Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 183 _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comparative Study of two PWM techniques for Three Phase Shunt Hybrid Active Power Filter to Suppress Line Current Harmonics
SELVAMUTHUKUMARAN Rajasekar1, NATARAJAN Muraly2, PERIANAYAGAM Ajay-D-VimalRaj1, MAHALINGAM Sudhakaran1
Pondicherry Engineering College, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Pondicherry-605014, India, E-Mail Id:rajasekarsmvec@gmail.com
2 1

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Pondicherry-605001, India.

Abstract This paper investigates the performance

and comparison of two pulse-width-modulation (PWM) techniques by employing direct current control strategy applied to three phase shunt hybrid active power filter (SHAPF). The objective of SHAPF is to eliminate line current harmonics and to incur reactive power compensation. The direct current control strategy is implemented using Standard PWM (S-PWM) and a Modified PWM (M-WM), in order to compensate current harmonic and reactive power generated by different loads. The M-PWM control is based on comparison of a triangular high frequency carrier signal with a low modulating signal and its negative. This low modulating signal namely + and its negative are used at same instant in the comparison process to generate signal to semiconductor device. The performance of S-PWM and M-PWM technique and its capability to compensate for harmonic and reactive power under different load conditions are examined. The Simulation work is carried out with MATLAB/SIMULINK. Keywords: Active power filter (APF), direct current control technique, harmonic suppression, PWM control, shunt hybrid active power filter (SHAPF). I. INTRODUCTION INCE the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, power electronics devices have gained popularity in our daily used electrical house-hold appliances. Although these power electronics devices have benefited the electrical and electronics industry, these devices are also the main source of power harmonics in the power system. These power harmonics are called electrical pollution which will degrade the quality of the power supply. As a result, filtering process for these harmonics is needed in order to improve the quality of the power supply [1], [2] and [3].

Traditionally, passive filters such as tuned harmonics filter has been used to improve the power factor of the system and suppress the harmonics [4], [5], and [6]. However, this passive filter has some problems that discourage its implementation. The problems which occur such as, large size, tuning problems, series and parallel resonance and fixed compensation. As a matter of fact, active power filters which are more flexible and viable have become popular nowadays. These active power filters are able to compensate harmonics continuously, regardless of the changing of the applied loads. But the initial and operational costs of this filter are too high. Combining the advantage of both passive and active filters, hybrid filter topologies are developed [7], [8], and [9]. Hybrid filters effectively mitigate the problems of a passive and an active filter and provide cost effective harmonic compensation harmonic compensation, particularly for high-power nonlinear loads. A parallel hybrid power filter system consists of a small-rating active filter in series with a tuned passive filter. The active filter is controlled to act as a harmonic compensator for the load by confining all the harmonic currents into the passive filter. This eliminates the possibility of series and parallel resonances. This paper presents the performance of two pulse-width-modulation (PWM) control technique applied to three phase shunt hybrid active power filter, such as S-PWM control technique and M-PWM control techniques. The proposed M-PWM control technique is adopted based on comparisons of triangular high frequency carrier signal with a low modulation signal and its opposite. This low modulating signal namely + and its opposite value - are used simultaneously in the comparison process to generate the gate signal for the power switches. Finally, the performance of S-PWM control technique and M-PWM control technique are compared with respect to THD in source current. Simulation was carried out under MATLAB environment and the simulated results are presented in the section

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II. PRINCIPLE AND OPERATION OF SHAPF A shunt active power filter can be used to help a shunt connected passive filter in diverting the harmonic current generated by a non linear load. Tuned LC filter are expected to have zero impedance at the tuning frequency. However, they will have non-zero value due to losses in the inductor and capacitor. Hence, the tune filter shares the harmonic current with the line and source impedance instead of absorbing it entirely. This will result in most of the harmonic current drawn by the non-linear load getting diverter into the source; especially in the case of strong source. Moreover, the filter is easily de-tuned with ageing of components and degradation in capacitor. In addition, changes in system frequency may render the filter de-tuned. If the filter is de-tuned, the harmonic current generated by the non linear load will flow in the source path partially, thereby reducing the filtering effectiveness of the passive filter. One way to increase the effectiveness of the passive filter and make it absorb all the harmonic current is to insert high impedance in series with the line (source) before the load. Of course, this high impedance should be there only for harmonic current flow and it should go to a zero value for fundamental current flow. A shunt active power filter connected in series with the passive filter is way to do this. A simple shunt active power filter become economically unviable at high voltage and high power levels. SHAPF is economically viable and technically satisfactory solution at high power levels. Fig. 1 shows the main circuit configuration to be studied in this paper. The shunt hybrid active power filter is composed of a three phase voltage source PWM inverter, DC side capacitor Cdc, three phase inductor Lc, transformer and PFC capacitor Cc. The PFC capacitors and the secondary winding of a transformer in series are connected in parallel to the harmonic load. The capacitor Cc and magnetizing inductance L creates a second order filter tuned at the fifth harmonic. A three-phase current controlled voltage source inverter feeds the primary windings of the transformer.

