What Kind of Venue would Require An Active Harmonic Filter（AHF) ?

An Active Harmonic Filter (AHF) is a dynamic power quality management device. It based on power electronics technology, primarily designed to eliminate harmonic currents and compensate reactive power in electrical systems. Its core operation revolves around real-time detection, calculation, and dynamic compensation of harmonic distortions.

So what situation do we need this equipment?

Metallurgy Industry

Modern industry's rising metal demand has accelerated metallurgical industry growth. This sector uses heavy inductive equipment, faces frequent load changes, rapid starts/stops, and requires automated continuous operation. Medium frequency furnaces are critical here but produce strong harmonics. These harmonics pollute power grids and threaten electrical system stability.

Public Distribution Network

The Shanghai National Exhibition Center's primary loads consists:

elevators/escalators, water supply pumps, air conditioning fan VFDs, office networks, UPS systems, and electronic lighting.

These operations generate significant harmonics. Lighting systems and other single-phase loads mainly produce 3rd-order harmonics. Elevator and HVAC systems using frequency converters create 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th-order harmonics.

Chemical Industry

Power electronics technology is increasingly applied in the chemical industry, driving automation advancements. This has fundamentally changed load characteristics. Rising nonlinear and high-impact loads now cause power quality issues like voltage flicker, three-phase imbalance, excessive reactive power, and harmonics. These problems threaten grid safety and reduce production efficiency.

Major harmonic sources in chemical plants include:

• Pump variable frequency drives (VFDs)
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems
• Motor soft starters
• Modern lighting systems (e.g., energy-saving lamps with electronic ballasts)

Data Center

The main loads of data centers are USP and switch mode power supplies, which are traditional harmonic source loads that can seriously affect the stability of the power system.

At the same time, due to the presence of a large number of UPS in data centers, most of the reactive power loads in data centers are capacitive.

Residential Community

Residential areas' sources of harmonics:

• High-frequency switching devices:

Non-linear loads

such as LED lighting, variable frequency air conditioners, charging piles (especially electric vehicle chargers), energy-saving lamps, etc., can produce characteristic harmonics of 3rd, 5th, 7th order, etc.

• Home electronic devices:

Equipment using switch-mode power supplies

such as computers, TVs, mobile phone chargers, microwave ovens, etc., generate high-frequency harmonics (can reach tens of kilohertz).

• Centralized power supply systems:

Variable frequency drives and soft starters for elevators, water pumps, and building automation systems inject harmonics into the power grid in a concentrated manner.

In summary, AHF plays a crucial role in our lives, and its significance is something that everyone should know.

For more information please contact us at amber@yt-electric.com