DATA CENTER COOLING HARMONICS – HOW TO GET THE ‘GOOD’

WITHOUT THE ‘BAD’

Anthony Hoevenaars, P.Eng Paul Hoevenaars, P.Eng

Member, IEEE
Mirus International Inc. Mirus International Inc.
31 Sun Pac Blvd., 31 Sun Pac Blvd.,
Brampton, ON L6S 5P6 Brampton, ON L6S 5P6
Canada Canada
[email protected] [email protected]

Abstract – With continual focus on improving PUE (Power Center by the power used to run the required infrastructure. As
Usage Effectiveness) in Data Center operations, cooling system the value decreases towards 1, a Data Center is considered to
efficiencies have been steadily increasing. Much of these be more energy efficient. Since cooling systems account for
efficiency gains can be attributed to more effective ventilation much of the energy needed to support computer equipment
and ‘free cooling’ made possible by the use of electronically operation, lower PUEs can be achieved by making them more
commutated (EC) fans. By utilizing rectifier and inverter efficient.
technology, brushless permanent magnet motors and integrated In this regard, EC fans are an attractive alternative to the use
intelligent electronics, EC fans have been able to achieve of traditional AC induction motors equipped with adjustable
tremendous energy savings of 30% on average versus speed drives (ASDs) [3]. Although ASDs offer significant energy
conventional AC fan operation. EC fans also allow for increased savings by optimizing the speed of an induction motor, the
speeds and control flexibility with a wide voltage input range, combination still pales in comparison to the EC fan’s potential.
allowing for universal use throughout most parts of the world. EC fans can offer typical average energy savings of 30% but
However, one significant factor that needs to be considered in savings can reach as high as 70% [1][2]. And the integrated
EC fan applications is the distorted AC current waveform that packaging of controls, motor and fan blades substantially
they draw. Their integrated rectifier/inverter package makes EC reduces their footprint (Fig. 1).
fans an example of a nonlinear load. Without proper harmonic However, much like ASDs, the power electronics of an EC fan
mitigation, nonlinear loads will distort the AC power distribution consumes current in a non-sinusoidal manner. With the rapid
upstream and can cause significant issues within a facility, such growth in implementation of EC fans in AHU/HVAC applications,
as overheating electrical distribution equipment and the failure of these distorted currents are resulting in high levels of both current
sensitive equipment connected to the same electrical bus. and voltage harmonics. Left untreated, this harmonic distortion
In order to take advantage of the significant energy saving can lead to equipment failure, additional cable and transformer
potential of EC fans, users of this technology must take into losses and failure to meet the recommended harmonic limits of
consideration the effects of harmonics. To reduce these IEEE Std 519 [4], IEC61000-3-2 [5], IEC61000-3-12 [6] and other
negative effects, a passive harmonic filter specifically designed international power quality standards.
for the low DC bus capacitance of these devices can be easily
applied such that the considerable ‘good’ in energy efficiency can II. PERMANENT MAGNET MOTORS AND EC FAN
be achieved without the ‘bad’ of poor power quality. TECHNOLOGY
Index Terms — Electronically commutated (EC), permanent A. EC Fan Description
magnet, brushless DC, pulse width modulated (PWM), rectifier,
inverter, adjustable speed drive (ASD), harmonics, nonlinear EC fans designed for operation on 3-phase AC supply, include
load, power usage effectiveness, PUE, air handling unit, AHU, an integrated circuit board with built-in rectifier, EMC protection,
heating ventilation and air conditioning, HVAC. DC link capacitor(s), and the inverter module with IGBTs to
control the commutation to a brushless DC (BLDC) motor. This
I. INTRODUCTION type of synchronous BLDC motor includes permanent magnets
on its rotor. Rare earth permanent magnets have allowed
Electronically commutated (EC) fans are frequently manufacturers to design EC fans with a smaller footprint than
considered in many new and retrofit HVAC fan applications due fans utilizing traditional AC induction squirrel cage motor type
to their energy savings potential, longer lifespan, ease of control construction. The permanent magnet motors induce the required
and smaller footprint [1][2]. High system efficiency is important rotor flux without requiring current to be induced in separate rotor
in applications such as air handling units (AHUs) and various windings. This eliminates I2R losses in the rotor, which is a major
other cooling systems, as these fan systems are a significant reason for the improved efficiency of EC fans compared to ASD
load in most buildings. This is particularly true in Data Centers controlled AC induction motors.
where energy conservation efforts have led to the introduction of
Power Usage Effectiveness or PUE.
PUE is calculated by dividing the total power entering a Data

