Web Tutorial – Harmonics in Electrical Circuits

An illustrated guide to understanding how harmonic distortion affects modern electrical systems and sensitive electronics.
This tutorial covers sources of harmonics, how they distort waveforms, and the damaging effects they have on power quality and equipment life.
It also explores mitigation methods including isolation transformers, passive and active filters, phase-shifting, and load balancing strategies.

You’ll learn

• What harmonics are and how they are generated by nonlinear loads (VFDs, UPSs, rectifiers, etc.)
• Why triplen harmonics accumulate on the neutral and increase heat, noise, and instability
• How distorted waveforms lead to overheating, nuisance tripping, false metering, and premature failure
• Design tactics to reduce harmonic content and protect power quality across commercial and industrial environments

Who it’s for

Electrical designers, facility managers, IT/data center engineers, and field technicians seeking practical insight into identifying, measuring, and correcting harmonics to prevent equipment failure, interference, and energy waste.