Q: Are there real-life examples of savings thanks to Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter?

Yes. We have numerous Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter reference cases across various industries, including water and wastewater treatment, hospitals, and manufacturing. You can explore them here: Merus ® A2 references

Q: Why does Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter use 3-level NPC inverter topology?

Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is built with advanced 3-level NPC topology, which is superior to older 2-level designs. It delivers faster reaction and better harmonic filtering, with lower heat losses, smaller components, and higher power density. The 3-level design also creates a cleaner output waveform with less ripple and lower noise, ensuring more efficient and reliable performance.

Q: Does Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter include energy-saving features?

Yes. Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter has a standby mode that turns off power electronics when compensation is not needed. This saves energy and extends the service life of the equipment.

Q: What operating modes are available for the Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter?

Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter can operate in three modes: Selectable mode: lets you choose which harmonics to cancel and includes load balancing. All harmonics mode: cancels all harmonics and compensates reactive power in real time. Harmonics-only mode: cancels harmonics but leaves reactive power untouched.

Q: How does Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter compare to Active Front-End (AFE) drives?

Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is smaller, more efficient, and more reliable. Unlike Active Front-end Drives, an active harmonic filter fault will not stop your processes. Merus® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is also more cost-effective because a single filter can cover multiple drives.

Q: Where should I install an active harmonic filter in my facility?

Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is flexible in placement. It can be installed at the main distribution board, at the point of common coupling, or close to specific sensitive equipment, depending on where you need the most improvement.

Q: How fast does Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter react to disturbances?

Merus ® A2-Active Harmonic Filter reacts in microseconds. This ensures stable operation even with rapidly changing or sensitive loads such as welding equipment, elevators, cranes, and medical devices.

Q: What happens if the active harmonic filter fails? Will my production stop?

No. Since the Merus A2-Active Harmonic Filter is connected in parallel with your loads, your processes continue to run even if the filter is offline. This makes it more reliable than active front-end drives, where a single fault can cause the system to stop.

Question 1

Are there real-life examples of savings thanks to Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We have numerous Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter reference cases across various industries, including water and wastewater treatment, hospitals, and manufacturing. You can explore them here: Merus^® A2 references

Question 2

Why does Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter use 3-level NPC inverter topology?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is built with advanced 3-level NPC topology, which is superior to older 2-level designs. It delivers faster reaction and better harmonic filtering, with lower heat losses, smaller components, and higher power density. The 3-level design also creates a cleaner output waveform with less ripple and lower noise, ensuring more efficient and reliable performance.

Question 3

What does “topology” mean in an active harmonic filter?

Accepted Answer

In simple terms, topology is the way semiconductors are arranged inside the active harmonic filter to generate the compensation current. The two main topologies in the market are 2-level and 3-level NPC (Neutral Point Clamped) topologies. The number of voltage levels determines how precisely the filter can shape its output and the amount of stress the semiconductors experience. More levels mean lower voltage stress, less heat, and better performance.

Question 4

Does Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter include energy-saving features?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter has a standby mode that turns off power electronics when compensation is not needed. This saves energy and extends the service life of the equipment.

Question 5

What operating modes are available for the Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter can operate in three modes:

- Selectable mode: lets you choose which harmonics to cancel and includes load balancing.
- All harmonics mode: cancels all harmonics and compensates reactive power in real time.
- Harmonics-only mode: cancels harmonics but leaves reactive power untouched.

Question 6

How does Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter compare to Active Front-End (AFE) drives?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is smaller, more efficient, and more reliable. Unlike Active Front-end Drives, an active harmonic filter fault will not stop your processes. Merus® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is also more cost-effective because a single filter can cover multiple drives.

Question 7

How do active harmonic filters compare to passive filters?

Accepted Answer

Passive filters target specific frequencies and can cause issues such as leading power factor. Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter adapts dynamically to varying loads, providing long-term reliability, compliance, and broader coverage for your system.

Question 8

Where should I install an active harmonic filter in my facility?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is flexible in placement. It can be installed at the main distribution board, at the point of common coupling, or close to specific sensitive equipment, depending on where you need the most improvement.

