Pooja Nambiar
Independent Researcher
India
Abstract
This manuscript presents a comprehensive study on harmonic analysis in electrical power systems using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms. Harmonics, arising from nonlinear loads and power electronic devices, contribute to power quality degradation, equipment overheating, and resonance phenomena. The FFT, introduced in the 1960s and widely adopted by 2015, provides an efficient means to decompose time‐domain voltage and current waveforms into frequency‐domain components. This work reviews the theoretical foundations of FFT‐based harmonic detection, examines representative case studies in industrial and utility settings, identifies research gaps relevant to the state-of-the-art as of 2015, describes the methodology for data acquisition and spectral analysis, and presents results validating FFT algorithm performance in real-world conditions. Conclusions emphasize best practices for measurement accuracy, computational efficiency, and practical implementation in protection and monitoring systems.
KeywordS power quality harmonics; FFT algorithms; spectral analysis; nonlinear loads; electrical engineering
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