Harmonic filtering of high-power 12-pulse rectifier loads with aselective hybrid filter system

Current distortion of 12-pulse rectifier loads is significantly lower compared to six-pulse rectifier loads. However, in passive filtering of the lowest and dominant characteristic 11th and 13th harmonics, the use of 5th and 7th filters is often required in order to prevent possible parallel and series resonance between the passive filter and source impedance which can be excited by source background distortion or by load current residual noncharacteristic harmonics at the 5th and 7th harmonic frequencies. In hybrid filter systems, an active filter (AF) can be added in series with the passive filter in order to isolate the source and load. In most proposed hybrid filter systems, AF control is based on the detection of total current distortion and high-frequency inverters. With a selective AF control system and voltage-controlled inverter, the AF can be controlled to isolate the load at the critical frequencies only while at all other frequencies the passive filter function is preserved so that lower switching frequency and AF rating is required. In this paper, the authors present a selective AF filter control system and simple hybrid filter topology suitable for the compensation of high-power 12-pulse rectifier loads. Harmonic current controllers based on the second-order infinite-impulse response digital resonant filters are used, as they can be considered as simple digital algorithms for more complex double cascaded synchronous-reference-frame-based proportional plus integral controllers. They are centered to the targeted harmonic frequencies by using an adaptive fundamental frequency tracking filter. This approach gives good results, even if the reference waveform (in our case, a load voltage) is highly distorted or unbalanced and no separate phaselocked loop is required. Test results for a laboratory model of this system and stability analysis are presented and the importance of delay-time compensation is discussed     

A series active power filter based on a sinusoidalcurrent-controlled voltage-source inverter

A series active power filter working as a sinusoidal current source, in-phase with the mains voltage, has been developed and tested. The amplitude of the fundamental current in the series filter is controlled through the error signal generated between the load voltage and a pre-established reference. The control allows an effective correction of power factor, harmonic distortion and load voltage regulation. Compared with previous methods of control developed for series active filters, this method is simpler to implement because it is only required to generate a sinusoidal current, in-phase with the mains voltage, the amplitude of which is controlled through the error in the load voltage. The proposed system has been studied analytically and tested using computer simulations and experiments. In the experiments, it has been verified that the filter keeps the line current almost sinusoidal and in-phase with the line voltage supply. It also responds very quickly under sudden changes in load conditions, reaching its steady-state in about two cycles of the fundamental     

Discrete Frequency Tuning Active Filter for Power System Harmonics

Severe voltage distortion, due to power system harmonic resonance, has been reported in recent years. This issue becomes more significant in high penetration of a photovoltaic (PV) network. A conventional voltage detection active filter operates as similar conductance for all harmonic frequencies to resolve this problem whether in a fixed conductance command or in an automatic gain adjustment control. However, its filtering capability is impeded by the mismatch between the active filter and the radial line, and the voltage distortion may still be significant. This paper proposes a discrete frequency tuning active filter to suppress power system harmonics. The active filter operates as variable conductance for each individual harmonic frequency. Each harmonic conductance is dynamically adjusted according to the corresponding harmonic voltage distortion of the active filter installation point in response to increase or decrease of nonlinear loads, or variation of resonant frequency in the power system. The mismatching problem between the feeder impedance and the active filter can be avoided effectively. Therefore, harmonic voltage distortion can be maintained at an allowable level throughout the feeder with lower peak current and lower rms current of the active filter, and loads installed at various locations of the power system receive more uniform voltage waveform.     

PTF-based control algorithm for three-phase interleaved inverter-based SAPF

In this paper, modelling and hardware implementation of three-phase interleaved inverter-based shunt active power filter (SAPF) is proposed to mitigate current harmonics, reactive power for ensuring unity power factor and load balancing without shoot-through effect. Shoot-through effect is one of the hazardous issues in conventional voltage source inverters such as damage of power electronic switches, electromagnetic interference, ringing in the power circuitry. The present power system has inevitable non-linear loads which create large variations in the supply voltage distortions. Therefore, the compensation capability and efficiency of the SAPFs degrades. A novel predictive tuned filter is proposed in this paper to estimate the variations in the amplitude of supply voltage, frequency and harmonics for extracting the fundamental voltage signal. The fundamental extracted signal is further processed for reference current generation using generalized p-q theory. The performance of the proposed system is simulated using MATLAB®/Simulink environment and tested under different supply voltage conditions. The simulation results have been validated by developing a prototype in the laboratory by using a dSPACE1104 controller. It is found from the simulated and experimental results that the proposed system is fast, robust and accurate which improves the power quality without shoot-through problem.     