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 Fig. 2 Schematic Diagram for Typical PWM ASD with Diode
Bridge Rectifier

Fig. 1 Typical EC Fan Configuration [3]

B. Rectifier/Inverter Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) Topology

The built-in rectifier/inverter package of an EC fan operates in

a similar manner as that of a standard ASD (Fig. 2). The 3-phase
rectifier converts incoming AC voltage to DC. The inverter then
creates a simulated AC variable voltage and frequency by
systematically switching the DC voltage to the output phases Fig. 3 Typical Output Voltage Waveform of PWM ASD
through six IGBT power switches. The inverter output line-to-line
voltage is a series of pulses with constant amplitude at varying
widths as shown in Fig. 3.
The simplest configuration is the six-pulse diode bridge
rectifier with a large capacitor across the DC bus terminals. In
this circuit, the capacitor is charged by three short current pulses
every half-cycle of the supply frequency (six per complete cycle).
Fig. 4 shows the current on one phase with a pulse between that
phase and each of the other two phases. The third pulse that Fig. 4 Typical six-pulse rectifier input current waveform
occurs each half cycle is between the other two phases so does
not appear on the phase shown. 100%

80%
For six-pulse diode bridge rectifiers:
60%
% Fund.

h = n ⋅ 6 ±1 (1) 40%
Where: h = harmonic number, and 20%
n is any integer (1, 2, 3, etc.)
0%
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
For a six-pulse rectifier, the predominant current harmonics
Harmonic #
are h = 5, 7, 11 and 13 as shown in Fig 5. The corresponding
harmonic content can reach levels of up to 90% (5th), 80% (7th), Fig. 5 Typical six-pulse rectifier input current spectrum
75% (11th), and 70% (13th). Triplen harmonics (3rd, 9th, 15th, etc.)
typically are not present. The addition of an AC line reactor or C. Lower DC Bus Capacitance in EC Fan Topology
DC choke provides some reduction in the harmonic current
levels and is often used with ASD applications. [8] To reduce size and cost, many EC Fan designs incorporate
much lower DC bus capacitance than is typically found in
standard ASDs. This results in some reduction in current
harmonic distortion because the pulsed currents are broadened
making the waveshape slightly more sinusoidal. The problem is
that high levels of current harmonics remain and reducing them
is now much more difficult because simply adding inductance,
such as a line reactor, can cause the EC fan to become unstable
due to electrical resonance with the power system as described
in this paper. Conventional input passive harmonic filters will

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also cause instability and therefore, are not effective. In fact, any characteristic harmonics on the power system, which would be
high impedance source, including synchronous generators, can 5th harmonic and above. From Fig. 6, when capacitance is high,
cause instability. This must be taken into consideration when the capacitive reactance curve shifts left, lowering the resonant
applying harmonic mitigation on EC fans and when using these frequency, fo. Power system inductance will only shift this
fans in environments with emergency backup generators, such resonant point further left and further away from these
as Data Centers or Medical Facilities, with or without harmonic harmonics. This means that when DC bus capacitance is high,
mitigation. the power system inductance has negligible effect on resonance
even with a high impedance or ‘weak’ source, such as a
III. THE EFFECT OF HIGH IMPEDANCE ON EC synchronous generator.
FANS WITH LOW DC BUS CAPACITANCE

