Source Current Harmonic Analysis of Adjustable Speed Drives Under Input Voltage Unbalance and Sag Conditions

Adjustable Speed Drives (ASDs) have become the primary choice for most new and retrofit precision motor-control applications, offering major improvements in system efficiency. The significant increase in the use of ASDs makes it important to understand the compatibility issues between ASDs and their electrical environment in order to appropriately design the electrical systems. Even though there have been numerous studies addressing ASD effects on power systems, models for predicting the effect of the source voltage sags or unbalance have been limited. This paper is devoted to the analysis of utility-side input current harmonics under input voltage unbalance and sag conditions and the effects of these harmonics on the distribution transformer K-factor for practical ASD systems. The relationships between the unbalanced input voltages, the resulting input current harmonics, the input inductance, and the required transformer K-factor are explored for 5 hp, 100 hp, and 600 hp power distribution systems with ASDs. The results can be used as a design guide for power distribution system design with ASDs. Theoretical derivations are accompanied by both simulations and experimental results to provide verification of key conclusions.