"We are seeing increasing numbers of cases like this where the injection of harmonic currents adversely affects the site's sensitive equipment. Power quality monitoring is critical for pinpointing exactly where these problems lie. Our extensive design experience allows us to design, install and commission solutions to alleviate these problems for our client. Once installed we continue to monitor the site until we are confident all issues have been resolved."
Alan O'Kelly
Director
Large Scale Active Harmonic Filtering for Bio Pharma
In 2019 Premium Power designed, installed, and commissioned an active harmonic mitigation solution at a large modern bio pharma site.
Client:
BioPharmaceutical
Location:
Ireland
Premium Power Role:
Power Quality Consultant
Project Description
After analysing the data gathered we recommended an active solution on site. A modular active harmonic filter was chosen to allow for further expansion on site. Premium Power therefore selected Schaffner’s Ecosine solution. Schaffner’s solution allows for active mastering of one unit by another. For twin transformer switchboards this ensures that even when a single transformer is down the full power of both active harmonic filters at each side is available to compensate the total load.
The final solution consists of 8 active harmonic filters with unit size ranging from 180 A to 300 A connected at each main distribution board. The units were integrated using Modbus into the site power monitoring system, thus allowing control, alerts, live monitoring, and reporting on the performance of the units.
Project Challenges
Our client had experienced an increased failure rate with its sensitive equipment. Equipment failure of this type was a problem on this site as the cost of interruption for the sites processes was very high. We used a permanent Power Quality monitoring system it had previously installed onsite to understand the severity and nature of the harmonic problem. It was determined that at the main distribution boards the harmonic voltages breached the IEC 61000-2-4 standard.
Project Outcomes
Post deployment of the active filters, the client experienced a significant reduction of the harmonics being observed. This in turn decreased the voltage harmonics throughout the site bringing them to within the IEC 61000-2-4 standard limits. This reduction of harmonics improved the reliability on site and reduced the failure rate of the sensitive equipment.
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