Analysis and design of a multiple feedback loop control strategyfor single-phase voltage-source UPS inverters

This paper presents the analysis and design of a multiple feedback loop control scheme for single-phase voltage-source uninterruptible power supply (UPS) inverters with an L-C filter. The control scheme is based on sensing the current in the capacitor of the load filter and using it in an inner feedback loop. An outer voltage feedback loop is also incorporated to ensure that the load voltage is sinusoidal and well regulated. A general state-space averaged model of the UPS system is first derived and used to establish the steady-steady quiescent point. A linearized small signal dynamic model is then developed from the system general model using perturbation and small-signal approximation. The linearized system model is employed to examine the incremental dynamics of the power circuit and select appropriate feedback variables for stable operation of the closed-loop UPS system. Experimental verification of a laboratory model of the UPS system under the proposed closed-loop operation is provided for both linear and nonlinear loads. It is shown that the control scheme offers improved performance measures over existing schemes, It is simple to implement and capable of producing nearly perfect sinusoidal load voltage waveform at moderate switching frequency and reasonable size of filter parameters. Furthermore, the scheme has excellent dynamic response and high voltage utilization of the DC source     

Active damping control of a high-power PWM current-source rectifier for line-current THD reduction

The use of active damping to reduce the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the line current for medium-voltage (2.3-7.2 kV) high-power pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) current-source rectifiers is investigated. The rectifier requires an LC filter connected at its input terminals, which constitutes an LC resonant mode. The lightly damped LC filter is prone to series and parallel resonances when tuned to a system harmonic either from the utility or from the PWM rectifier. These issues are traditionally addressed at the design stage by properly choosing the filter resonant frequency. This approach may result in a limited performance since the LC resonant frequency is a function of the power system impedance, which usually varies with power system operating conditions. In this paper, an active damping control method is proposed for the reduction in line current THD of high-power current-source rectifiers operating at a switching frequency of only 540 Hz. Two types of LC resonances are investigated: the parallel resonance excited by harmonic currents drawn by the rectifier and the series resonance caused by harmonic pollution in the source voltage. It is demonstrated through simulation and experiments that the proposed active damping control can effectively reduce the line-current THD caused by both parallel and series resonances.     

Seven-Level Shunt Active Power Filter for High-Power Drive Systems

In high-power adjustable-speed motor drives, such as those used in electric ship propulsion systems, active filters provide a viable solution to mitigating harmonic related issues caused by diode or thyristor rectifier front-ends. To handle the large compensation currents and provide better thermal management, two or more paralleled semiconductor switching devices can be used. In this paper, a novel topology is proposed where two active filter inverters are connected with tapped reactors to share the compensation currents. The proposed active filter topology can also produce seven voltage levels, which significantly reduces the switching current ripple and the size of passive components. Based on the joint redundant state selection strategy, a current balancing algorithm is proposed to keep the reactor magnetizing current to a minimum. It is shown through simulation that the proposed active filter can achieve high overall system performance. The system is also implemented on a real-time digital simulator to further verify its effectiveness.      

Voltage control in 3-phase stepped-wave inverters

Abstract

A number of voltage-control schemes in 3-phase bridge inverters are investigated. These control schemes are applied to dual 3-phase cascaded bridge inverters with fifth- and seventh-harmonic neutralization to realize pulse-width and amplitude controlled waveforms. kVA ratings of filter components are calculated to realize a total harmonic distortion of 5% in the output waveform. The control scheme with two pulses per half cycle spaced 60° apart in individual inverters gives the lowest total harmonic distortion and requires the lowest filter kVA rating. The theoretical results are experimentally verified and are in closo agreement.     

Compensation strategies for shunt active-filter control

Compensation strategies for control of shunt active filters are compared in the paper. It is shown that the strategy based on unity-power factor control is appropriate when the supply voltage waveform of the plant where the active filter is connected shows significant distortion. As voltage distortion increases, this strategy provides compensated line current having lower harmonic distortion and RMS value with respect to the strategy generally used. This contributes to diminish the current and voltage distortion in networks. The unity-power factor compensation strategy conditions the current flowing in the plant where compensation is realized to fit the voltage waveform, thus reaching a unity power factor. Hence, the line current RMS value is minimum. The comparison of the strategies is performed by both Monte Carlo and ATP simulation     

Output Impedance Design of Parallel-Connected UPS Inverters With Wireless Load-Sharing Control

This paper deals with the design of the output impedance of uninterruptible power system (UPS) inverters with parallel-connection capability. In order to avoid the need for any communication among modules, the power-sharing control loops are based on the$P/Q$droop method. Since in these systems the power-sharing accuracy is highly sensitive to the inverters output impedance, novel control loops to achieve both stable output impedance and proper power balance are proposed. In this sense, a novel wireless controller is designed by using three nested loops: 1) the inner loop is performed by using feedback linearization control techniques, providing a good quality output voltage waveform; 2) the intermediate loop enforces the output impedance of the inverter, achieving good harmonic power sharing while maintaining low output voltage total harmonic distortion; and 3) the outer loop calculates the output active and reactive powers and adjusts the output impedance value and the output voltage frequency during the load transients, obtaining excellent power sharing without deviations in either the frequency or the amplitude of the output voltage. Simulation and experimental results are reported from a parallel-connected UPS system sharing linear and nonlinear loads.     

