Schaffner Group
User and Installation Manual
Ecosine FS42842
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Power cables
▪
▪
Increased heating
▪
Risk of insulation failure if involved in system resonance
22.1 Motors and Generators
▪
Increased heating due to iron and cooper losses at the harmonic frequencies
(performance reduced to 90%)
▪
Higher audible noise
▪
Refusal to start smoothly (cogging)
▪
Very high slip in induction motors (crawling)
▪
Potential of mechanical oscillations in a turbine-generator or motor-load systems
▪
Pulsating or reduced torques
22.2 Capacitors
▪
Increased heating and voltage stress
▪
Reduced capacitors life
22.3 Electronic Equipment
▪
Wrong operation of equipment dependent upon accurate determination of the line
voltage wave shape (e.g. zero crossing)
▪
Problems caused by transmission of ac supply harmonics (via power supply or
magnetic coupling) into equipment components
▪
Erratic (sometimes subtle) malfunctions of computers, programmable controllers,
medical instruments etc. (in some cases, having very serious consequences)
22.4 Metering (watt-hour meters)
▪
Possible erroneous operation with both positive and negative errors (distortion must be
severe >20%)
22.5 Switchgear and Relaying
▪
Increased heating and thus reduced steady-state current carrying capability
▪
Fuses suffer derating
▪
Complete definition of relay response impossible
▪
Older circuit breakers (responding to peak currents) may cause nuisance tripping
22.6 Communication Equipment
▪
Telephone interferences (audible harmonic frequencies)
ecosine
®
harmonic filters substantially reduce harmonic currents and therefore basically convert
a non-linear load into a linear load. This eliminates the risk for most of the above problems. Lower
harmonic currents help to relieve the entire electrical installation from excessive loading and
heating, allow more consumers to be powered by the same (existing) installation, and help to
postpone expensive electrical system upgrades when retrofitting additional non-linear consumers.
ecosine
®
filters also reduce the risk of harmonics-related system downtimes which can have
tremendous financial consequences e.g. in a semiconductor manufacturing line or a banking
center. Last but not least, lower harmonic currents cause less harmonic voltages when flowing
through system impedances, so other sensitive consumers (e.g. medical devices) connected to the
same branch of the electrical system are not compromised in their functionality.
→
So in essence, the annual savings enabled by ecosine
®
harmonic filters are first and foremost
the avoided potential expenses thanks to lack of harmonics.