Question 9

How fast does Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter react to disturbances?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter reacts in microseconds. This ensures stable operation even with rapidly changing or sensitive loads such as welding equipment, elevators, cranes, and medical devices.

Question 10

What happens if the active harmonic filter fails? Will my production stop?

Accepted Answer

No. Since the Merus A2-Active Harmonic Filter is connected in parallel with your loads, your processes continue to run even if the filter is offline. This makes it more reliable than active front-end drives, where a single fault can cause the system to stop.

Question 11

Is Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter suitable for VFD-heavy processes?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter is specifically designed for facilities where Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are prevalent, such as water and wastewater treatment plants, HVAC systems, industrial factories, and hospitals. It keeps THDi under control and ensures your system stays within power quality standards.

Question 12

Can one active harmonic filter handle multiple drives in my system?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A single Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter or several modules in parallel can filter harmonics from multiple 6-pulse drives. This makes it a cost-efficient choice compared to upgrading every drive with active front-end technology.

Question 13

Will an active harmonic filter lower my energy costs?

Accepted Answer

By reducing system losses, avoiding overheating, and optimizing reactive power, Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter improves efficiency. That translates into lower electricity bills and reduced maintenance costs.

Question 14

How can Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter improve my factory’s reliability?

Accepted Answer

By stabilizing voltage and reducing distortion, Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter prevents equipment trips, overheating, and malfunctions. The result is smoother production, less downtime, and longer equipment lifetime.

Question 15

How does the Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter actually work?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter works much like noise-canceling headphones. It measures distorted current from non-linear loads and injects equal-but-opposite currents. This cancels the distortion, allowing only clean current to be drawn from the grid.

Question 16

What does an active harmonic filter like Merus^® A2 do?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filter cancels harmonics and balances loads, improving power quality. It helps you comply with standards such as IEEE 519, G5/5, and EN 50160. It is scalable, modular, efficient, and easy to integrate into existing systems.

Question 17

Does Merus Power have tools that help me understand my needs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Merus Power offers online sizing tools, including a harmonic calculator and an unbalance calculator. These help you estimate whether you need filtering or load balancing.

Question 18

Can Merus systems grow with my needs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Merus Power’s solutions are scalable and modular, allowing for expansion as your load or processes change.

Question 19

What solutions does Merus Power offer for power quality issues?

Accepted Answer

Merus^® A2-Active Harmonic Filters that dynamically correct harmonics. Merus^® HPQ hybrid systems that combine harmonic filtering with reactive power compensation and load balancing. Merus^® SVC and Merus^® STATCOM systems that provide large-scale reactive power and voltage control.

Question 20

What causes poor power quality?

Accepted Answer

The main causes are non-linear loads such as Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), LED lighting, EV chargers, and data centers. Renewable energy sources and decentralized grids also introduce harmonics and fluctuations.

Question 21

How can I tell if I have a power quality problem?

Accepted Answer

Typical signs are damaged or failing equipment, nuisance trips, overheating, flickering lights, low power factor, or voltage imbalance. Many countries have standards such as IEEE 519, G5/5, or EN 50160. If you are out of compliance, you risk fines or restrictions.

Question 22

What is power quality, and why does it matter for my business?

Accepted Answer

Power quality means a stable, clean, and sinusoidal voltage waveform within regulated limits. Poor power quality can damage equipment, shorten its lifetime, cause unplanned downtime, reduce efficiency, and even lead to penalties from grid code violations.

Water and wastewater treatment

Merus® A2 – Active Harmonic Filter

Variable Frequency Drives

Elevating performance and reliability in containerized pump stations

Complying with stringent specifications in a wastewater treatment plant

Ensuring reliable operation in a water treatment plant

Grid code compliance with cost-effective harmonic filtering in a water treatment plant

Understanding power quality challenges in water and wastewater treatment plants

Extending the lifetime of a wastewater treatment plant by mitigating harmonics

Merus® A2 vs. Active Front End Drives: The power quality showdown

Solving industry woes with reliable active harmonic filtering