A. Power System Resonance

Power systems and the loads they supply can have issues with
resonance when harmonic distortion is high. Resonance occurs
at a certain frequency, fo, when the capacitive reactance and
inductive reactance at that frequency are essentially equal (Fig.
6). If this occurs at a harmonic frequency that is prevalent in the
power system, the harmonic can be amplified resulting in high
levels of both current and voltage distortion. When the
resonance is between the power system and a load, such as an
EC fan, this can lead to instability, overheating, high DC bus
voltage and even component failure. Fig. 7 Simple distribution system with nonlinear,
rectifier/inverter load

Fig. 8 Equivalent circuit with rectifier/inverter as a current

source of harmonics
Fig. 6 Reactance curves and resonant frequency, fo
C. The Effect of Low DC Bus Capacitance

However, when DC bus capacitance is low, as is the case with

(2) many EC fans, the resonance point will be much higher and
typically above the 5th and other prevalent harmonics. With low
impedance or ‘stiff’ sources, the resonant frequency is usually
Where: fo = resonant frequency in hertz substantially higher than the most common harmonics, so there
L = system inductance in henry is very little to amplify. However, on a high impedance source,
C = system capacitance in farad the resonant frequency can shift into the range where harmonics
are present. Their amplification can then lead to high levels of
B. DC Bus Capacitance and Source Impedance harmonics and the problems mentioned earlier.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a very simplified 1-Line diagram and the IV. HARMONIC MITIGATION USING PASSIVE
equivalent circuit of a distribution system with a rectifier/inverter WIDE SPECTRUM HARMONIC FILTER
load. Power systems are naturally inductive unless over-
compensated by power factor correction capacitors which should One of the most effective forms of passive harmonic mitigation
always be avoided. Inverter loads are typically capacitive due to for 3-phase rectifiers is the wide spectrum harmonic filter
their DC bus capacitance. Conventional ASDs usually have very (WSHF). This approach is series connected and incorporates a
high levels of DC bus capacitance in order to reduce the DC bus combination of a blocking element and a tuned filtering element
ripple and provide stable operation regardless of the power as shown in Fig. 9. [8]
system from which they are being supplied.
When inverter DC bus capacitance is high, it has a substantial
influence on the resonant circuits with the power system. The
high capacitance shifts the resonant point substantially below the

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 Fig. 10 Parallel resonant circuit between filter and
rectifier/inverter
Using Equation 2, the resonant frequency is determined by the
total capacitance of the inverter DC bus capacitors, Cdc, in series
with two phases of the filter’s capacitance, C, and the filter
inductances of L2 and L3.
In a typical ASD circuit, the DC bus capacitance used will be
in the mF range while the harmonic filter capacitance will be in
the µF range. This means that the DC bus capacitance has
significantly more influence on the resonant circuit than the filter
capacitance. As mentioned earlier, the DC bus capacitance is
usually high enough to result in a resonant frequency
substantially below the 5th harmonic and therefore, there will not
be any amplification of the characteristic harmonics generated by
Fig. 9 Wide spectrum harmonic filter schematic and connection the 6-pulse rectifier. The result is a stable operation with the filter
diagram installed.
However, in most EC fan designs, DC bus capacitance is in
Important in the design of an effective filter is the prevention of the µF range, so the filter capacitors have an influence on the
harmonic importation from the line side of the filter. Without this resonant circuit. The combined capacitance often increases the
ability, a filter could easily be overloaded when installed on a resonant frequency above the 5th harmonic and into the range
power system where other harmonic generating, nonlinear loads where 6-pulse rectifier harmonics are present. This then means
exist on the same bus. A wide spectrum filter consisting of a that these harmonics can be amplified leading to unstable
reactor with multiple windings on a common core and a relatively operation, high DC bus voltages, poor harmonic mitigation and
small capacitor bank can be a very effective solution since this even component failures.
design exploits the mutual coupling between the windings to Fig. 11 shows a second resonant circuit that exists between
improve performance. To prevent importation of upstream the power system and the rectifier/inverter. The DC bus
harmonics, the resonant frequency, as seen from the input capacitance has a major influence on this series resonant circuit.
terminals, is near the 4th harmonic, comfortably below the As with the parallel resonant circuit, when DC bus capacitance is
predominant harmonics of three-phase rectifiers. high, it usually results in a resonant circuit with the power system
This reactor design allows for the use of a significantly smaller that is below the 5th harmonic. Power system inductance will
capacitor bank (typically < 15% reactive power as a percent of simply move this resonant point further down and away from
full load rating). This reduces voltage boost and reactive power prevalent harmonics. However, with low DC bus capacitance,
at no load to ensure compatibility with generators. The filter is the resonance point can be above the 5th where the power
connected in series between the main supply and the rectifier. system inductance will have influence. This is why many EC fan
When applied to a conventional ASD, the ASD’s relatively high applications will have current oscillations in the resonant circuit
level of DC bus capacitance allows for stable operation and very when connected to ‘weak’ power sources, such as an AC
effective harmonic mitigation. Standard designs typically reduce reactor, small transformer or high impedance synchronous
current distortion to < 8% and premium models can reach levels generator.
of < 5%.
But when applying these filters to inverters with low DC bus
capacitance, as is found in many EC fan designs, unstable
operation can occur due to the inverter’s capacitance and the
filter or power system’s inductance.

