2012 China International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CICED 2012)

Shanghai, 5-6 Sep. 2012

The Current Situation And Development Of Active Power

Filter Technology
Xuan Hu
Guodian Nanjing
Energy
Automation Co., Ltd.
China
paulski@163.com

Shibao Qian
Guodian Nanjing

Mingjin Ding
Guodian Nanjing

Automation Co., Ltd.

China
qsb@sac-china.com

Automation Co., Ltd.

China
dmj@sac-china.com

AbstractWith the wide range of power electronic device

applications and the connection of new energy resources to
the electricity grid, a lot of harmonic problem will cause the
instability of the grid system, the interference and
malfunction of the other electric equipment, and affect the
safety of the power supply system and equipment operation.
This paper mainly discusses the comprehensive research
background and development situation of the APF (Active
Power Filter) technology, summarize the future development
and the market prospect.
KeywordsAPF, Harmonic Suppression, Reactive Power
Compensation

INTRODUCTION
With the development of power electronic devices and the
access of new energy, power quality is becoming
increasingly important, the electrical equipments with
nonlinear characteristics are widely used in metallurgy,
steel, transportation, chemical and other industrial fields.
Firstly, the high order harmonics in the grid will cause the
overheating of rotating electric machine and transformers,
working improperly of power capacitor bank, or even the
thermal breakdown damage. Secondly, that will cause
great harm of relay automatic devices, and energy metering
devices, and lead to serious equipment malfunction, which
results in a major accident. Thirdly, harmonic pollution
seriously influences the communications, computer
systems,
high-precision
processing
machinery,
instrumentation and other electrical equipment. Harmonic
pollution also affected the normal production of various
types of large factories and mines, such as steel, coal,
chemical, textile and other enterprises, as well as IT and
large-scale microelectronic integrated circuit enterprises,
with the result of product obsolescence, stopping of the
production line, life reducing and damage of the
production equipments. Therefore, we must take effective
measures to eliminate harmonics in grid system.
Active Power Filter (abbr. APF) is capable of harmonic
suppression dynamically, reactive power compensation,
and has a better ability to adapt to the changes in load and
harmonic. Following the description of the active filter
technology background; this article undertakes a
comprehensive exposition of the technical characteristics
of the APF, the development status and market
applications and prospects.

CICED2012 Session 2

Guodian

Bing Li
Nanjing New

Technology Co., Ltd.

China
libing@sac-china.com

THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACTIVE

POWER FILTER

2.1 Technical features

There are traditional harmonic control and reactive power
compensation in passive filter. a low-pass circuit is formed
by paralleling RLC with the load, with the simple features,
but shortcomings of fixed compensation and easily
resonant, poor adaptability, bulky volume. Active power
filter shows the characteristics of fast response time,
tracking compensation of specific harmonics, small size,
not affected by system parameters, etc.. In the power
system, the main role of the APF is to reduce the harmonic
pollution and improve power quality. And APF also the
function of reactive power compensation and three-phase
equilibrium control.
After sampling the voltage and current of the
compensation object, APF output the compensation current
through computing step and power loop amplifier.
Compensation current offset the harmonic current of load
current to remove the harmonic components of the
fundamental supply current.

es

is

iL

Nonlinear
load

ic
Command
current
compute

Current
track
control

Drive
circuit

APF
Figure 1 schematic of the shunt APF system
Figure 1 shows schematic of the shunt APF system.
harmonic sources is the power load, which generates
harmonics and reactive power consumption, iL iS stands
for current of the load side and the network side

Paper No CP0518

Page1/4

2012 China International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CICED 2012)

respectively,
active filter.

iC stands for compensating current of the

Shanghai, 5-6 Sep. 2012

is

es

iL

Nonlinear
load

ic

2.2 Major categories of active power filter

independent
Seried-type

hybrid Seried
type

Parallelledtype

Parallel hybrid
type

independent

A
P
F

Series resonant

APF

Parallel resonant

bShunt APF
Figure 3 the basic topology of APF application

Injection circuit
mode
hybrid type

Unified Power Quality

Conditioner

Figure 2 Active Power Filter Category

2.2.1 The way of access to the grid
According to the way of access to the grid, the active
power filter can be divided into three categories: series[4]
type, parallel-type and mixed-type.
Shown in Figure 3a, the series-type active power filter can
be equivalent to a controlled voltage source. With the
coupling transformer stringing into the power supply
system, the series-type active power filter is to eliminate
the voltage harmonic. Compared with shunt active power
filters, series active power filter has shortcomings such as
big loss, switching, uneasy to exit and the complexity of
the various protections.
Currently series-type active power filter form the series
hybrid active power filter in combination with the LC
passive filter.
Shown in Figure 3b, shunt active power filter can be
equivalent to a controlled current source. with the system
in parallel,. The shunt active power filter is used for
harmonic compensation current source inductive load, with
the advantages of the less power loss, switching
conveniently, flexible and simple protection. That is quite
mature technically; and active power filter has been put
[1]
into use in the industrial application.
When shunt active power filter is applied to filter out the
harmonic separately, there are request of large amount of
capacity requires. And that will bring a range of issues,
such as high cost, electromagnetic interference, complex
structure and higher power loss.

