Control Algorithms of Shunt Active Power Filter for Harmonics Mitigation: A Review

Active power filter control strategy based on repetitive quasi-proportional resonant control with linear active disturbance rejection control

Active power filter (APF) is a new type of harmonic mitigation device, and its harmonic mitigation capability mainly depends on the control strategies of current inner loop and voltage outer loop. Traditional proportional integral (PI) control methods cannot track harmonic currents without steady-state error, thereby it leads to the poor tracking accuracy of the harmonic current and is difficult to achieve high-performance harmonic compensation. Thus, in this paper, a repetitive quasi-proportional resonant (QPR) with linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) is proposed. Firstly, QPR control is introduced to replace PI control. QPR control can eliminate steady-state error and realize no static error tracking of harmonic current. Meanwhile, QPR control can coordinate control of various frequency components and enhance APF's ability to suppress specific harmonics. Then, the introduction of repetitive control optimizes the QPR control, so that the dynamic performance of the system does not change while further improving the tracking accuracy of the APF system for harmonic current. Finally, LADRC control is used to observe and compensate for the coupled parts of the system. Thereby, it can achieve high-performance decoupling without adding additional sensors. In addition, in order to ensure the stability of the DC-side voltage and enhance its dynamic performance, this paper also designs a voltage outer loop controlled by QPR. The proposed method is verified by real-time digital simulation system (RTDS). The simulation results show that compared with the double closed-loop PI control, the repetitive quasi-proportional resonant with linear active disturbance rejection control (repetitive QPR-LADRC) and QPR double closed-loop control proposed in this paper can not only increase the harmonic current tracking accuracy of APF system, but also improve the dynamic performance of APF system and significantly enhance the harmonic suppression ability of APF.

Instrumentation for Verification of Shunt Active Power Filter Algorithms

This article presents a comprehensive system for testing and verifying shunt active power filter control methods. The aim of this experimental platform is to provide tools to a user to objectively compare the individual control methods. The functionality of the system was verified on a hardware platform using least mean squares and recursive least squares algorithms. In the experiments, an average relative suppression of the total harmonic distortion of 22% was achieved. This article describes the principle of the shunt active power filter, the used experimental platform of the controlled current injection source, its control system based on virtual instrumentation and control software and ends with experimental verification. The discussion of the paper outlines the extension of the experimental platform with the cRIO RTOS control system to reduce the latency of reference current generation and further planned research including motivation.

A New Finite-Time Circadian Rhythms Learning Network for Solving Nonlinear and Nonconvex Optimization Problems With Periodic Noises

Nonlinear and nonconvex optimization problems are vital and fundamental problems in science and engineering fields. In this article, a novel finite-time circadian rhythms learning network (called FT-CRLN) is proposed for solving nonlinear and nonconvex optimization problems with periodic noises. Different from the traditional recurrent neural networks, the proposed FT-CRLN can suppress the periodic noise notably and achieve excellent convergence performance in solving nonlinear and nonconvex problems. The theoretical analysis and rigorous mathematical proof verify the superior convergence, high accuracy, and strong robustness of the proposed FT-CRLN. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed FT-CRLN in solving nonlinear and nonconvex problems compared with other state-of-art neural networks.

SAPF Parameter Optimization with the Application of Taguchi SNR Method

Non-linear devices draw non-sinusoidal currents from the source; hence, they cause harmonic distortions in power systems. The shunt active power filter (SAPF) is a well-known method for alleviating current harmonics, compensating the reactive power and improving the power factor; however, the effective design of an SAPF is quite challenging and a thrust area of research. The current controlling technique, switching pulse generation technique and parameter selection are cumbersome tasks in SAPF design. SAPF performance depends on the proper selection of many parameters, such as filter interfacing impedance, DC-link capacitor and PI-controller gains. The effect of these parameters on the performance of SAPF has been studied and optimum values have been obtained by using the Taguchi method. This paper also indicates the benefits of using the Taguchi method compared with existing genetic algorithm (GA) for optimizing the parameters of the SAPF. An instantaneous reactive power theory (IRPT)-based SAPF has been modeled and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. The SAPF’s parameters have been optimized by using the both proposed Taguchi SNR and the existing GA method. With optimized values of parameters results have been obtained, analyzed and the superiority of the proposed Taguchi method over the existing GA method is discussed. The simulation results were also validated with experimental results.

