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Product category: Industrial Drives/Controls
News Release from: Control Techniques | Subject: General company product range
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 19 March 2001

Harmonics - Is your system in tune?

There is a lot of confusion between high frequency EMC effects, and harmonics on a power system. A new book fron Control Techniques is designed to assist.

There is a lot of discussion on high-frequency electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) effects, with confusion between high frequency EMC effects, which are generally localised, and harmonics on a power system, which can be cumulative They are quite separate, with different effects and different solutions

Now, Control Techniques has produced a technical issue guide 'Harmonics Guide', which analyses the causes and effects of harmonics and what to do about them.

The Harmonics Guide explains the pertinent regulations, looks in detail at the effects of harmonics and how to analyse your own situation.

Simple measures to mitigate the effects of harmonics are explained and the Guide gives guidance on where to find further information and practical help.

Some of the practical problems that may arise from high harmonics levels include: • Poor power factor, i.e high current for a given power - increased installation costs • Interference to equipment that is sensitive to voltage waveform • Excessive heating of neutral conductors (single-phase loads only) • Excessive heating of induction motors • High acoustic noise from transformers, bus-bars and switchgear • Abnormal heating of transformers and associated equipment • Damage to power factor correction capacitors The Control Techniques' booklet 'Harmonics Guide' is available from any Control Techniques Drive Centre or via email.

Control Techniques has also produced a spreadsheet running under Microsoft Excel, which estimates the harmonics produced by any combination of Control Techniques AC drives and tabulates the results with the G5/3 and G5/4 limits for ease of assessment.

It includes the effect of variation in load, the use of AC line reactors and the operation of some or all of the drives in 12-pulse configuration. Request a free brochure from Control Techniques ...

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