Power quality assessment and harmonic comparison of typical nonlinear electronic loads

This paper presents the assessment and comparison of power quality problems created by common electronic loads. The key issues covered are reactive kVA drawn, harmonic spectrum, total harmonic distortion, power factor and displacement factor. The different loads considered in this study are commonly used electronic gadgets such as personal computer, laser printer, regulated power supply, cathode ray oscilloscope, and fluorescent tube. The results highlight the extent of damage being caused by these loads in polluting the utility grid, improvement in quality of power attained by simple remedial measures is also presented.