Control Method of Four Wire Active Power Filter Based on Three-Phase Neutral Point Clamped T-Type Converter

An active power filter based on a three-level neutral point clamped T-type converter with LCL input filter is presented in the paper. The main goal of the paper is the analysis of a control system that ensures independent control of a current in each phase. The presented control method of the filter allows reactive power compensation and/or a higher harmonics reduction to be achieved in each phase independently, with the possibility of control tan (φ) coefficient. This allows the power flow between the phases to be minimalized and reduces the RMS values of filter currents without the need to balance grid currents. The analysis presents the possibility of an operation in different modes, which was verified by experimental results. The results have been obtained in a 20 ARMS laboratory system described in the paper. The results reveal relatively low power losses, which are a feature of the selected three-level T-type topology. Additionally, that topology, when compared to a two-level one, ensures the reduction in current ripples with the same parameters of passive components.

Modeling and Harmonic Impact Mitigation of Grid-Connected SCIG Driven by an Electromagnetic Frequency Regulator

The power quality analysis is an essential issue in the integration of distributed energy resources to the grid. Recent standards regulate the harmonics disturbances due to the increasing penetration of intermittent energy sources interconnected with the grid employing power converters. This paper aims to analyze the power quality of an interconnected wind turbine system based on a Squirrel Cage Induction Generator (SCIG) driven by an Electromagnetic Frequency Regulator (EFR). The steady state of the EFR harmonic model is developed in the stationary frame based on the conventional induction generator modeling, which allows the study of the harmonic disturbances in the electrical and mechanical variables due to the PWM inverter of the EFR’s armature voltage. There is no electrical connection between the EFR and SCIG, and the results show that the inherent system inertia contributes to the mitigation of the harmonic content at the grid side generated by the switching. In addition to the steady-state results, the Total Rated Distortion (TRD), which considers the harmonics and interharmonics components, was computed and presented a good performance compared to the IEEE 1547 standard and real data extracted of a single Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG). Finally, the harmonic performance of the proposed system was evaluated considering the impact of the equivalent Thevenin impedance of the grid at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC).

Improving Power Quality by a Four-Wire Shunt Active Power Filter: A Case Study

This paper presents the use of a three-phase four-wire shunt active power filter to improve the power quality in the Department of Industrial Electronics of a large enterprise from Romania. The specificity is given by the predominant existence of single-phase consumers (such as personal computers, printers, lighting and AC equipment). In order to identify the power quality indicators and ways to improve them, an A-class analyzer was used to record the electrical quantities and energy parameters in the point of common coupling (PCC) with the nonlinear loads for 27 h. The analysis shows that, in order to improve the power quality in PCC, three goals must be achieved: the compensation of the distortion power, the compensation of the reactive power and the compensation of the load unbalance. By using the conceived three-leg shunt active power filter, controlled through the indirect current control method in an original variant, the power quality at the supply side is very much improved. In the proposed control algorithm, the prescribed active current is obtained as a sum of the loss current provided by the DC voltage and the equivalent active current of the unbalanced load. The performance associated with each objective of the compensation is presented and analyzed. The results show that all the power quality indicators meet the specific standards and regulations and prove the validity of the proposed solution.

Novel Approach to Collect and Process Power Quality Data in Medium-Voltage Distribution Grids

The paper is devoted to the development of the structure of a fast and flexible data collecting system based on the proposed approach to measure power quality indicators in three-phase medium-voltage distribution grids with an example of a Mikhailovsky mining and processing plant. The approach utilizes the properties of a space vector, obtained from grid currents and voltages with disturbed waveform, to allow faster extraction of the harmonic components compared to traditional approaches, based on the direct Fourier-transform applied to a line or phase values. During the study, the concept of a universal measurement device was introduced, which allows fast estimation of the following values at the grid node: magnitudes and phases of voltage and current harmonic components, active and reactive power of harmonics and fundamental components, positive and negative instantaneous powers. The structure of interconnected measurement and control units for the considered grid node with simultaneous operation of two active variable frequency drives with active rectifiers was proposed in accordance with a concept of the Internet of things. The benefits of the proposed solution are shown by the example of the model of the grid node with two operating draglines and nonlinear load, which was developed in MATLAB/Simulink software. The proposed approach was utilized to produce distributed references for control systems of grid inverters to compensate nonlinear currents, which allowed to significantly improve THDi of the grid node input power.

