International Journal of Engineering Continuity
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): IJEC

Field-Validated Triplen Harmonic and Neutral Current Mitigation Using an Active Harmonic Filter

Zakky Daniel Haq (Graduate Program, Department of Electrical Engineering, Institut Sains dan Teknologi Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Kuntjoro Pinardi (Graduate Program, Department of Electrical Engineering, Institut Sains dan Teknologi Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Abdul Multi (Graduate Program, Department of Electrical Engineering, Institut Sains dan Teknologi Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Aug 2026

Abstract

Nonlinear loads in commercial buildings increasingly distort low-voltage distribution systems and may cause excessive neutral-current loading. Third-order triplen harmonics are especially critical in three-phase four-wire systems because their zero-sequence components accumulate in the neutral conductor instead of cancelling among phases. Despite extensive harmonic research, few field-based studies jointly quantify triplen-driven neutral loading, verify Active Harmonic Filter (AHF) performance on an operating commercial site, and confirm IEEE Std 519-2022 compliance within a single case, leaving a practical evidence gap. This paper presents a field-validated assessment of triplen harmonic mitigation in a commercial building distribution system using a shunt Active Harmonic Filter (AHF). Field measurements were obtained at the incoming side of the SDP Amazon Atrium Senen distribution panel using a power quality analyzer, and the results were evaluated using IEEE Std 519-2022. A MATLAB/Simulink model was developed to represent the measured operating condition and support performance interpretation. The model was validated against the field data—accurate for voltage distortion and power factor but under-predicting current distortion—so it is positioned as a trend-analysis rather than a sizing tool. The pre-mitigation condition showed severe current distortion, with phase-current THDi values of 69.27%, 81.47%, and 56.28%, a voltage THD of 5.40%, a neutral current of 96.89 A, and a power factor of 0.82. After AHF operation, the THDi values decreased to 9.87%, 12.18%, and 8.46%, while THDv decreased to 3.35%, neutral current decreased to 23.41 A, and power factor increased to 0.99. Whereas conventional THDi and TDD indices quantify overall distortion but not the zero-sequence burden carried by the neutral conductor, this study introduces a dedicated metric for that burden. The proposed Neutral Harmonic Mitigation Ratio (NHMR) reached 75.84%, indicating substantial reduction of triplen-related neutral loading. Evaluated through Total Demand Distortion under the measured short-circuit ratio, the post-mitigation condition satisfied the IEEE Std 519-2022 current-distortion limit. The results show that a field-validated AHF approach can effectively mitigate triplen harmonic effects and improve power quality in commercial three-phase four-wire distribution systems. Beyond the numerical gains, the field-validated framework gives facility engineers a practical, standards-referenced basis for diagnosing neutral-current risk and planning AHF-based mitigation in commercial power systems.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijec

Publisher

Subject

Civil Engineering, Building, Construction & Architecture Computer Science & IT Electrical & Electronics Engineering Engineering Materials Science & Nanotechnology Mechanical Engineering

Description

The International Journal of Engineering Continuity is peer-reviewed, open access, and published twice a year online with coverage covering engineering and technology. It aims to promote novelty and contribution followed by the theory and practice of technology and engineering. The expansion of ...