22-03-2012, 12:47 PM
Application of a Shunt Active Power Filter
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ABSTRACT:
In this paper, the implementation of a shunt active power filter with a small series reactor for a three-phase system is presented. The system consists of multiple non-linear loads, which are a combination of harmonic current sources and harmonic voltage sources, with significant unbalanced components. The filter consists of a three-phase current-controlled voltage source inverter (CC-VSI) with a filter inductance at the ac output and a dc-bus capacitor. The CC-VSI is operated to directly control the ac grid current to be sinusoidal and in phase with the grid voltage. The switching is controlled using ramp time current control, which is based on the concept of zero average current error. The simulation results indicate that the filter along with the series reactor is able to handle predominantly the harmonic voltage sources, as well as the unbalance, so that the grid currents are sinusoidal, in phase with the grid voltages and symmetrical.
2. INTRODUCTION
Non-linear loads, especially power electronic loads, create harmonic currents and voltages in the power systems. For many years, various active power filters (APF) have been developed to suppress the harmonics, as well as compensate for reactive power, so that the utility grid will supply sinusoidal voltage and current with unity power factor.
Conventionally, the shunt type APF acts to eliminate the reactive power and harmonic currents produced by non-linear loads from the grid current by injecting compensating currents intended to result in sinusoidal grid current with unity power factor. This filter has been proven to be effective in compensating harmonic current sources, but it cannot properly compensate for harmonic voltage sources. Many electronic appliances, such as switched mode power supplies and electronic ballasts, are harmonic voltage sources. A voltage sourcing series active power filter is suitable for controlling harmonic voltage sources, but it cannot properly compensate for harmonic current sources.
3. SHUNT ACTIVE POWER FILTER OPERATION:
The three-phase shunt active power filter is a three-phase current controlled “voltage source inverter” (CC-VSI) with a mid-point earthed, split capacitor in the dc bus and inductors in the ac output.
Conventionally, a shunt APF is controlled in such a way as to inject harmonic and reactive compensation currents based on calculated reference currents. The injected currents are meant to “cancel” the harmonic and reactive currents drawn by the non-linear loads. However, the reference or desired current to be injected must be determined by extensive calculations with inherent delays, errors and slow transient response.
3.1 Series Inductance
A key component of this system is the added series inductance XL (see Figure 2), which is comparable in size to the effective grid impedance, ZS. Without this inductance (or a series active filter), load harmonic voltage sources would produce harmonic currents through the grid impedance, which could not be compensated by a shunt APF. Currents from the APF do not significantly change the harmonic voltage at the loads. Therefore, there are still harmonic voltages across the grid impedance, which continue to produce harmonic currents.