Power quality concerns and solutions

The pipeline project discussed in this article involved building a new 70-m, 24-in diameter section of a petroleum products pipeline stretch and investigates power issues on a 2,500-hp pipeline booster station adjustable frequency drive. AFDs were originally intended only to be for soft starting, not for continuous use. The active front-end topology uses PWM switching of the rectifier, as well as a reactor/capacitor on the input, to limit harmonics being generated back in to power system.