WHITE PAPER:
UNDERSTANDING TRIPLEN HARMONICS
Contributed by Cowles Andrus March 2014
ABSTRACT
With the push for energy efficiency comes the pro-
liferation of non-linear loads whose overall effect
on the power transmission system may not always
be as beneficial as originally intended. The triplen
harmonics that are caused by nonlinear loads can
cause issues such as excessive neutral currents,
transformer failures, excessive heating of motors,
electronic device failures, failed capacitor banks,
breakers and fuses tripping, and communication
issues related to RFI and noise ingression into the
communication system. This paper details what
triplen harmonics are, what causes them, system
issues that result from triplen harmonics, and best
practice for mitigating triplen harmonics and their
effects.
TRIPLEN HARMONICS
Triplen harmonics are odd multiples of the 3rd
harmonic, where the name triplen is derived from.
This would be for example the 3rd, 9th, 15th, 21st
etc
+
Current or Voltage
0
1 3
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Figure 1 shows the relationship of the fundamen-
tal and the first triplen harmonic. Because triplen
harmonics are of the zero sequence unlike the
fundamental which is positive, the magnitude
of the currents of these harmonics on a 3-phase
system is additive in the neutral circuit. This can
cause very large currents to f low in the neutral,
and unless the neutral is sufficiently oversized to
handle the extra current, significant heating can
occur causing a fire hazard. In the past, before the
introduction of PCs, UPS, and other devices caus-
ing large nonlinear loads, the manufacturers of
powering strips would sometimes undersize their
neutral wires to save money. For resistive linear
loads, the neutral currents were usually quite low.
This undersizing of the neutral wiring turned out
to be a major factor contributing to many fires in
the past. Now it is commonplace to see the neutral
wires oversized to prevent a potential fire hazard.
Figure 2 shows how the three phases add together
to enhancing the third harmonic on the neutral
when the load becomes nonlinear. With a linear Figure 1. Relationship of
load, there is no current f low on the neutral line. the fundamental and triplen
harmonics
In other words, in a four wire system as shown
Fundamental 9th Harmonic
3rd Harmonic 15th Harmonic
21st Harmonic
Time
5 7 9
WHITE PAPER:
UNDERSTANDING TRIPLEN HARMONICS

in Figure 2, where there are three phases and a

neutral, the phase currents return path is by the
neutral conductor. In a distribution system with A Phase
an ideal resistive linear load, the 120 degree phase
shift between the different phase currents allows
them to be perfectly balanced, cancelling out any
neutral currents, resulting in no current f low in
the neutral. In a real world situation, distribu-
tion systems always have some mix of linear and
non-linear loads, so the current on one phase does B Phase
not have a pulse on the other phases with which
to cancel out the other, causing current to f low at
intervals of three times the fundamental frequency
thus creating triplen harmonics. At the extremes,
currents generated in the neutral due to non-linear
loads can be as high as 173% of the phase cur-
rents.
C Phase

=1.73 x Line Current

To compound this problem, when harmonics are
higher in frequency than the fundamental, they
use less of a conductor to carry the current. This
phenomenon is known as the skin effect. This is
clearly illustrated in Figure 2b on the Neutral.
This shows that the frequency of the neutral cur-
rent when providing power to a non-linear load is
nearly 3 times the frequency of the fundamental
or 180 Hz on a nominal 60 Hz power distribu-
tion system. As the frequencies of the harmonics
become higher, they utilize less of the cross-sec-
tional area of the conductor and stay closer to the
conductors surface. This raises the resistance of
the conductor causing the I2R losses to increase.
These elevated currents also put a strain on power
transformers causing them to generate excessive
heat which may cause them to fail or fail sooner.
These triplen harmonics are not only problematic
to 3 phase systems, they also affect single phase
power supplies.
SOURCES OF TRIPLEN HARMONICS
Triplen harmonics are not produced by the gener-
ating station or a power generating source. Triplen
Neutral
harmonics are produced as a result of nonlinear Figure 2. The three phases
loads on a power system. The rectifier is a major combine
offender being a nonlinear device that takes the
alternating current and converts it to a DC pulses.
One of the most common rectifiers in use today is
the silicon based P-N junction type. For simplicity,
the waveform in Figure 3 represents a single diode
charging a capacitor. When the rectifier is forward
bias, it begins to conduct, allowing the capacitor
to charge, thus loading the AC line. As demon-
strated in the in Figure 3, the amount of current
that is drawn from the AC source is repeated
every cycle. In a full wave bridge configuration,
this action happens twice as often, on both the
positive going edge and negative going edge of the
sine wave after the diode has sufficient voltage to
overcome the junction voltage drop, usually 0.7
volts for silicon. Depending on the charge of the
capacitor, the capacitor value, and the load on the
capacitor determines when the diode will start