III. REFERENCE CURRENT EXTRACTION Generally, the extraction of load and source current harmonic references i*d, i*q in the dq reference frame depends on the filtering method used. The control block diagram of the filter is shown in the Fig. 2. The determination of the current harmonic content is done with the help of the dq-transformation [14]. The sensed three phase current isa, isb and isc in the stationary reference frame are transformed into the rotating reference frame dq by using the following matrix transformation:
cos i 2 d = iq 3 sin 2 2 cos - cos + 3 3 2 sin - 3 i isa sb 2 isc sin + 3

(1)

The obtained instantaneous current id and iq are divided into dc and ac component as:
id iq = = id iq + i% d + i% q

(2)

The active dc-components id , linked to the active power, represent the positive sequence at the fundamental frequency of the measure dc current. The reactive dccomponent iq represents the positive sequence at the fundamental frequency of the reactive power. The ac-

% % components id and iq represent

the total harmonic content of the content of the current. If the dq- components are then passed through a low pass filter. Where fig. 2, a low pass filter with a subtracted forward action synthesizes .The dc-

% % components remains in the output signal id and iq . The

output voltage of the PI Vdc regulator is added to the

% harmonic id current component yielding the reference

% signal id . The reference signal iq is set to iq . The
*
*

reference signal i fa ,i fb and i fc are then obtained by the following matrix transformation
cos sin i * 2 2 i fb = cos sin 3 3 * i fc 2 2 cos + sin + 3 3
* fa

* id * iq
*

(3)

The obtained signal i fa ,i fb and i fc

constitute the

reference signals for the current controllers. These signals are compared with the corresponding measured filter current. The resulting error signal is then fed into a PI current controller giving the harmonic signal namely +. This signal and its opposite are compared together at the same instant with a triangular carrier and resulting signals are used for gating the power switches.
Fig. 1. Three-Phase shunt hybrid active power filter.

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From fig. 4, it is observed that the source current before compensation is non-sinusoidal in nature. Source current and its harmonic spectrum are clearly depicted in the fig. 6 and fig.7 respectively. The total harmonic distortion (THD) of source current is 20.44% before compensation
Table 1 System parameters used in simulation

Fig. 2. Direct current control technique

IV. MODIFIED PWM TECHNIQUE The PWM control pattern is based on two comparisons: i) between low frequency signal + and a triangular high frequency carrier and ii) between low frequency signal and the same carrier. The filter reference current obtained from the control algorithm is compared with the sensed one. The error signal feeds a PI controller having a voltage limiter at its output. The controlling signal + and its opposite are therefore compared with a triangular carrier resulting in the gating signals of the semiconductor devices. Fig. 3 depicts gating signal generation for M-PWM control technique.
Fig. 4. Source current before compensation.

Fig.3. Gating signal generation for M-PWM control technique

V. SIMULATION RESULTS AND ITS ANALYSIS In order to validate the accuracy of the shunt hybrid power filter, the system described previously using the Simulink / MATLAB. The system parameters used in these simulations are shown in the Table.1.The goal of the simulation is to examine two different aspects: a) harmonic and reactive power compensation under balanced ac source b) harmonic and reactive power compensation under unbalanced ac source c) harmonic and reactive power compensation under unbalanced load condition. These three conditions are compensated by SPWM control techniques and M-PWM control technique and its performance are analyzed. A.Harmonic and reactive power compensation under balanced ac source and load by S-PWM technique In S-PWM control technique high frequency carrier signal is compared with only one modulating signal.

