Distortion Load Identification Based on the Application of Compensating Devices

Abstract

The article provides an analysis of the existing methods of identifying the consumer’s contribution to voltage distortion at a point of common coupling. The considered methods do not allow correctly and fairly determining the source of harmonic distortions, or they have limited application and difficulties in implementation. The paper proposes new methods for determining the source of high harmonics. The developed methods and techniques are based on the analysis of the grid operation modes with two connected consumers using compensating devices, such as reactive power compensation devices and passive harmonic filters. It is shown that the most promising method is the application of harmonic filters, which allows determining the share of the consumer’s contribution to the voltage distortion. The present research is carried out using a computer simulation of the existing electrical grid, to which consumers with nonlinear electric load are connected. These methods can be implemented to assess the power quality and the shareholding of different consumers connected at the point of common coupling. Furthermore, such methods appear to be feasible, as almost every enterprise currently has such facilities in operation.