The impact of distribution system design on harmonic limits

If one looks at different designs of distribution systems around the world, it should be obvious that some utility systems can tolerate greater levels of harmonics than others. It should also be obvious that there has been no real attempt to categorize or generalize the differences in a manner which would permit one to assess the appropriate limits to apply to a given type of system. This paper attempts to characterize and quantify some of the major differences so that one can better understand what limits to assign to a particular system. The main source of the harmonics considered in this paper is single-phase equipment.