Fourier, wavelet, and Hilbert-Huang transforms for studying electrical users in the time and frequency domain

The analysis of electrical signals is a pressing requirement for the optimal design of power distribution. In this context, this paper illustrates how to use a variety of numerical tools, such as the Fourier, wavelet, and Hilbert-Huang transforms, to obtain information relating to the active and reactive power absorbed by different types of users. In particular, the Fourier spectrum gives the most important frequency components of the electrical signals, and the wavelet analysis highlights the non-stationarity of those frequency contributions, whereas the Hilbert-Huang transform, by means of the Empirical Mode Decomposition, provides a more complete spectrum of frequencies.