Experimental measurement of non-characteristic harmonic power generated by thyristor pulse-controlled AC/DC three phase converters

This paper presents an experimental investigation to measure the noncharacteristic harmonic power caused by network asymmetries in the AC source feeding thyristor-controlled AC/DC three-phase power converters. The experimental measurements were made in an AC/DC/AC transmission link physical model. Two three-phase power converters linked by a lumped parameters transmission line operate in rectifying and inverting modes, respectively. The converter acting in the rectifier mode of operation allows the simulation of weak AC-line noncharacteristic power generation as is usual in the electrochemical and electrometallurgical industries, when they are fed by AC/DC power rectifiers. The power converter acting in the inverter mode of operation serves to simulate the effects of network asymmetries in the reception end of HVDC transmission links. To the authors' best knowledge, no desegregation has been produced neither theoretically nor experimentally between the characteristic harmonic power generated during steady-state operating conditions and the noncharacteristic harmonic power generated following a transient-state operating condition. It is the authors' opinion that this research may prove to be helpful within the framework of investigations that are being carried out to achieve full or partial suppression of noncharacteristics harmonics.