Impacts over the distribution grid from the adoption of distributed harmonic filters on low-voltage customers

This work presents a study of distributed passive harmonic filter design to minimize harmonic distortions caused by nonlinear loads in residential customers. The main objectives in this study are: 1) to improve the power factor, 2) to reduce current and voltage distortions to standard limits, and 3) to reduce electrical losses. In this sense, several measurements that were carried out in some domestic customers of the metropolitan distribution grid of Belem City, in the North of Brazil, have characterized as the main harmonic distribution current sources the third, fifth, and seventh harmonic components. According to the results obtained and considering the impacts caused in the distribution grid, a distributed filtering strategy is proposed using passive-tuned filters of low costs to be installed in the customers.