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WHITE PAPER:
UNDERSTANDING TRIPLEN HARMONICS

Diode Ends
Conduction
Diode Starts
Conduction

0c Capacitor
Discharge

t1 t2
Conduction
Angle

to conduct and how long the conduction cycle is.
This will also govern the conduction angle. It is
clear to see this is not a linear process and will
cause harmonics. Also, on 3 phase systems, since
rectification occurs on each of the three phases,
the conduction cycle of the rectifier will occur
at three times the rate as on a single phase. This
along with a doubling of the line rate due to the
use of a full wave bridge raises the frequency of
the harmonic generated, but also tends to lessen
the conduction time, thus the conductive angle
which may lessen the severity compared to a recti-
fication system with fewer poles.
Triplen harmonics are the result of devices that
offer non-linear loads to the system. Any power
supply that converts AC to DC uses a rectifier,
which presents a non-linear load. These types of
power supplies are used in almost any electronic
component plugged into AC. Computers, UPS,
TVs, radios, amplifiers, are just a few examples.
The more power they consume, usually the more
triplen harmonics are generated, even if each
device on its own does not consume much power,
the total can contribute to an overall problem. For
example, a single PC may not present much of an
issue, but in a location such as an office building,
100 PCs could easily become a nonlinear burden
on the system. Figure 3. Waveform of a
typical half wave rectifiers
Another source of triplen harmonics are electronic conductive cycle
ballasts use in f luorescent lamps. In some depart-
ment stores and offices, there can be hundreds or
even thousands, and with the reduction of incan-
descent type lighting, this trend is not likely to
improve. Even light dimmers for the incandescent
lighting can be a source of triplen harmonics.
With the push for more efficient lighting, and the
phasing out of incandescent lighting, compact f lu-
orescent lamps, CFL, and LED type lighting are
rapidly becoming the norm. Incandescent lamps,
even though not nearly as efficient as CFL and
LEDs, have one distinct advantage, they present-
ed a much more linear load to the power system,
causing virtually no harmonics this is not the
case with CFL and LEDs.
ISSUES RESULTING FROM TRIPLEN
HARMONICS
One of the main issues that result from triplen
harmonics is the overheating of transformers and
rotating equipment. If triplen harmonics con-
taining 5th or 11th harmonics are applied to a
3-phase motor, it will attempt to drive the motor

