Factor de Potencia

Power Quality in an Academic Institution’s Electrical Distribution System — Sultan Qaboos University

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Full campus PQ audit at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman — 33 kV/11 kV/415 V distribution system. Non-linear loads: PV inverters, UPS systems, VFD chillers, and hundreds of switch-mode power supplies in computer labs. THDI ranged from 2–10%, TDD from 2–8% across measurement points. Main substations compliant with IEEE 519 due to harmonic aggregation cancellation — but individual buildings exceeded 8% at peak load. Key lesson: the THD vs. TDD distinction prevents false alarms. The study establishes a pre-DER baseline before planned large-scale PV integration.

Voltage Unbalance in DER-Rich Networks — When Solar PV Helps and When It Doesn’t

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Single-phase PV panels can either worsen or improve voltage unbalance on LV feeders — depending entirely on the existing load phase distribution. UPM Madrid analysis on the IEEE European LV Test Feeder shows PV reduced mean VUF from 1.255% a 0.702% in a medium-unbalance scenario, but increased it from 0.787% a 0.963% in a low-unbalance scenario. Equally important: IEEE PVUR1 and PVUR2 indices can overestimate the true VUF by a factor of 10–16× in DER-rich networks — the CIGRE index is the only reliable alternative that requires only line voltage magnitudes.

Data-Driven Power Quality Evaluation in a Hospital Electrical System

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Full PQ audit at University of Lampung Hospital, Indonesia. Voltage and frequency compliant at the meter — but current TDD exceeded IEEE 519 limits many times over, voltage unbalance non-compliant, power factor lagging. All problems originated inside the facility from non-linear loads: SMPS, UPS, VFD, imaging equipment.

Increíble Internacional – Generators and Nonlinear Loads: How Harmonic Mitigation Eliminates the Oversizing Requirement

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Mirus International demonstrates that generators feeding non-linear loads must be derated or oversized to prevent excessive voltage distortion — standard practice adds 20–25% generator capacity. The Wide Spectrum Filter (Lineator) eliminates the oversizing requirement by reducing harmonic current drawn from the generator, enabling right-sized generator selection and significant capital and fuel savings.

Increíble Internacional – Turbo Blower Efficiency and Harmonic Compliance at a Municipal Wastewater Plant

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Municipal wastewater plant with turbo blower VFDs: total harmonic current distortion exceeded IEEE 519 limits at the point of common coupling. Three-party solution — utility, municipality, and Mirus — achieved ITDD (Individual Total Demand Distortion) compliance using Lineator filters. Efficiency improved and the plant qualified for utility incentives unavailable under non-compliant harmonic conditions.

Increíble Internacional – Harmonic Control at a Remote Oil Well: Better Than 18-Pulse Performance at 12-Pulse Cost

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Remote oil well site with a single-drive VFD application: multi-pulse transformer approaches were impractical at this location. Mirus Lineator passive filter achieved better than 18-pulse harmonic performance at 12-pulse cost — measured THID below 5% at the drive input. The case demonstrates that passive harmonic filters can outperform multi-pulse transformers in single-drive, isolated applications.

Increíble Internacional – Harmonic Mitigation for a Generator-Fed Motor Control Centre: Natural Gas Sweetening Plant

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Natural gas sweetening plant with a generator-fed motor control centre: the generator’s high source impedance amplified harmonic voltage distortion from VFD loads to levels that caused control system malfunctions. Mirus filter selection had to account for the generator impedance characteristics rather than infinite bus assumptions — a common oversight in generator-fed harmonic filter design.

Increíble Internacional – Harmonic Mitigation and Generator Rightsizing – A Pipeline Pumping Station Case Study

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Pipeline pumping station with generator-fed VFDs: harmonic current from the drives caused the generator to be significantly oversized — adding capital cost and reducing fuel efficiency. Mirus sinewave filter reduced harmonic current to allow generator rightsizing, improving fuel efficiency and reducing the generator procurement cost. Field results show measured harmonic distortion and generator loading before and after.

Un caso práctico de estudio de calidad de energía (Olivo, Jose C.)

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IEEE conference paper by Prof. José Carlos de Oliveira (Federal University of Uberlândia) — site measurements at a Brazilian textile factory. Four-parameter framework: voltage profile, distorsiones armónicas, desequilibrio de tensión, and feeder transfer risk. A foundational industrial PQ assessment methodology paper. The PDF is available for download from the IPQDF library.

Armónicos Estudio de caso

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A major food processing and distribution centre in Dortmund, Germany — 100,000 m² facility — experienced production disruptions and equipment malfunctions from harmonic distortion generated by VFDs in the highly automated facility. Active harmonic filter installation reduced current THD and eliminated the production disruptions. Before/after measurements confirm compliance with German grid code.

Armónicos Mitigación de VFD

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GRYAAB Gothenburg sewage works used variable-speed pumps to process wastewater — but VFD harmonic currents limited pump output to below the theoretical maximum. Active harmonic filter installation optimised VFD electrical behaviour, enabling 30% more throughput during peak demand periods. Energy savings were a secondary benefit — the primary gain was process capacity.

