A Technique to Mitigate Zero-Sequence Harmonics in Power Distribution Systems

This paper presents a technique to mitigate zero-sequence harmonics in power distribution systems. The method is based on the concept of passive zero-sequence harmonic filters. However, its basic configuration has been expanded to create a double-tuned filtering feature. This feature makes it possible to trap two harmonics with one filter and is especially attractive in solving harmonic-caused telephone interference problems. Furthermore, this paper has shown that common utility service transformers can be used to construct the filter. As a result, a practical and low-cost solution to mitigating zero-sequence harmonics has been found. A method for sizing and loading assessment of filters has also been developed. As an example application, the proposed filter package has been applied to mitigate a telephone interference problem. Issues, such as filter location, the number of filters required, and the effectiveness of filtering harmonics produced by distributed residential loads have been investigated. The results show that the proposed filter is a very promising technique to reduce zero-sequence harmonics in primary power distribution systems.