Harmonics and Effects of Harmonics
Introduction While dealing with alternating voltages and currents ,it had been assumed that they have sinusoidal waveform or shape.Such a waveform is an ideal one and much sought after by the manufactures and designers of alternators, but it is nearly impossible to realize such a waveform in practice.All the alternating waveforms deviate to a greater or lesser degree, from this ideal sinusoidal shape,Such waveforms are referred to as non-sinusoidal or distorted or complex waveforms. The fundamental and its higher multiples form a harmonic series.Fundamental wave itself is called the first harmonic.The second harmonic has frequency twice that of fundamental,The third harmonic has frequency thrice that of the fundamental and so on. fig. Complex Waveforms Complex waveforms are produced due to the superposition of sinusoidal waves of different frequencies.On analysis, it is found that a co...