Analyzing The Impact Of Rectifier-based LED Lighting Fixtures On The Electrical Power Distribution System

Abstract

The widespread use of single-phase rectifiers, particularly in residential buildings for LED lighting fixtures, has led to an increase in harmonics in power distribution systems. These harmonics pose significant challenges to power grids and require a thorough assessment of their impact on distribution networks. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to clarify how higher capacitance values at rectifiers' output, which are essential for reducing DC voltage waveform ripple, affect the quality of the  input power supply. This study employs  analyses and simulations conducted via MATLAB/Simulink to investigate the AC/DC converter circuit and its associated load. The analysis includes calculating output current and voltage ripples, as well as evaluating the total harmonic distortion (THD) in the input current with different capacitor values. The results highlight the adverse consequences of increasing filter capacitance values, which affect both the input current purity and the power factor. Notably, the THD showed a significant increase, reaching approximately 134%, with a low power factor of 0.5 when the output ripple voltage decreased from 307 V to 64 V using a capacitor filter of 1500 ?F.