Effect of power frequency harmonics on magnetic field measurements

This paper presents a study of the effect of harmonic frequencies on magnetic field measurements. We introduced magnetic field meters in a known magnetic field of different frequencies: power frequency (50 Hz) as well as 3rd (150 Hz) and 5th (250 Hz) harmonic frequencies. Two magnetic field levels (0.25 A and 2.5 A) were used. A Helmholtz coil was applied to generate an exact magnetic field. The difference between the measurement results at harmonic frequencies and at power frequency was analyzed using the t-test for matched pairs. The test results show significant differences (P≤0.01) for 13 out of 28 tests carried out, which is probably due to a curved frequency response near the power frequency. It is, therefore, essential to consider harmonic frequencies in magnetic field measurements in practice. Received: 12 January 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 1 October 1999