Trends in Power Quality, Harmonic Mitigation and Standards for Light and Heavy Industries: A Review

The power quality of electrical grids is becoming an important issue worldwide. The electrical grid has to deliver sinusoidal voltages and currents without frequency or amplitude variations. However, the connection of non-linear loads generates harmonics that degrade the grid quality. The presence of harmonics in the load currents has many negative consequences and can distort the voltage waveform at the point of common coupling (PCC). Thus, it is essential to mitigate the harmonics in order to maintain a suitable grid quality. This is a shared responsibility between energy suppliers, manufacturers of electric and electronic equipment, and users. In this context, this work presents, for each stakeholder, a comprehensive analysis of their responsibilities and the standards that they should meet. Additionally, this paper reviews the most common types of filters used to comply with the applicable standards in industrial applications. Finally, in order to prove that active power filters allow maintaining good power quality in all types of grid, commercially available active power filters were installed in three different grids contexts: an office building, a factory, and a stadium with a large number of LEDs. The experimental results obtained were used to evaluate the impact of active filters on grid quality. This review would help users to overcome their grid distortion problems.

Adaptive Control of DC Voltage in Three-Phase Three-Wire Shunt Active Power Filters Systems

This paper is focused on an adaptive controller for the direct current (DC) voltage in three-phase three-wire shunt active power filters systems. Although the controller structure of the proportional-integral (PI) type is determined off-line and does not change, the prescribed DC voltage and the controller parameters are calculated in an adaptation block, depending on the non-active power to be compensated. The adaptive control is based on the design expressions for the DC circuit of the shunt active power filter found by the authors, based on the detailed analysis of its operation, during the active filtering. The performances of the proposed adaptive control and its advantages compared to the classical control (where the prescribed DC voltage and the controller parameters are constant) were first determined on the virtual model of a laboratory setup. Then, the adaptive control was implemented on the dSPACE 1103 control board, which allowed the experimental determinations that prove and support the results obtained on the virtual model.

Solar PV Sustained Quasi Z-Source Network-Based Unified Power Quality Conditioner for Enhancement of Power Quality

In this article, a Quasi Z-source inverter (QZSI)-based unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) backed by the solar photovoltaic (SPV) is presented in order to enhance power quality. The UPQC consists of converters connected in parallel and series. The active power filters (APFs) connected in parallel and series is one of the versatile custom power circuitries to reduce current and voltage instabilities. The main functions of QZSI can increase the variable direct current (DC) voltage to any given alternating current (AC) output voltage, reduce the necessary elements, and alleviate harmonic content. The UPQC’s compensation function primarily relies on the control system used for the generation of reference current and voltage. The enhanced second order generalized integrator (ESOGI) is used in this proposed system to extract the reference current of QZSI-UPQC. The proposed UPQC uses the SPV system, which has an energy storage unit to offset long-term current and voltage disruptions and fulfill the active power demands of the grid. The experimental results confirm that the proposed SPV-supported QZSI-UPQC generates sinusoidal grid currents of about 1.2% of total harmonic distortion (THD), thus increasing the power efficiency of the interconnected SPV power distribution network.

Modeling and Simulation of a PI Controlled Shunt Active Power Filter for Power Quality Enhancement Based on P-Q Theory

The design of reliable power filters that mitigate current and voltage harmonics to meet the power quality requirements of the utility grid is a major requirement of present-day power systems. In this paper, a detailed systematic approach to design a shunt active power filter (SAPF) for power quality enhancement is discussed. A proportional–integral (PI) controller is adopted to regulate the DC-link voltage. The instantaneous reactive power theory is employed for the reference current’s extraction. Hysteresis current control is used to obtain the gate pulses that control the voltage source inverter (VSI) switches. The detailed SAPF is developed and simulated for balanced nonlinear loads and unbalanced nonlinear loads using MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results indicate that the proposed filter can minimize the harmonic distortion to a level below that deployed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards.

