Power Quality Improvement and Harmonic Suppression in Household Appliances

Abstract

This paper introduces the study and implementation of a low-cost solution to address power quality issues in household appliances. These issues are caused by voltage and current harmonics arising from semiconductor components within these devices. The simultaneous operation of various appliances generates significant harmonic interference in the electrical network, impacting efficiency and device durability. MATLAB simulation analysis and experimental testing show that source-side current harmonics are dominant in practical setups. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters were implemented to suppress these harmonics, resulting in effective distortion reduction from 150.2% to 103.3% by 31.2% and improvement in power quality from 114.6W to 102.2W by 10.8%. This research offers a practical approach for enhancing appliance performance and achieving compliance with industry power standards. The solution was validated through both MATLAB simulations and hardware implementation, confirming its effectiveness in real-world applications.