What is a harmonic neutralizer in a transformer?

[jackson6]

Hello everyone,
What is a harmonic neutralizer in a transformer? I have an older 1KVA unit I'd like to use and I don't ever recall seeing a tansformer with a harmonic neutralizer before. Any help here?

thanks!

[adam12]

What is a harmonic neutralizer in a transformer? I have an older 1KVA unit I'd like to use and I don't ever recall seeing a tansformer with a harmonic neutralizer before.

What is a harmonic neutralizer?

Well, it is a circuit designed to neutralize harmonic currents. Harmonic currents, or harmonics as they are better known, are a result of a distorted electrical waveform, generally created by non-linear loads. That's the technical end of things, I guess.

Some of the more common causes of unwanted harmonics are variable speed motors, variable frequency drives and inverters, industrial battery chargers, some personal computers, and even those small portable uninterruptable power supplies.

So harmonic neutralizers can be incorporated into some constant voltage transformers primarily to clean up harmonic distortion. To keep it simple, these neutralizer basically absorb harmonic power and emit heat as a by-product.

I really don't see why you couldn't use a transformer with a harmonic neutralizer for an application that doesn't have a harmonic problem. I look at it like a noise filter. The rating of the transformer should still hold true regardless of any capacitors or internal circuit.