Design of a Measuring System for Electricity Quality Monitoring within the SMART Street Lighting Test Polygon: Pilot Study on Adaptive Current Control Strategy for Three-Phase Shunt Active Power Filters

This study focuses on the design of a measuring system for monitoring the power quality within the SMART street lighting test polygon at university campuses with relation to testing an adaptive current control strategy for three-phase shunt active power filters. Unlike conventional street lighting, SMART elements are powered 24/7. Due to the electronic character of the power part of such mass appliances, there are increased problems with the power quality of the electric energy. Compared to the current concept of street lighting, there is a significant increase in the content of higher current harmonic components, which cause several problems in the distribution system. The test polygon contains 16 luminaires made by various manufacturers and mounted with various SMART components. Using the polygon control and monitoring system, dynamic load scenarios were selected. These scenarios tested the possibilities of different adaptive current control strategies for three-phase shunt active power filters to improve the power quality of electricity. This study focuses on three adaptive algorithms that respond to dynamic changes of current harmonics level in real-time. The possibility of active filter control was tested using FPGA, mainly due to the low latency of the filter control part.

Analysis of the Electrical Quantities Measured by Revenue Meters Under Different Voltage Distortions and the Influences on the Electrical Energy Billing

This paper evaluates the impact of voltage distortion on the electrical quantities measured by revenue meters and the influences on the electrical energy billing. This is done through an experimental setup, which combines the following variables for the first time in an experiment: different total harmonic voltage distortion (THDv) levels; among these levels, different harmonic profiles; and different loads. A programmable alternating current (AC) power source was used in the laboratory to apply voltage signals in three electronic loads: a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and two light emitting diode (LED) lighting devices for which voltage signals with THDv 4.9%, 18.8% and 24.5% have been applied. All applied signals contain one or more harmonic order more commonly found in the low voltage grid (3rd, 5th and 7th). For these analyses, a power quality analyzer and a revenue meter were used. The results show that significant and diverse effects on the electrical quantities of individual loads will occur with different THDv levels and harmonic profiles. Comparing with a reference case (sinusoidal condition), when a distorted signal was applied, for the same THDv level, some parameters remained numerically the same, some have improved and some have become worse. This study shows that the effects of combination of the variables such as different THDv level with different harmonic profiles on electrical quantities of loads are not as clear as the effects of considering only one variable. The results of this paper shed light on such effects.

Adaptive Linear Neural Network Approach for Three-Phase Four-Wire Active Power Filtering under Non-Ideal Grid and Unbalanced Load Scenarios

This paper presents the enhancements performed on the adaptive linear neuron (ADALINE) technique so that it can be applied for active power filtering purposes in a three-phase four-wire system. In the context of active power filtering, the ADALINE technique which was initially developed for a single-phase two-wire system has been further expanded to suit three-phase three-wire system. For both systems, ADALINE techniques have been reported to be effective even when the grid voltage is distorted and/or unbalanced. However, further works that study the possibility to apply ADALINE technique in a three-phase four-wire system which invariably carries unbalanced loads, are rather limited. Hence, in this work, a control algorithm (named as enhanced-ADALINE) which combines the strength of highly selective filter (HSF), ADALINE concept and averaging function is proposed, to manage harmonics mitigation by shunt active power filter (SAPF) under non-ideal grid and unbalanced load scenarios. MATLAB-Simulink software is utilized to conduct an exhaustive simulation study which includes circuit connection of SAPF in a three-phase four-wire system, design of control algorithms, and performance assessments. Benchmarking with the existing algorithm is performed to examine the benefits of using the proposed algorithm. From the analysis, simulation findings are presented and thoroughly discussed to verify design concept, capability, and relevance of the proposed algorithm.