Fig.5.Source current harmonic spectrum before compensation

Fig. 6 shows the supply voltage, supply current, compensation current, load current, dc bus voltage of the SHAPF under balanced ac source and load. The harmonic spectrum of source current is shown in the figure 7. The total harmonic distortion (THD) of the source current is reduced from 20.44% to 8.85%. B.Harmonic and reactive power compensation under unbalanced ac source by S-PWM technique In this case non-linear load is feed by unbalanced ac source. The purpose of the compensation is to obtain a sinusoidal source current and in phase with the direct sequence components of the supply voltages. The rms

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values of the unbalanced supply voltages are respectively Vsa = 85V, and Vsb = Vsc = 120V. The unbalanced source voltage, balanced source current, compensated current, load currents are depicted in figure. 10. From the figure, the mains currents are seen balanced sinusoidal after compensation

unbalanced and the compensator should be designed to supply these currents. Fig 8 shows the supply voltage, supply current, load current, compensation current and regulated dc voltage under unbalanced load condition.

Fig. 6. Steady state simulated waveform for SHAPF compensated by S-PWM

Fig.8. Steady state response of SHAPF with unbalanced ac source compensated by S-PWM

Fig. 7. Source current harmonic spectrum after compensation with S-PWM

C.Harmonic and reactive power compensation under unbalanced load condition by S-PWM technique The purpose of the compensation is to eliminate disturbances created by a linear load unbalances (unbalance and reactive power exchange between the load and the supply). The connection of the shunt hybrid power filter will compensate for disturbances that will affect the voltage at the point of common coupling. The values of inductances and resistances characterizing the linear load are respectively, LL1= 80 mH, LL2 = 50 mH, LL3 = 20 mH, RL1 = 40 , RL2= 30 , and RL3 = 20 . It is easy to observe in this fig.11 that these supply currents after compensation became sinusoidal, balanced and in phase with the supply voltages at the point of connection. The compensator currents are

Fig.9. Steady state response of SHAPF with unbalanced load condition compensated by S-PWM

D.Harmonic and reactive power compensation under balanced ac source by M-PWM technique In M-PWM control technique modulating signal + and its opposite are compared with a triangular carrier Fig. 11 shows the supply voltage, supply current, compensation current, load current, dc bus voltage of the SHAPF under balanced ac source and load. The harmonic

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spectrum of source current is shown in the figure 10. The total harmonic distortion (THD) of the source current is reduced from 20.44% to 0.77%.

connection. The compensator currents are unbalanced and the compensator should be designed to supply these currents. The values of inductances and resistances characterizing the linear load are respectively, LL1= 80 mH, LL2 = 50 mH, LL3 = 20 mH, RL1 = 40 , RL2= 30 , and RL3 = 20 . Fig 17 shows the supply voltage, supply current, load current, compensation current and regulated dc voltage under unbalanced load condition.

Fig.10. Source current harmonic spectrum after compensation with M-PWM

Fig.12. Steady state response of SHAPF with unbalanced ac source compensated by M-PWM

Fig.11.Steady state simulated compensated by S-PWM

waveform

for

SHAPF

E.Harmonic and reactive power compensation under unbalanced ac source by M-PWM technique The purpose of the compensation is so to obtain a sinusoidal source currents and in phase with the direct sequence components of the supply voltages. The rms values of the unbalanced supply voltages are respectively Vsa = 85V, and Vsb = Vsc = 120V. The unbalanced source voltage, balanced source current, compensated current, load currents are depicted in figure. 12. From the figure, we can notice that mains currents are seen balanced sinusoidal after compensation. F.Harmonic and reactive power compensation under unbalanced load condition by M-PWM technique It is easy to observe in this fig 13 that these supply currents after compensation became sinusoidal, balanced and in phase with the supply voltages at the point of
Fig. 13. Steady state response of SHAPF with unbalanced load condition compensated by M-PWM

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The table 4.2 given below shows the performance of SPWM and M-PWM control technique and the harmonic content in the source current.
Table 4.2 Harmonic content in the source current.

VI. CONCLUSION In this paper two PWM techniques that use the direct current control algorithm for three-phase shunt hybrid active power filter to compensate current harmonics and reactive power are presented. It was demonstrated that the S-PWM control, which reduces the total harmonic distortion (THD) of source current from 24.55% to 4.32%, whereas the M-PWM reduces the total harmonic distortion (THD) of source current from 24.55% to 0.774%. Simulation results confirmed the better performance of the M-PWM control performance compared to that of the S-PWM when applied to threephase shunt hybrid active power filter. VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors gratefully acknowledge the Management of Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry, INDIA for their continued support, encouragement and the facilities provided to carry out this research work REFERENCES
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