Active filtering of electric power has now become a mature technology for harmonic and reactive power compensation in two-wire (single phase), three-wire (three phase without neutral), and four-wire (three phase with neutral) AC power networks with nonlinear loads. This paper presents a comprehensive review of active filter (AF) configurations, control strategies, selection of components, other related economic and technical considerations, and their selection for specific applications. It is aimed at providing a broad perspective on the status of AF technology to researchers and application engineers dealing with power quality issues. A list of more than 200 research publications on the subject is also appended for a quick reference.

A review of active filters for power quality improvement

Attention has been paid to active filters for power conditioning which provide the following multifunctions: reactive power compensation; harmonic compensation; flicker/imbalance compensation; and voltage regulation. Active filters in a range of 50 kVA-60 MVA have been practically installed in Japan. In the near future, the term "active filters" will have a much wider meaning than it did in the 1970s. For instance, active filters intended for harmonic solutions are expanding their functions from harmonic compensation of nonlinear loads into harmonic isolation between utilities and consumers, and harmonic damping throughout power distribution systems. This paper presents the present status of active filters based on state-of-the-art power electronics technology, and their future prospects and directions toward the 21st Century, including the personal views and expectations of the author.

/pdf/new-trends-in-active-filters-for-power-conditioning-53fp9l1t5v.pdf

New trends in active filters for power conditioning

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.

Active Harmonic Filters

This paper deals with a shunt active filter which will be installed by an electric utility, putting much emphasis on the control strategy and the best point of installation of the shunt active filter on a feeder in a power distribution system. The objective of the shunt active filter is to damp harmonic propagation, which results from harmonic resonance between many capacitors for power factor improvement and line inductors in the feeder, rather than to minimize voltage distortion throughout the feeder. Harmonic mitigation is a welcome "by-product" of the shunt active filter, which comes from damping of harmonic propagation. This paper concludes that the shunt active filter based on detection of voltage at the point of installation is superior in stability to others, and that the best site selection is not the beginning terminal but the end terminal of the primary line in the feeder. Computer simulation is performed to verify the validity and effectiveness of the shunt active filter by means of an analog circuit simulator, which is characterized by installing it on a feeder of a radial distribution system in a residential area.

/pdf/control-strategy-and-site-selection-of-a-shunt-active-filter-2fk6gzkmh4.pdf

Control Strategy and Site Selection of a Shunt Active Filter for Damping of Harmonic Propagation in Power Distribution Systems

Unlike traditional passive filters, modern active 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, as well as traditional passive filters.

Modern active filters and traditional passive filters

The need for output filters with static power convertors is well known. The paper presents a different way of solving the problem. A new configuration is therefore proposed, which includes both active and passive components. The advantages of this system are, among others, that it can be used for both AC and DC convertors, especially where very low distortion is needed at the output. A method for calculating the different components is proposed, and practical results obtained from a prototype are given. The possibility of using such filters with variable-frequency convertors is discussed.

P. Martinez

Papers

Active filters for static power convertors