasts, reduces the voltage THD due to the
reduction in the neutral current.
REFERENCES
[1] Low Voltage electrical installations -- Part 1: Fundamental principles,
assessment of general characteristics, definitions, IEC Standard 60364-
1:2005-11
[2] Jan J. M. Desmet et al., Analysis of the Neutral Conductor Current in
a Three-Phase Supplied Network with Nonlinear Single-Phase Loads,
IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 39, No.3, pp. 587-
593, May/June 2003.
[3] Jih-Sheng Lai and Thomas S. Key, Effectiveness of Harmonic
Mitigation Equipment for Commercial Office Buildings, IEEE
Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 33, No.4, pp. 1104-1110,
July/August 1997.
[4] Electrical installations of buildings - Part 5: Selection and erection of
electrical equipment - Section 523: Current-carrying capacities in
wiring systems, CENELEC Standard HD384.5.523, S2:2001.
[5] NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, August 5, 2004;
Published by the National Fire Protection Association.
[6] Po-Tai Cheng, Chung-Chuan Hou, Yung-Fu Huang, Overload
Prevention, IEEE Industry Applications Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp.
26-34, November/December 2004.
[7] C. Demoulias, D. Labridis, P. Dokopoulos, K. Gouramanis, Ampacity
of low voltage power cables under non sinusoidal currents, IEEE
Transactions on Power Delivery, Vol. 22, No1, pp.584-594, January
2007.




VII. BIOGRAPHIES
Charis Demoulias (M1995) was born in Katerini, Greece, on July 23,
1961. He received his Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1984 and his Ph.D.,
degree from the same university in 1991.
He worked as a consultant in the areas of industrial electrical installations,
electrical energy saving, and renewable energy sources. He is currently
lecturer with the Electrical Machines Laboratory, Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His
research interests are in the fields of power electronics, harmonics, electric
motion systems and renewable energy sources.
Dimitris Goutzamanis (M 2005) was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, on
February 06, 1981. He received his diploma in Electrical Engineering from
the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, Greece in 2005. He is currently working as an
electrical enginner in the private sector. His research interests are in the fields
of power electronics, harmonics and renewable energy sources.
Kostas Gouramanis (M 2002) was born in Athens, Greece, on
September 22, 1979. He received his diploma in Electrical Engineering from
the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, Greece in 2003. Since 2003 he is a Ph.D. student
at the same University. His research interests are in the fields of power
electronics, power system harmonics and power quality. Mr. Gouramanis is a
member of the Society of Professional Engineers of Greece