Systems providing electrical power are very often subject to multiple forms of disturbances that result in decreasing the amount of electricity that is being supplied.
Systems providing electrical power are very often subject to multiple forms of disturbances that result in decreasing the amount of electricity that is being supplied. This, in turn, brings down the efficiency levels of the equipment and also decreases the longevity of the system. Harmonic disturbances are some of the most commonly-occurring of these disturbances and are often linked to rises in phase shifts. To elaborate, these disturbances are synchronized to the specific position of the motor, either at the same frequency at which the motor is functioning or at some value that is a multiple of that particular frequency.
Harmonic disturbances lead to immense losses of valuable electric power and hence it is imperative that machine owners install measures that mitigate the effects of these disturbances. Harmonic compensation, brought about in various ways like by using servo controls, prove effective. But before delving into the details of harmonic compensation, it is worthwhile to understand the causes of the disturbances that prompt the adoption of such compensation techniques.
There may be several factors that cause harmonic disturbances. For instance, they may arise from cogging, where the magnets and the rotor slots of a Permanent Magnet Brushless DC motor interact to give rise to non-uniform forces or torque. Cogging is generally caused when the number of motor poles falls drastically. However, increasing the number of motor poles in the system in question is not always the most feasible solution since motor prices spiral in consequence and may prove to be prohibitively expensive.
Harmonic disturbances may also be caused by discrepancies arising between the phase and gain levels of the sine and cosine signals generated by the use of sin/cos feedback devices.
But whatever be the causes of harmonic disturbances, it is evident that they lead to loss of productive efficiency. They thus understandably, present a cause for concern to all those responsible for ensuring the optimum performance of an electrical power-generating system. From herein, stems the importance of adopting harmonic compensation measures.
Harmonic compensation, as the name suggests, is the method of compensating the harmonic disturbances that have taken place due to the movement of motors in an electrical power system. There are many ways in which harmonic compensation is achieved. Passive filters are commonly used in industrial units to absorb the harmonics that have resulted from non-linear loads. These filters are not very expensive and additionally, serve to correct power discrepancies as well.
Active filters are also used to bring about harmonic compensation in industrial settings. An Active Harmonics Compensator (AHC) facilitates a controlled compensation process. Compensation may also be achieved effectively by deploying servo controls via algorithms.
Whatever be the method of harmonic compensation employed, a facility or system owner must ensure that the harmonics are mitigated effectively.
Read more about sensorless brushless motor controller.
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