Power Quality and Harmonics: Common Project Topics Explained
An overview of power quality and harmonics project topics for electrical engineering students, including THD analysis and filter design. Power quality issues — voltage sags, swells, flicker, and especially harmonic distortion — are a practical, industry-relevant area for student projects, since they connect directly to problems faced by real distribution utilities and industrial plants. Understanding Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) THD quantifies how much a voltage or current waveform deviates from a pure sine wave due to harmonic components. Non-linear loads — variable frequency drives, rectifiers, and switch-mode power supplies — are the usual culprits. Most student projects start by simulating one of these loads and measuring the resulting THD using MATLAB's FFT tools. Common Project Directions 1. Passive Filter Design Designing tuned LC filters to remove a specific harmonic (like the 5th or 7th) is a good entry-level project that teaches filter design fundamentals. 2. Ac...