Harmonics

Increasing the efficiency of electrical equipment and thus saving energy and money is of prime importance in today’s world. Most of the energy efficient equipment that we use involve semiconductor devices.  Power electronics dominate the electrical world today having a myriad of applications and advantages. But as there are two sides of a coin, semiconductor devices also have a main disadvantage which is harmonic distortion induced in the electrical system. Due to increased use of semiconductor devices, issues due to harmonics have spearheaded like never before. Hence it is important to understand harmonics well so as to eliminate the problem effectively.

This article discusses the basic concepts of harmonics, how is it generated, how it affects the equipment and the solutions available for harmonic mitigation and elimination.