Effect of electronically generated harmonics on the design and performance of electrical machines

Sophisticated power electronic excitation and conversion equipment is increasingly being used to reduce capital/maintenance costs, improve efficiency, reliability and flexibility of rotating electrical machines. The advantages of electronic convertors can easily be eroded if the consequences of higher order harmonics arising from the switched mode power supply are not fully considered in the design. Thus to ensure that such machines are reliable, economic and can function satisfactorily under both normal and abnormal operating conditions requires the development of more advanced design tools than previously available. The authors discuss the power electronic/machine interaction, finite element time stepping formulation and its applications to a traction induction motor and a switched reluctance motor