How the Fluorescent and LED Lamps Affect the DC Home Nanogrids

Abstract

In order to achieve the subject of increasing the efficiency and diminishing losses of electric energy in a home, the possibility of incorporating High Efficiency Home Appliances (HEHAs) based on power supply switching, fed by centralized public electric system is studied. The HEHAs are used to satisfied the needs at home, such as TV, laptop, induction stove, LEDs and/or fluorescents lamps, among other. However, their electric behavior is rather nonlinear, since they are sources of harmonics that can compromise the integrity of the components and the stability of the public electric grid. Currently, it has been studied the advantages of the Direct Current (DC) in electric systems. However it is necessary to make the technological efforts to have systems as simplest as possible and economically viables. In this paper, we provide experimental data of the behavior of commercial LEDs and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), that work at voltage of 120 VAC 60 Hz, that have been incorporated into a DC Home Nanogrid (DCHN) operating a voltage of 120 VCD. These HEHAs need not be modified to operate in the DCHN. The aim of our study is to offer an option attractive for the end user. Since in the market exists appliances to operate at voltage of 120 VAC, that can be used on a DCHN, in our research is not necessary to acquire DC appliances to be used exclusively on a DC electric system. Measurements and analysis of harmonic emissions emitted into the DCHN in both AC and DC are studied by using the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) with support on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) function.