Generación de armónicos, Propagación y Técnicas de Depuración de cargas no lineales

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Saudi Arabia academic review of harmonic generation mechanisms, propagation paths, and mitigation techniques for non-linear loads — covering passive filters, active filters, hybrid approaches, and multi-pulse converters. Provides theoretical grounding for harmonic mitigation selection, with worked examples for different industrial load types. King Saud University publication.

Incluso resonancia armónica- Un problema Unsual

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Chemical plant using large static converters for electrochemical processes experienced repeated harmonic filter failures. Investigation revealed even harmonic resonance — an unusual problem typically found only in uncontrolled rectifiers or systems with DC offset. The even harmonics were caused by asymmetrical firing of the converter’s thyristors, creating 2nd and 4th harmonic currents that the filter was not designed to handle.

Diseño Armónica filtro para mitigar Dos puntos de resonancia en una Red de Distribución

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South African distribution network with two resonant points at different harmonic orders — a single-tuned filter addresses one resonance but can amplify the other. Case from Cape Peninsula University of Technology documents the filter design process for a network with two resonant frequencies, requiring a carefully detuned double-tuned filter to address both simultaneously.

Análisis de Fallas Capacitor (Eaton)

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A steel processing plant experienced unexplained capacitor failures and fuse operations in an automatically switched capacitor bank. Eaton Engineering investigation revealed harmonic resonance between the capacitor bank and system impedance — at a specific harmonic order, the impedance was amplified, overloading the capacitors well beyond their rated capability. Classic harmonic-capacitor resonance case with full analytical solution.

Los armónicos de voltaje y corriente (John Wiley & Sons)

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Six-pulse converter transformer selection and rating when harmonic spectrum is known. John Wiley Handbook of Power Quality chapter covers K-factor calculation, additional loss estimation, and de-rating methodology for transformers feeding rectifier loads. Provides the calculation procedure engineers need to correctly specify transformers for non-linear load environments.

ADF Secure Producción de Alimentos por armónicos atenuantes (Comsys AB)

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REWE Dortmund distribution centre — rebuilt and expanded butcher facility with high VFD density — experienced harmonics causing machinery malfunctions. Comsys ADF active harmonic filter brought current THD within acceptable limits and eliminated the machinery problems. Duplicate of case 2336 with Comsys branding — same REWE Dortmund facility, same solution.

ADF Aumenta producción de la planta de Tratamiento de Agua de 30% (Comsys AB)

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GRYAAB Ryaverket sewage works in Gothenburg — one of Scandinavia’s largest treatment plants — used VFD-controlled pumps. Comsys ADF active harmonic filter optimised VFD electrical behaviour, allowing 30% more fluid processing capacity during peak periods with simultaneous energy savings. Duplicate of case 2334 with Comsys branding — same Gothenburg facility.

El cambio de una compensación de factor de potencia de condensadores (HIOKI)

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Equipment power supply damage traced to transient overvoltages caused by power factor correction capacitor switching within the facility. The switching waveform propagated through the LV circuit without filtering and combined with impulse transients at switch-off, creating damaging voltage peaks. A filtering device at the capacitor bank would have prevented the equipment failures.

Iluminación evaluación de lastre (Chiripa)

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Lighting maintenance in large facilities is a major cost — especially with high ceilings requiring personnel lifts. This Fluke case study evaluates whether replacing existing ballasts with electronic ballasts reduces maintenance costs enough to justify the capital investment, using measured power factor, harmonic content, and lamp life data to build the economic case.

2 Semana de la Encuesta de Energía (Dranetz)

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Two-week energy survey at a New Jersey swim club — measuring electrical demand and energy consumption of a food concession operation whose utility costs the club wants to recover. Dranetz monitoring captures peak demand, factor de potencia, and energy use patterns to establish a fair cost-recovery billing methodology for the concession operator.

Evaluación de la Industria Textil (Dranetz)

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Paper mill voltage sag costs $250,000 per event. A 5-cycle interruption at a glass plant costs $200,000 minimum. Duke Energy and Clemson University developed the Webstand portable process simulator to establish the immunity boundary — the voltage sag depth and duration at which the textile or film production process trips — before production losses occur rather than after.

PQ-SVC sistema resuelve problemas de tensión SAG por fabricante y otros usuarios de la Subestación de Utilidad

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A manufacturer of muffler hangers added large automated welders — producing a 12-cycle, 4% voltage sag at 30-second intervals that caused utility complaints from all circuits at the same substation. The utility faced an impossible choice: lose the 200-employee manufacturer or continue receiving complaints from all other customers. American Superconductor’s PQ-SVC resolved both problems simultaneously.

Líquidos y el Gas de bomba / Pipeline Aplicaciones (American Superconductor)

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Pipeline pump stations are moving to larger motors — 4160V in the 2,000–4,000 HP range, 15kV-class at 8,000–15,000 HP — creating significant flicker, armónico, and reactive power management challenges. American Superconductor’s PQ-SVC system provides dynamic reactive compensation enabling larger motor sizes at existing substations without requiring substation upgrades.

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