V. RESONANT CIRCUITS BETWEEN POWER

SYSTEM, HARMONIC FILTER AND
RECTIFIER/INVERTER
Fig. 11 Series resonant circuit between power system, filter and
Fig. 10 shows a resonant circuit that exists between the rectifier/inverter
harmonic filter and the rectifier/inverter.

VI. ANALYSIS THROUGH COMPUTER

SIMULATION

For this paper, an array of four EC fans at 3.75 HP each were

analyzed and tested both with and without harmonic mitigation.
Computer simulation used Nodal Analysis by formulating a Nodal
Matrix and solving the set of numerical ordinary differential
equations using the backward Euler (second order and third

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order) method. The backward Euler method was chosen for its Fig. 12 shows the computer simulation results without
stability in resolving complex differential equations although it harmonic mitigation. Total harmonic current distortion was
must solve iteratively requiring more demanding computation. above 40% with predominant harmonics as expected being 5th,
The factory setup included a 150 kVA autotransformer to 7th, 11th and 13th. This was a relatively small load on the power
stepdown the voltage supplied by an upstream 500 kVA system so total harmonic voltage distortion did not exceed 2%.
transformer.

Fig. 12 Computer simulation of a 4 EC fan array without harmonic mitigation

Fig. 13 Computer simulation of a 4 EC fan array with harmonic mitigation

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 Fig. 13 shows the computer simulation results with a wide
spectrum harmonic filter designed specifically for a
rectifier/inverter circuit with low DC bus capacitance. Various
iterations were run with different configurations of inductance and
capacitance values in order to eliminate resonance points that
would amplify harmonics and create unstable conditions. Total
harmonic current distortion was reduced to < 4% which satisfies
even the most stringent requirements of IEEE Std 519. With
these extremely low levels of current harmonics, their
contribution to voltage harmonic distortion was virtually
eliminated.
Fig. 14 Array of 4 x 3.75 HP EC fans during factory testing
VII. FACTORY TESTING

Based on the computer simulations, a 15 HP, 480 V, 60 Hz

harmonic filter was built and tested on an array of 4 x 3.75 HP
EC fans (Fig. 14). The fans were run over their full operating
range and measurements taken at 100 rpm speed intervals
(Table 1). Current harmonic distortion at full load was well below
the targeted level of 5% and the critical DC-Link voltage level of
the fans remained well within acceptable operating levels. Also,
there were no signs of instability at any speed point.
Fig. 15 plots the harmonic distortion levels over the full
operating range. Total Current Harmonic Distortion (THDi) was
below 4% at full load and only slightly exceeded 8% at any load
level. When plotted as Current Total Demand Distortion (TDDi),
the value remained well under 5% over the full operating range.
TDDi is defined in IEEE Std 519 and calculated to be THDi x
Measured Current / Maximum Current. The full load values Fig. 15 Harmonic distortion levels of current and voltage on 4 x
closely matched those predicted by the computer simulations. 3.75 HP EC fans with WSHF

