Due to the increasing trend towards energy saving of white goods appliances and the commercial viability of power electronic components, there has been an expansion in the use of solid state electronics and variable frequency drive motors in these applications. However, a major drawback of using such energy efficient loads is the introduction of current harmonics onto the local distribution grid. Furthermore, the proliferation of such devices elevates the harmonic content of the supply voltage and the ensuing potential impact on residential distribution networks. This thesis investigates the harmonic content generated by some representative household appliances and suggests a solution to minimize current harmonics by means of active filtering. An active filter circuit is proposed and simulations will be undertaken to compare filter performance when used as an active front end versus a feeder input compensator. Further, a hardware design of the filter was implemented to experimentally verify the filter operation.

Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Thesis