An Analysis of the Distribution System
Harmonics at Polytechnic University of the
Philippines College of Engineering
Adrian E. Nuñez, John Denver V. Rey, Mark Ignacio C. Plaza III, and Danilo H. Morimonte Jr.*
 harmonic currents generated in one area can penetrate into the
Abstract—The linear customer loads are now being
dominated by sensitive and sophisticated non-linear
customer loads with the growth in the power electronics
and control system industries. This have a catastrophic
impact on a power system and equipment: increasing
harmonics “pollution”. Even in the PUP College of
Engineering Building, students use a lot of electronic
loads which exhibits nonlinear characteristics.
Individually, these loads are too small to cause any
noticeable current distortion on a distribution system. If
these loads increase collectively, however, harmonic
current levels will gradually increase and may become a
significant problem for utilities. In this study, techniques
used for analysis of harmonics are discussed. Also, the use
of the software PSCAD is introduced in which the
phenomena of power system harmonics can be easily
modeled and analyzed.
Index Terms — Harmonics, frequency, computer
simulations, techniques, powerstation harmonics software
I. INTRODUCTION
The presence of harmonics in a power system can give rise
to a variety of problems including equipment overheating,
reduced power factors, deteriorating performance of
electrical equipment, the incorrect operation of protective
relays, interference with communication devices, and in some
cases, circuit resonance to cause electric apparatus dielectric
failure and other types of severe damage. Even worse,
*J. V. Rey is a Fourth Year student of the Department of Electrical
Engineering, Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santa Mesa, Manila
Philippines 1016 (e-mail: jdvrey@yahoo.com).
A. E Nuñez, is a Fourth Year student of the Department of Electrical
Engineering, Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santa Manila, Manila
Philippines 1016 (e-mail: nunezadrian04@gmail.com).
power grid and propagate into other areas, resulting in voltage
and current distortions for the entire system [1]. This
phenomenon has become a major concern for power quality
due to the ever-increasing usage of electronic devices and
equipment in power systems.
A harmonic is defined as a sinusoidal component of a
periodic wave or quantity having a frequency that is an
integral multiple of the fundamental frequency [1]. For
example, if a component frequency is twice of the
fundamental frequency is called the second harmonic [2].
Thus, on a 50 Hz power system, a harmonic component h is
a sinusoid having a frequency expressed in the figure 1.
The uses of nonlinear loads connected to electric power
systems include static power converters, arc discharge
devices, saturated magnetic devices, and, to a lesser degree,
rotating machines. Nonlinear loads change the sinusoidal
nature of the ac power current (and consequently the ac
voltage drop), thereby resulting in the flow of harmonic
currents in the ac power system that can cause interference
with communication circuits and other types of equipment
[2]. When reactive power compensation, in the form of power
factor improvement capacitors, is used with these nonlinear
loads, resonant conditions can occur that may result in high
levels of harmonic voltage and current distortion when the
resonant condition occurs at a harmonic associated with
nonlinear loads.
The PUP College of Engineering building uses Electronic
loads (cornputers, televisions, stereos, compact fluorescent
light bulbs, etc.) exhibit nonlinear characteristics.
Individually, these loads are too small to cause any noticeable
current distortion on a distribution system. If these loads
increase coIlectively, however, harmonic current levels will
gradually increase and may become a signifiant problem for
utiIities.
II. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In this paper the effects of Harmonics in the Power System
are explained and also explained how Harmonic distortion is
one of the most important problems associated with power
quality and creates several disturbances to the Power System.
III. THE PROBLEM
To know the different methods to prevent and mitigate
M. C. Plaza III is a Fourth Year student of the Department of Electrical
Engineering, Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santa Mesa, Manila
Philippines 1016 (e-mail: markplazaIII@gmail.com).
D. H. Morimonte, Jr., is a Fourth Year student of the Department of
Electrical Engineering, Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santa
Mesa, Manila Philippines 1016 (e-mail: danine.faye@gmail.com).
Harmonics in the power systems in the PUP College of
Engineering building. Several methods are suggested to
evaluate the economic damage due to harmonic losses.

IV. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study addresses steady-state limitation. Transient
conditions exceeding these limitations may be encountered.
This paper sets the quality of power that is to be provided at
the point of common coupling and only in PUP College of
Engineering and might miss some electronic loads and such.

V. METHODOLOGY

Frequency scan. Simplest and most commonly used

technique for harmonic analysis. The input data requirements
are minimized. It calculates the frequency response of a
network seen at a particular bus or node. Typically, a 1 per
unit sinusoid current (or voltage) is injected into the bus of
interest and the voltage (or current) response is calculated.
This calculation repeated using discrete frequency steps
throughout the range of interest. Frequency scan analysis is
the most effective tool to detect harmonic resonance
conditions in a system. It has also been widely used for filter
design [3].
Mathematically, the process is to solve the following
network equation at frequency:
where [I .] is the known current vector (for current injection
scan) and [V ,,] is the nodal voltage vector to be solved. In a
typical frequency scan analysis, only one entry of [I ,] is
nonzero. In other analysis, a set of positive or zero sequence
currents may be injected into three phases of a bus
respectively [3]. The results are the positive or zero sequence
driving point impedance of the network.
Fig. 2 PSCAD Software
VI. CONCLUSION
In summary, the problem of harmonic analysis can be cast
mathematically as the solution of a network equation and a
set of device equations at fundamental and harmonic
frequencies. The network equation can be formulated in an
admittance matrix form or in a power flow equation form.
The PUP College of Engineering uses a lot of electronic loads
which exhibits nonlinear characteristics and by the help of
such program like PSCAD the phenomena of power system
harmonics can be modeled and analyzed and the problems
associated with harmonics, can be easily revealed. Causes to
those problems can be identified and different mitigation and
corrective schemes can be tested and finally verified.
REFERENCES
[1] Bayan, Nima & Windsor, Ontario (1999) “Harmonic Flow Analysis
in Power Distribution Networks”

[2] Symaan Das & Srijan Saha (2014) “Harmonic Analysis of Power
Computer Simulations. When the system being studied is Electronics Loads”
more complicated, computer simulations are usually
required. [3] Raneru Nageswara Rao, “Harmonic Analysis of Small Scale
Using computer simulation, the phenomena of power Industrial Loads and Harmonic Mitigation Techniques in Industrial
Distribution System”
system harmonics can be modeled and analyzed. The
PowerStation Harmonic Analysis program provides you [4] Siti Saleha Binti Abas, “Simulation of Harmonic Currents and
with the best tool to accurately model various power system Voltages Due to Power Electronic Equipments” May 2006.
components and devices to include their frequency
dependency, non-linearity, and other characteristics under the
presence of harmonic sources [4].
This program has two analytical methods, Harmonic Load
Flow and Harmonic Frequency Scan, which are the most
popular and powerful approaches for power system harmonic
analysis. By using those two methods in combination,
different harmonic indices are computed and compared with
the industrial standard limitations, existing and potential
power quality problems, along with security problems
associated with harmonics, can be easily revealed. Causes to
those problems can be identified and different mitigation and
corrective schemes can be tested and finally verified.