三相整流桥直流侧和交流侧并联型有源电力滤波器比较研究

三相直流侧和交流侧有源电力滤波器均可用于三相不可控整流桥的谐波治理。从谐波补偿效果、有源滤波器的补偿容量、开关应力三个方面对二者进行了分析和对比。分析结果表明,由于直流侧有源电力滤波器并联在整流桥的直流侧,在换相处的负载电流变化率比交流侧小得多,因此直流侧有源电力滤波器的补偿性能优于交流侧有源电力滤波器。同时由于直流侧有源电力滤波器工作在电压电流两个象限,因此其补偿容量和开关应力远小于交流侧有源电力滤波器。     

Voltage Balancing Control for a Three-Level Diode-Clamped Converter in a Medium-Voltage Transformerless Hybrid Active Filter

This paper discusses a transformerless hybrid active filter integrated into the 6.6-kV, 1-MW adjustable-speed motor drive having a three-phase diode rectifier at the front end. The hybrid filter consists of an active filter using a three-level diode-clamped pulsewidth modulator converter rated at 60 kVA, and a 250-kVA passive filter tuned to the seventh harmonic frequency. They are directly connected in series without a transformer. This circuit configuration enables one to use 1.2-kV insulated gate bipolar transistors because the dc voltage of the three-level converter is 1.32 kV (20% of 6.6 kV). Voltage balancing control characterized by superimposing a sixth harmonic zero-sequence voltage on the active filter voltage reference in each phase is introduced to the three-level converter with triangle carrier modulation. Experimental waveforms obtained from a 400-V, 15-kW downscaled system verify the viability and effectiveness of the proposed hybrid filter, keeping the two dc capacitor voltages well-balanced.     

Low order harmonic cancellation in a grid connected multiple inverter system via current control parameter randomization

In grid connected multiple inverter systems, it is normal to synchronize the output current of each inverter to the common network voltage. Any current controller deficiencies, which result in low order harmonics, are also synchronized to the common network voltage. As a result the harmonics produced by individual converters show a high degree of correlation and tend to be additive. Each controller can be tuned to achieve a different harmonic profile so that harmonic cancellation can take place in the overall system, thus reducing the net current total harmonic distortion level. However, inter-inverter communication is required. This paper presents experimental results demonstrating an alternative approach, which is to arrange for the tuning within each inverter to be adjusted automatically with a random component. This results in a harmonic output spectrum that varies with time, but is uncorrelated with the harmonic spectrum of any other inverter in the system. The net harmonics from all the inverters undergo a degree of cancellation and the overall system yields a net improvement in power quality.     

Active Harmonic Filters

Unlike traditional passive harmonic filters, modern active harmonic filters have the following multiple functions: harmonic filtering, damping,isolation and termination, reactive-power control for power factor correction and voltage regulation, load balancing, voltage-flicker reduction, and/or their combinations. Significant cost reductions in both power semiconductor devices and signal processing devices have inspired manufactures to put active filters on the market. This paper deals with general pure active filters for power conditioning, and specific hybrid active filters for harmonic filtering of three-phase diode rectifiers.     

An improved control algorithm of shunt active filter for voltageregulation, harmonic elimination, power-factor correction, and balancingof nonlinear loads

This paper deals with an implementation of a new control algorithm for a three-phase shunt active filter to regulate load terminal voltage, eliminate harmonics, correct supply power-factor, and balance the nonlinear unbalanced loads. A three-phase insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) based current controlled voltage source inverter (CC-VSI) with a DC bus capacitor is used as an active filter (AF). The control algorithm of the AF uses two closed loop PI controllers. The DC bus voltage of the AF and three-phase supply voltages are used as feedback signals in the PI controllers. The control algorithm of the AF provides three-phase reference supply currents. A carrier wave pulse width modulation (PWM) current controller is employed over the reference and sensed supply currents to generate gating pulses of IGBTs of the AF. Test results are presented and discussed to demonstrate the voltage regulation, harmonic elimination, power-factor correction and load balancing capabilities of the AF system     