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WHITE PAPER:
UNDERSTANDING TRIPLEN HARMONICS
in reverse. In order to compensate, the motor must
draw additional current at the fundamental, even-
tually causing it to overheat. Some of the other
negative effects of triplen harmonics include in-
creased hysteresis losses in transformers, decreased
kVA capacity, neutral overloading, unacceptable
neutral-to-ground voltages, distorted voltage and
current waveforms, failed capacitor banks, break-
ers and fuses tripping, interference on phone and
communications systems, unreliable operation of
electronic equipment, erroneous register of electric
meters, wasted capacity and inefficient distribu-
tion of power, and an increased maintenance of
equipment and machinery.
WAYS TO REDUCE TRIPLEN HARMONICS
There are ways to mitigate the large voltage dis-
tortions caused by triplen harmonics. One of the
most effective ways is to install an inductor on the
source. The inductor acts as a low pass filter, pass-
ing the fundamental 60 Hz frequency and block-
ing the higher frequency harmonics from affecting
the power line feeding the nonlinear load. Adding
inductors to devices such as computer power sup-
plies and UPSs can also reduce triplen harmonics.
Another way of reducing triplen harmonics from a
nonlinear load is with a drive isolation transform-
er. Figure 4 shows how an isolation transformer
improves the waveform powering single phase
VFD loads that can cause triplen harmonics.
Adjustable
Frequency
Drive
Other Loads
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When driving a nonlinear load, it is better, if
possible, to use a delta configuration as opposed
to a wye-configuration. See Figure 5. In a del-
ta configuration, the neutral line is eliminated;
therefore the harmonics have no neutral line to
travel in. Even though the triplen harmonics are
trapped in the delta loads loop, there is a down-
side, the triplen harmonics are still generated in
the non-linear load causing monetary losses in the
delta transformers efficiency. This does isolate the
harmonics from line and source, but at a cost of
causing higher currents to f low in the secondary
windings of the loads delta transformer. Because
of this, the delta transformers load capacity needs
to be de-rated to keep the triplen harmonics from
causing them to overheat.
With the use of PMIs Recorders and Provision, it
is easy to measure and verify the triplen harmon-
ics contribution to the Total Harmonic Distortion
of a system.
In Figure 6, it is very clear to see how Provision
displays the measured THD, % of the Funda-
mental Triplens by the recorder. In this case, the
current magnitude of Channel 1 is 18.67% and
Channel 2 is 12.50%. This can be a very valuable
tool in analyzing the triplen harmonics of a system
at different points in the distribution system. With Figure 4. An isolation
this knowledge of where and what is causing the transformer can improve the
excessive triplen harmonics, it allows action to waveform powering single
be taken to control the triplen harmonics before phase VFD loads, preventing
equipment damage occurs. triplen harmonics
Drive
Isolation Adjustable
Transformer Frequency
Drive
AC AC
Motor Motor
Other Loads
WHITE PAPER:
UNDERSTANDING TRIPLEN HARMONICS

Figure 5. Wye (top) versus

A Phase Line Delta (bottom) configuration

Line
B Phase

Load
Source

Neutral Neutral

C Phase Line

Line A Phase

Line
B Phase

Source Load

C Phase Line

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WHITE PAPER:
UNDERSTANDING TRIPLEN HARMONICS

CONCLUSION

As time progresses, new regulations and technol-

ogies will continue to introduce energy saving
devices such as the switching power supplies,
f luorescent lamps, CFL, LED lighting and other
non-linear electronics. Even though the efficiency
of each individual devices continues to increase,
its effect to the power transmission system may
not always be as positive as first thought. Some-
times improvements in one area, as in improved
efficiency, can often cause problems in another
area, such as nonlinear loads. Triplen harmonics
that are caused by nonlinear loads can cause issues
such as excessive neutral currents, transformer
failures, excessive heating of motors, electronic de-
vice failures, failed capacitor banks, breakers and
fuses tripping, and communication issues related
to RFI and noise ingression into the communica-
tion system. With the right monitoring equipment
and integrated software, and an understanding
of power quality fundamentals, it is possible to
continually and effectively assess overall system
health and prevent potential system failure. Even
though triplen harmonics may not be completely
eliminated, steps can be taken to control them,
such as filtering and designing the system to be
able to handle them by upsizing the neutral lines
and transformer capacities.

Cowles Andrus, III

Communications Specialist
candrus@powermonitors.com
http://www.powermonitors.com Figure 6. Screen Capture
(800) 296-4120 of the Harmonic Analysis
Report in Provision

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