es

us

uc

uL

The hybrid parallel APF and PF type is shown in Figure 4a,

the hybrid series APF and PF type is shown in Figure 4b,,
in which parallel LC passive filter part is used to eliminate
a large number of low order harmonics, so the capacity of
the active filter part can be very small, and the size and
cost of the active filter will be greatly reduced. But
Compensation performance is not good under the
circumstances of different load or operation status changes.
Series resonant injection APF and parallel resonant
injection use the impedance characteristics of the LC
circuit at the fundamental and harmonic, which apply to
reactive power compensation harmonic governance.

is

es

iL

Nonlinear
load

ic

APF

PF

aThe hybrid parallel APF and PF type

es

is
ic

Nonlinear
load

iL

Nonlinear
load

PF

APF
bthe hybrid series APF and PF type
Figure 4 the basic topology of hybrid APF application

APF
aSeries-type APF

CICED2012 Session 2

Figure 5 shows a series parallel type of APF, also known

as the Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC),
composed by two structures of the series-type APF and
shunt APF, which share the same DC capacitor or
inductive energy storage devices, to solve power quality
problems. Series-type APF compensates voltage harmonics,
fluctuations or flicker, while the shunt APF compensates
current harmonic imbalance, compensation of reactive
power load, and adjusts the DC voltage. As the ideal active
Paper No CP0518

Page2/4

2012 China International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CICED 2012)

filter structures, UPQC can achieve short-term

uninterruptible power supply, storage, reactive power
compensation, harmonic suppression, the elimination of
voltage fluctuation and flicker, and maintain system
voltage stability. But for its high cost and complex of
control, further study and practical application should be
made.

es

us

uc

uL

is

iL

Nonlinear
load

ic

Shanghai, 5-6 Sep. 2012

load current are detected. By removing the fundamental

component, high-order harmonic of instantaneous active
power and instantaneous reactive power is computed, and
the required compensation current instruction value will be
calculated. Although the method is able to track
compensation current fast and timely, but because of
digital low-pass filter, there will be some delay, and the
detection accuracy is not high.
There are other detection methods, such as neural network
learning algorithm and the wavelet analysis method, but
because of the complexity, its difficult to achieve practical
application.

CURRENT TRACK STRATEGY

4.1 Hysteresis Current Control (HCC)

Control and drive circuit

UPQC
Figure 5 topology of Unified Power Quality Conditioner
2.2.2 The compensation system
according to the compensation system, the active filter can
be divided into single-phase, three-phase three-wire and
three-phase four-wire system.
Single-phase active filter handle the load of low-power,
while the converter's switching frequency can be high.
Most single-phase loads are powered with the center line
of three-phase system. Single-phase power causes the
problems of neutral current harmonics, reactive and threephase unbalance. The introduction of three-phase four-wire
active filter is to reduce this type of system problems.

HARMONIC DETECTION METHODS

Response speed and detection accuracy is an important
indicator to determine the detection methods; modern
detection methods have advantages and disadvantages.
There are a few commonly used detection methods shown
below. Harmonic detection method based on instantaneous
reactive power theory is relatively mature, and becomes
the most widely used method.

3.1 Fourier transform-based frequency domain

analysis algorithm
The algorithm uses the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to
calculate the harmonic components. By sampling the
voltage and current signals of one cycle, and the harmonic
and reactive current will come out ultimately. It is easy to
realize the specific harmonic elimination, but the
calculation routine is large, and real-time can not be
guaranteed. it is difficult to achieve the instantaneous
detection and compensation requirements.

3.2 Algorithm based on instantaneous reactive

power theory
Instantaneous reactive power theory is proposed by the
Japanese scholar H.Akagi 1983. With The instantaneous
reactive power theory, the instantaneous active power and
instantaneous reactive power of three-phase voltage and

CICED2012 Session 2

Hysteresis current control is a nonlinear closed-loop

current control method and currently the most widely used
in the APF control, which forms a dead zone of a given
current by hysteresis comparator. The switching action of
the PWM converter is controlled through hysteresis error
of the feedback current and command current. This method
has the characters of simple circuit, small switching loss,
fast dynamic response, but the switching frequency of the
system response speed and current tracking accuracy is
affected by the hysteresis broadband. In addition,
independent control of three phases result in phase
[2]
interference in none neutral line three-phase inverter.

