Could 9th Harmonic Be Causing Noise on Local Telephone Company's System?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the presence of a 9th harmonic causing noise in a local telephone company's system. Participants explore potential causes of this harmonic, particularly in a rural utility context with minimal industrial load, and consider solutions such as filters and equipment adjustments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the 9th harmonic could be linked to specific equipment, questioning the role of the local industrial load, which is primarily a gas line pump.
  • One participant mentions the possibility of a line conditioner installed by the power company to address voltage drop, speculating whether this could induce the harmonic.
  • Another participant raises the issue of grounding in relation to the telephone equipment, suggesting that optical isolation equipment might be a solution if the equipment is located in a substation.
  • Participants express interest in finding filters for the harmonic issue, with inquiries about their availability and cost.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the cause of the 9th harmonic, with multiple competing views regarding potential sources and solutions remaining unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in understanding the specific sources of the harmonic, the effectiveness of proposed solutions, and the implications of grounding practices. There is also uncertainty regarding the impact of rural infrastructure on harmonic generation.

WFO
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We have a local telephone company complaining to our utility that they have noise on their system. We have investigated and found a fairly significant 9th harmonic on the power line. This seems to play havoc with phone systems.

What is a likely cause of a 9th harmonic? We are a rural utility with little industrial load. The area in question, however, has a lot of pipelines and cathodic protection.
I understand there are filters readily available. Where are they to be found and how much are they likely to cost?
 
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What is a likely cause of a 9th harmonic? We are a rural utility with little industrial load.
What types of industrial load do you have. I would think it's coming from some type of equipment.
I understand there are filters readily available. Where are they to be found and how much are they likely to cost?
http://www.nepsi.com/pmfilt.htm"
 
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The only industrial load is a 1200 Hp gas line pump, which does not appear to be the culprit (i.e., the harmonic still exists when the pump is down). The rest of the area is rural load.
The link was good, but I was looking for something the phone company could put on their equipment.
 
If you are very rural, the power company may have installed a line conditioner (step-up transformer) to combat voltage drop over long runs. There is one 1/10th of a mile from me. The power company had been trying to serve this entire road with a single-phase hot line and a ground, but the boom in housing out here made that a problem. I don't know if such equipment could induce such a harmonic, but that would be place to start.
 
Is the telephone equipment in a substation? You might to be able to use some type of optical isolation equipment but you are going to have to share a common ground. If the equipment is in a substation, have you looked at how well you're grounding?
 

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