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Choosing the Proper VFD Can

Limit Harmonics / by Aziz
Zehachi / electrical and
instrumentation supervisor
Kbr Usa .
Published on March 4, 2016

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MECHANICAL INSPECTOR chez SAMSUNG C&T

mechanical inspector consultant GE TURBINES GAS
TURBINE STEAM TUR BINE
Facilities predominantly using these drives may face concern from power
utility companies.

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) have vastly evolved during the last 25
years. Hundreds of articles have been written about their advantages when
used with a pump motor compared with an across-the-line motor and flow
control valve. One primary benefit occurs when slowing the motor speed
leads to reduced kilowatts, resulting in reduced electrical usage. When the
electrical loading of a facility is predominantly made up of VFDs, some
would view this as a success story. The power company, however, might
disagree because VFDs can add unwanted harmonics to the system.

Advantages of VFDs
VFD sizes are smaller, their intelligence is greater
and the cost has remained flat despite other
industrial products following inflation prices.
VFDs dominate variable torque applications like
those found in pumps and fans.
VFDs are noted for their precise motor control output, but rarely is the
input discussed. The VFD s input configuration sets the stage for how
clean the power consumption will be. Before the advent of VFDs, power
companies had to deal with across-the-line motors. Lightly loaded motors
had poor power factor, and starting these motors meant short-term heavy
demands on the system. Both would warrant a penalty on the user. VFDs
remove this concern, but with the popularity of VFDs increasing in
facilities, the harmonics content created by VFDs increases as well.
Utilities are taking note of this new phenomenon. Exploring the VFD inputs
can help end users find clarity about harmonics.

Basic VFD Topology To change the speed of an alternating current (AC)

motor, the voltage and frequency must be varied proportionally. VFDs use
traditional AC to direct current (DC) conversion and then invert DC to AC to
change both the voltage and frequency to the motor. This method can best
be explained by splitting the VFD into three parts

In general terms, VFDs use diodes, silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs) or a

combination of both to convert the fixed AC line voltage into DC voltage.
The DC voltage has some ripple because SCR/diode bridges are not a
perfect rectification and capacitors are used to smooth out the DC.
Transistors are then used to chop up the DC voltage and re-create a
simulated AC waveform. This method is typically referred to as pulse width
modulation (PWM). The latter two-thirds of the drive are consistent
throughout several types and brands of drives. It is also the section that
receives the most processor control and hype of how one technology of
volts/hertz control or sensorless vector control is best. The output section
of the VFD has little effect on how the input section behaves, so it will be
excluded at this point from this article, and the input section will be
explored further.

From the information above, it can be derived that the line voltage needs to
be converted to DC in some manner. The most common method
comprising the majority of the installed base uses six diodes/SCRs, also
known as six-pulse drives. These drives use standard three-phase power
and have single unit rectification. No special hardware is required outside
the VFD. However, when six-pulse VFDs are used, they will not behave as a
linear load on the system, and this is what first catches the attention of a
utility provide .

Non-linear loading simply means the current is not consumed in the same
format as the voltage is supplied by the utility. This may also be referred to
as "harmonic current" because it will have multiples of the line frequency
inside the waveform. For a six-pulse drive, this is the 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th,
17th and 19th harmonics. The harmonics created are in the range of 50-70
percent current harmonics (total harmonic distortion current, or THDi). If
this were the only loading in the facility, the utility would say the load is
"harmonic rich" and would likely require the user to add a harmonic
mitigation device to correct the problem. However, it was stated earlier that
VFDs reduce kilowatt usage. Why is there concern about harmonics if the
user has actually lowered the amount of usage?

Harmonic Mitigation Options There are several methods to reduce or

eliminate the harmonics content that a VFD creates. One choice is to add
an inductor, more commercially known as a reactor, to the input of the
VFD. These are relatively inexpensive and will reduce the harmonic content
from above 60 percent to the 40 percent range. This is significant cost and
size reduction for a small device.

An alternative choice is to use a 12-pulse drive that has two rectification

modules with six-phase power. However, the utility does not provide
industrial consumers with six phases. A custom-wound transformer is
required in front of the VFD. The transformer uses a voltage phase-shift to
create two new three-phase voltages electrically displaced 30 degrees
apart. The current as seen by the utility is cleaner and the harmonic
content is reduced below 15 percent. It can be concluded that the 12-pulse
configuration is more expensive and requires additional installation costs.

These multi-pulse drives configurations continue in multiples of six: 12-

pulse, 18-pulse, 24-pulse and 30-pulse. Each continues to need custom
configurations in order to gain the additional phase shifted voltages. More
hardware equals more cost in trade for less harmonic content. At 18 pulses
and up, expectations of harmonics content are less than 5 percent THDi.

Harmonic Filters An alternative choice for harmonics correction is to use

harmonic filters. These come in many different configurations, but the two
primary options discussed here are passive and active. Passive filters
consist of passive electrical components, capacitors and inductors,
configured to trap or notch offensive frequencies. These perform best at
rated loads and should be sized accordingly. Expectations with this device
are less than 8 percent THDi. Be aware that the amount of harmonic
correction begins to deteriorate with passive devices at lighter loads.

Active filters share some components but add processor-controlled

transistors (fast switches) to inject negative harmonics back into the
system. These positive and negative harmonics cancel out, essentially
reducing harmonic content to levels below 5 percent THDi. Unlike passive
filters that are placed in series with the VFD load, active filters are placed in
parallel to the VFD load. Active filters cost more than their passive
counterparts but perform better from light loads to heavy loads, since they
actively adjust to changing conditions

Putting It All Together

To obtain the best overall harmonics mitigation solution, the end user must
view the system as a whole circuit and consider different combinations of
mitigation products that could be used to prevent a power quality concern.
For example, a company with a bank of 10 40-horsepower (HP) VFDs might
find purchasing a large 400-HP passive filter more economical than
individual filters at each VFD. If that same bank of 40-HP VFDs were on
booster pumps that vary speeds (thus a varying load) throughout the day,
an active filter would perform better because it is not load-dependent.

At the service entrance of the building, is there a filtering method to

support the entire structureincluding harmonics created by high-
efficiency lighting and computing equipment as well as VFDs? Quite
possibly some loads can alter other load harmonics. If only a singular
VFD is taken into account, the solution may seem cost prohibitive when
spanning a mass of VFDs.

This is why it is best to consult with a professional who is not concerned

with his or her product being the solution. A non-biased approach can look
at the overall system and offer recommendations for unraveling and
solving the issues. Simulation tools and measurement devices can also
help when predicting and passing power quality requirements from the
utility provider.