4.2 Triangular Carrier Control (TCC)

The triangle carrier PWM is one of the most simple linear
control method, which scales difference between the APF
output current and command current, and output PWM
switching control signal by high frequency triangular
carrier modulation so as to obtain compensation current.
The advantages of this method are the stability of the
switching frequency, fast response, and good control
characteristics in high-frequency switching system. The
[8]
disadvantage is more switching losses.

4.3 One-Cycle Control(OCC)

One cycle control method is a generic non-linear largesignal control method, and particularly suitable for the
control of the switching circuit. The basic idea is to control
the duty cycle of the switch in each period, make the
average of the switch variable equal or proportional to the
reference signal, and thereby eliminate the steady and
transient errors. It has a fast response, high precision
control, simple control circuit, robust. The disadvantage is
easily affected by circuit changes in working conditions.

4.4 Dead-Beat Control (DBC)

The method is actually a pre control, and the basic idea is
to calculate the switch control to the next sampling period
by the load current and compensation current in the
previous sampling period. The advantages are fast dynamic
response, and easy software implementation, the
disadvantages are the amount of calculation and
dependence on the system parameters.
In addition to the introduction of a variety of current
tracking control strategy, there are many modern control
methods, such as Sliding Mode Control (SMC), Space
Vector Control (SVC), etc.. Application of active power
filter control algorithm should be based on the harmonic

Paper No CP0518

Page3/4

2012 China International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CICED 2012)

situation, considering the control accuracy, response speed,

the system immunity factors.

REFERENCES
[1]

RESEARCH OF ACTIVE POWER FILTER

Now, with the widely application of nonlinear loads on the
user side, market demand for utility grid security, electrical
equipment reliability is growing more over. As an effective
harmonic suppression and compensation devices, the
application of active power filter will be increasingly more
extensive.
Active Power Filter technology researches focus on the
control method. With the rapid development of computer
technology, more research and application by modern
control methods will be deeper. We need to consider the
following direction of the research in the APF:
(1) The establishment of a reliable and stable algorithm
model in-depth study;
(2) To improve the dynamic performance and the
response of harmonic compensation in the APF;
(3) Study the applicable control methods in harmonic
characteristics from different compensation objects.

CONCLUSION
Active power filter can effectively improve the power
quality, reduce the harmonic absorption of reactive power,
and improve the stability of equipment operation. With the
widely applications of multiple energy forms and converter
equipment, APF relates to various industrial fields, and the
market prospect is broad. With further promotion, the
active power filter industry will be better and better.

CICED2012 Session 2

Shanghai, 5-6 Sep. 2012

Zhanying Li, Zhen Ren, Zeming Yang, 2004, "Survey On Active

Power Filter Devices And Their Application Study", Power System
Technology, vol. 28, No.22., 40-43
[2] Wenying Xiao, Zhongxian Zhang, 2006, "Active Power Filter
Technology and Development", China Technology Information, vol.
8, 88-89.
[3] Rusong Hu, 2003, "High Frequency Control energy", China Electric
Power, Vol. 36.
[4] Shan Zhong, Yang Sheng, Zhenming Zhao, 2011, "Technology and
Development Review of Active Power Filter", Inverter World, Vol.
1, 45-49.
[5] J H Marks T C Green Predictive control of active power
filters Power E1ectronic and Variable Speed Drive 2000
9(5)1823
[6] Z LuT Green Neural network based predictive control strategy of
active power fi1ter for electric drives IEE PEVD 2002
7(456)287-291
[7] Xiangning Xiao, Yonghai XuWu LiuAnalysis Of Hybrid Power
Compensator And Its Experimental Study. Automation Of Electric
Power Systems, 2002, 26(5), 39-44
[8] Chaobo Dat, Haixue Lin. A Novel Triangular Carrier Current
Control For Voltage Source Inverters. Proceedings of the Csee, 2002,
22(2), 99-102
[9] Guozhu Chen, Zhengyu Lu, Zhaoming Qian. The General Principle
Of Active Filter And Its Application. Proceedings of the Csee
2000,20(9)17-21
[10] Xiaoqing Yan Zhaoan Wang The Study of How the Control
Methods of Shunt Active Power Filter Affect Its Dynamic
Characteristics. Journal Of Xi An Jiaotong University, 1998, 32(6),
2630

Paper No CP0518

Page4/4