Progress Energy Tackles the Third Harmonic

• Published in: Transmission & Distribution World Vol. 63; no. 12; pp. 48 - 52
• Main Authors: Peele, Scott, Guinn, Don, Grappe, Joseph
• Format: Magazine Article Trade Publication Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nashville Endeavor Business Media LLC 01.12.2011; Endeavor Business Media
• Subjects: Air conditioning; Electric potential; Electric utilities; Electricity distribution; Energy; Fuses; Growth rate; Harmonic analysis; Harmonics; Heating; Hypotheses; Natural gas; Substations; Voltage; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 1087-0849

Harmonic voltage and currents on the distribution system have been largely an industrial issue caused by large motors with variable-speed drives. However, harmonic currents are increasing on the distribution system as a result of growing residential use of non-linear loads, including computers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, TVs, DVD players, variable-speed heating, ventilating and air conditioning components, car chargers and various other single-phase loads. Progress Energy was alerted to an issue with stray voltages at a customer's site. One of the main concerns reported was NEV at a natural gas supply point located on a customer's facility across the street from a substation. While the Progress Energy engineers involved were trying to find a solution to reducing the third harmonic at the substation, another group within the utility was inquiring about the need for a neutral-current sensor to detect blown fuses on a grounded wye-connected capacitor bank.