TABLE 1
FACTORY TEST RESULTS ON FOUR 3.75 HP EC FANS WITH A WSHF DESIGNED FOR LOW DC BUS CAPACITANCE
Speed P at Filter DC-Link
Vrms at Filter Input (V) Irms at Filter Input (V) THDv at Filter Input (%) THDi at Filter Input (%) TDDi Vrms at Filter Output (V)
(RPM) Input (kW) Voltage of Fan
A B C A B C A B C Avg A B C Avg Avg A B C Avg
0 480 479 483 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 2.5 3.6 1.9 2.7 0.0 0.08 513 514 516 514 730
100 480 480 482 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.6 2.6 3.8 2.9 3.1 0.0 0.21 512 515 517 515 723
200 480 480 482 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 2.6 3.8 2.9 3.1 0.1 0.24 515 516 518 516 723
300 480 481 483 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 3.1 4.1 3.8 3.7 0.1 0.3 515 516 518 516 720
400 481 481 483 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 3.6 4.4 3.9 4.0 0.1 0.36 515 516 518 516 720
500 481 481 484 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 4.4 5.9 5.5 5.3 0.2 0.45 515 516 518 516 720
600 481 481 483 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 5.5 7.8 6.3 6.5 0.3 0.55 515 516 517 516 716
700 481 481 484 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 7.1 9.2 7.6 8.0 0.4 0.69 515 516 517 516 709
800 482 482 484 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 7.8 9.1 7.9 8.3 0.5 0.87 515 516 517 516 702
900 482 481 484 4.7 4.8 4.8 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 8.9 8 8 8.3 0.6 1.08 515 515 517 516 698
1000 481 481 484 4.8 4.9 4.9 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 8.9 8.2 7.9 8.3 0.8 1.35 515 516 517 516 695
1100 481 481 483 4.9 5 5 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 8.9 8.2 7.8 8.3 1.0 1.74 515 516 517 516 695
1200 482 481 483 5.1 5.2 5.2 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 8.7 8.2 7.8 8.2 1.2 2.13 515 516 517 516 695
1300 482 481 483 5.4 5.5 5.5 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 8.7 8 7.8 8.2 1.5 2.61 515 515 516 515 695
1400 482 481 484 5.8 5.9 695 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 8.5 8 7.7 8.1 1.8 3.18 515 515 516 515 695
1500 481 482 484 6.3 6.3 6.3 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 8.1 7.7 7.4 7.7 2.1 3.81 516 516 517 516 691
1600 481 481 483 6.8 6.9 6.9 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 7.7 7.5 7.1 7.4 2.4 4.53 516 516 517 516 691
1700 482 481 484 7.5 7.5 7.5 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 7.4 7 6.6 7.0 2.7 5.43 516 516 516 516 691
1800 482 481 484 8.2 8.3 8.2 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 6.9 6.5 6.2 6.5 2.8 6.15 515 515 515 515 688
1900 482 482 484 9.3 9.3 9.2 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 6.4 6.1 5.7 6.1 3.1 7.2 514 512 513 513 685
2000 482 481 484 10.2 10.2 10.1 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 5.8 5.5 5.4 5.6 3.3 8.25 510 508 509 509 678
2100 482 481 484 11.7 11.6 11.5 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 5.4 4.9 4.9 5.1 3.3 9.3 508 507 508 508 670
2200 481 481 484 13.2 13.1 13 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 4.8 4.4 4.6 4.6 3.6 10.92 502 499 500 500 660
2300 481 480 483 14.8 14.7 14.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.1 3.6 12.3 494 493 494 494 646
2400 482 481 484 17.1 16.9 16.7 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.6 3.5 3.1 3.6 3.4 3.4 14.1 484 482 482 483 632