Shunt Active Power Filter: A Review on Phase Synchronization Control Techniques

Owing to the destructive impacts of harmonic currents, the topic of reducing their impacts on power system has attracted tremendous research interests. In this regard, a shunt active power filter (SAPF) is recognized to be the most reliable instrument. It performs by first detecting the harmonic currents that are present in a harmonic-contaminated power system, and subsequently generates and injects corrective mitigation current back into the power system to cancel out all the detected harmonic currents. This means that other than the ability to generate corrective mitigation current itself, it is actually more important to make sure that the SAPF is able to operate in phase with the operating power system, so that the mitigation current can correctly be injected. Hence, proper synchronization technique needs to be integrated when designing the control algorithms of SAPF. This paper critically discusses and analyzes various types of existing phase synchronization techniques which have been applied to manage operation of SAPF; in terms of features, working principle, implementation and performance. The analysis provided can potentially serve as a guideline and provision of information on selecting the most suitable technique for synchronizing SAPF with the connected power system.

Real-Time Implementation of High Performance Control Scheme for Grid-Tied PV System for Power Quality Enhancement Based on MPPC-SVM Optimized by PSO Algorithm

This paper proposes a high performance control scheme for a double function grid-tied double-stage PV system. It is based on model predictive power control with space vector modulation. This strategy uses a discrete model of the system based on the time domain to generate the average voltage vector at each sampling period, with the aim of canceling the errors between the estimated active and reactive power values and their references. Also, it imposes a sinusoidal waveform of the current at the grid side, which allows active power filtering without a harmonic currents identification phase. The latter attempts to reduce the size and cost of the system as well as providing better performance. In addition, it can be implemented in a low-cost control platform due to its simplicity. A double-stage PV system is selected due to its flexibility in control, unlike single-stage strategies. Sliding mode control-based particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to track the maximum power of the PV system. It offers high accuracy and good robustness. Concerning DC bus voltage of the inverter, the anti-windup PI controller is tuned offline using the particle swarm optimization algorithm to deliver optimal performance in DC bus voltage regulation. The overall system has been designed and validated in an experimental prototype; the obtained results in different phases demonstrate the higher performance and the better efficiency of the proposed system in terms of power quality enhancement and PV power injection.

A Simplified Minimum DC-Link Voltage Control Strategy for Shunt Active Power Filters

The active power filter (APF) is a popular electrical device to eliminate harmonics in power systems. The rational design and effective control of DC-link capacitor voltage are important for implementing APF functions. In this study, the influences from the DC-link voltage on the APF compensating current characteristic and compensation performance are analyzed, and the reason to maintain DC-link voltage at a minimum value is investigated. On this basis, a simplified minimum DC-link voltage control strategy for APF is proposed. Compared with the existing DC-link voltage control strategies, the minimum DC-link voltage value in proposed strategy is only determined by the grid voltage and modulation ratio, reducing the calculation burden and the implementation difficulty in application, avoiding the interference from external parameters on the compensation effect. Additionally, the reference DC-link voltage varies at different values according to the grid voltage and modulation ratio. A shunt APF prototype is established and the experimental results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the analysis and proposed strategy.

Reactive Power and Current Harmonic Control Using a Dual Hybrid Power Filter for Unbalanced Non-Linear Loads

An important power quality issue is related to current harmonic components demanded by non-linear loads. A solution to mitigate this issue is to use hybrid power filters (HPFs), that apply low power active filters with passive filters. Some dual-converter topologies have been shown to be attractive due to a better compensation performance compared with single filters, where the HPFs give a reactive power support (an extra feature) together with harmonic compensation. On the other hand, the drawback of dual converters is the high number of active switches. Besides that, due to the high number of unbalanced non-linear loads connected to the electrical grid, triplen harmonics can appear. However, traditional HPFs do not compensate triplen harmonics, which usually have considerable values. Therefore, in this paper, a dual HPF based on the nine-switch inverter (DHPF-NSI) is proposed to compensate current harmonics and to provide reactive power support. The NSI presents a reduced number of switches when compared with classical dual topologies. The compensation of the third harmonic caused by unbalanced nonlinear loads was also inserted in the control system. Experimental results are presented for the DHPF-NSI in order to demonstrate the reactive power and harmonic compensation performances.