A robust multilevel hybrid compensation system for 25-kV electrified railway applications

On many electrified railway systems with single-phase 25-kV industrial frequency supply, the power quality can be particularly poor when conventional thyristor based locomotives are operating, and this constrains the amount of power that can be delivered to the locomotives. This paper presents a hybrid shunt compensation system consisting of alternatively a cascaded or a reduced topology multilevel active power filter, and a low rating passive damping filter. The active power filter is controlled by a novel hysteresis current regulation strategy, and both mitigates low-order voltage harmonic distortion along the feeder and provides root mean squared voltage support. The passive filter damps harmonic resonances that are typical in such 25-kV traction systems. The results show that the filter system can significantly increase traction system power transfer capacity with only a relatively small capital investment, allowing older thyristor based locomotives and increased traffic levels to be supported without necessarily requiring a complete system upgrade. Simulation and experimental results are included showing the performance of the filter for both steady state and transient conditions.     

A simple input current wave-shaping technique for three-phase diode and SCR converters

Three-phase converters using diode or silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) are widely employed to convert the commercial AC supply to DC. Such converters inject harmonics into the power supply system and thereby distort supply system voltage waveform. A simple input current wave-shape improvement technique using a shunt-connected harmonic current compensator is presented in this work, intended to reduce the total harmonic distortion (THD) of input current of three-phase diode and SCR phase-controlled rectifiers operating with inductive loads, by matching them to the specific converter as a combined package. The compensator proposed here comprises of a three-limb voltage source converter using insulated-gate bipolar transistor, working on instantaneous current and voltage measurements of the compensator only and not of the load. The technique uses a simple feedforward control for AC source current harmonic compensation of rectifiers without monitoring the AC line currents, i.e. use of online computation. The proposed system is simulated and tested on a laboratory prototype. The measured input current THD values without additional line filters are found to be below 8.3%, which is within acceptable limits, proving that the new technique is capable of compensating predetermined current harmonics of diode or SCRs.     

Predictive transient-following control of shunt and series activepower filters

A novel technique is presented for generation of a contemporary estimate of the fundamental component of the distorted input current or voltage to an uncontrolled three-phase bridge rectifier with a DC link smoothing filter. This allows for accurate calculation of cancellation references for series and shunt active power filters (APF) operating under steady-state and transient conditions. Improved transient performance allows for reduction of the power rating and control system bandwidth of an APF. An artificial neural network (ANN) predictor has been used to directly calculate the mean dq-axis input to the rectifier without filtering. This is a critical stage in separating harmonic distortion from fundamental current or voltage. The technique is developed using simulation data for both series and shunt APFs and validated with experimental results. The predictive harmonic identifier shows good steady-state performance and excellent transient performance that far exceeds that of a conventional identifier using time-domain or frequency-domain filtering     

High-performance programmable AC power source with low harmonicdistortion using DSP-based repetitive control technique

This paper proposes a new control scheme based on a two-layer control structure to improve both the transient and steady-state responses of a closed-loop regulated pulse-width-modulated (PWM) inverter for high-quality sinusoidal AC voltage regulation. The proposed two-layer controller consists of a tracking controller and a repetitive controller. Pole assignment with state feedback has been employed in designing the tracking controller for transient response improvement, and a repetitive control scheme was developed in synthesizing the repetitive controller for steady-state response improvement. A design procedure is given for synthesizing the repetitive controller for PWM inverters to minimize periodic errors induced by rectifier-type nonlinear loads. The proposed control scheme has been realized using a single-chip digital signal processor (DSP) TMS320C14 from Texas Instruments. A 2-kVA PWM inverter has been constructed to verify the proposed control scheme. Total harmonic distortion (THD) below 1.4% for a 60-Hz output voltage under a bridge-rectifier RC load with a current crest factor of 3 has been obtained. Simulation and experimental results show that the DSP-based fully digital-controlled PWM inverter can achieve both good dynamic response and low harmonics distortion     

Model-based generation of low distortion currents in grid-coupled PWM-inverters using an LCL output filter

In this paper, a single phase inductance-capacitance-inductance (LCL) output stage for grid coupled inverters is designed and built. An accurate model and observer of the output filter and the distorted grid voltage are implemented. The paper deals with the construction of a 14-state model, and the feedback control loop to obtain adequate closed loop response. Simulations indicate a good performance of the controller, with a total harmonic current distortion (THD) below 1%. Experimental results confirm simulations, and illustrate the correct operation of the Kalman observer to estimate the distorted grid voltage (THD 3%). The observer only uses the inverter current measurement as input. The output filter effectively reduces the pulsewidth modulation harmonics in the grid current.