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 VIII. CONCLUSIONS Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol. 52, No. 1,
January/February 2016, pg 718-728.
To reduce energy consumption and improve PUE, Air [8] A. H. Hoevenaars, M. Fahrney, M. James, M. McGraw,
Handling Systems incorporating electronically commutated fans “Design Considerations When Applying Various LV ASD
are becoming much more commonly used in Data Centers. If Topologies to Meet Harmonic Compliance”, IEEE
left untreated, these benefits come at the cost of higher harmonic Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol. 47, No. 4,
distortion levels. The challenge of reducing harmonics July/August 2011, pg 1578-1585.
generated by EC fans is a difficult one however, due to their very [9] G. Nosek, M. Halczynski, A. Romanska, J. Szczepanik,
low DC bus capacitance. This low capacitance shifts the “The Effects of Growing Popularity of EC Motors on
resonant point of the circuit between the filter and the Building’s Automatic Systems”, Department of Electrical
rectifier/inverter to a value above the prevalent harmonics being and Computer Science, Cracow University of Technology,
generated by the rectifier. The impedance of standard harmonic Krakow, Poland.
filters will tend to shift this resonant point down and into a region [10] P. Deshpande, S.S. Mopari, P.S. Swami, Power factor
where the harmonics will be amplified creating instability, correction and power quality improvement in BLDC motor
overheating, high DC bus voltage levels and even component drive using SEPIC converter”, Faculty of Electrical
failure. Engineering, Government College of Engineering,
Through computer modelling, modified inductance and Aurangabad.
capacitance values of the wide spectrum harmonic filter were [11] V. Ghorbanian, D. A. Lowther, “Magnetic and Electrical
determined that provided excellent harmonic mitigation without Design Challenges of Inverter-Fed Permanent Magnet
introducing unstable operation of the fans. Factory testing Synchronous Motors”, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics,
confirmed the accuracy of the computer simulations resulting in Vol. 53, No. 6, June 2017.
a solution that will allow the use of EC fans in HVAC applications [12] X. Wang, W. Zhou, R. Dou, “Analysis of Harmonic Current
while meeting the requirements of IEEE Std 519 and other in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor and Its Effect on
recognized harmonic standards. Motor Torque”, Journal of Electromagnetic Analysis and
Applications, pp 15 to 20, 2012.
IX. REFERENCES
X. VITAE
[1] EBM Papst, “GreenTech EC Technology”, 37854-7-8811,
2016-04.
Anthony (Tony) Hoevenaars (BESc’79) is President and CEO
[2] EBM Papst, “Reducing Energy Consumption in the Built
of Mirus International, Brampton, ON, Canada, a company
Environment through EC Fan Technology”,
specializing in the treatment of power system harmonics. With
http://www.greensenseplus.com/sites/default/files/ebm-
over 35 years of direct experience in resolving electrical power
papst_CPD.pdf.
system problems, beginning in the 1980s as Chief Facilities
[3] Somasundaram B, Ashok Kumar L, Banu Rekha B,
Electrical Engineer at an IBM manufacturing facility in Toronto,
Hemanand R, “Study on Energy Efficiency and Harmonics
Tony has earned an international reputation as a power quality
Mitigation in a HVAC AHU Blower/Fan Application Using
and harmonics expert. As a Professional Engineer, Tony has
Electronically Commutated BLDC Motors”, Journal of
published various papers on power quality. He is an active
Electrical Engineering, Oct. 2016.
member of the IEEE having presented papers at several IAS
[4] IEEE Std 519-2014, IEEE Recommended Practices and
conferences since 2003.
Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power
Paul Hoevenaars is a registered professional Mechanical
Systems, New York, NY: IEEE.
Engineer and graduate from Queen’s University (BESc05),
[5] IEC 61000-3-2, Limits for harmonic current emissions for
Kingston, ON, Canada and presently leads Mirus International’s
equipment with input current <16A/phase single and 3
international production and sales teams. Paul is involved in new
phase.
product development and technical sales of harmonic mitigation
[6] IEC 61000-3-12, Limits for harmonic currents produced by
solutions, with past experience working in the Global Product
equipment connected to public low-voltage systems with
Development group of General Electric (GE).
input current >16A and < 75A per phase.
[7] M. Farbis, A. H. Hoevenaars, J. L. Greenwald, “Oil Field
Retrofit of ESPs to Meet Harmonic Compliance”, IEEE