Measurement-Driven Phase-Resolved Modeling of Unbalanced Nonlinear Loads for Harmonic Assessment and Mitigation in Building Distribution Systems

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Abstract
Nonlinear loads in modern buildings are often represented using balanced or frequency-domain approximations that do not fully capture phase asymmetry and time-domain distortion observed under field operating conditions. This study aims to develop and validate a measurement-driven phase-resolved modeling framework for unbalanced three-phase nonlinear loads and to evaluate its usefulness for harmonic-mitigation assessment using shunt active power filters (SAPFs). In situ voltage and current waveforms were acquired in a university building using a Class S power-quality analyzer and embedded in MATLAB/Simulink as time-domain signals to preserve harmonic content, waveform shape, and phase-dependent behavior. Model accuracy was assessed using RMSE and range-normalized RMSE, yielding a mean RN_RMSE of 1.36% across representative loads, with simulated THDI deviations of approximately 1–3 percentage points relative to the measurements. The measured load signatures were then used to evaluate three SAPF configurations under representative load-specific operating conditions. The results show that mean THDI was reduced from 39.25% before compensation to 2.28% after compensation, with all the post-filter phase values remaining below 5%, consistent with IEEE Std 519-2022. The findings show that phase-resolved measurement-based load models provide a practical basis for harmonic assessment and SAPF-oriented mitigation studies in low-voltage building distribution systems with heterogeneous and unbalanced nonlinear loads.
Funding Information
  • MESCyT (Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology) in the Dominican Republic (2020-2021-3A9-068)

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