Engineering

Electrical Engineering elds

Okayama University Year 1998

The unied power quality conditioner: the integration of series and shunt-active lters
Hideaki Fujita
Okayama University

Hirofumi Akagi
Okayama University

This paper is posted at eScholarship@OUDIR : Okayama University Digital Information Repository. http://escholarship.lib.okayama-u.ac.jp/electrical engineering/8

The Unified Power Quality Conditioner: The Integration of Series Active Filters and Shunt Active Filters
Hideaki Fujita, Member, IEEE, and Hirofumi Akagi, Fellow, IEEE
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Okayama University

3-1-1 Tsushima Naka, Okayama 700, JAPAN

Abstract - This paper deals with the unified power quality conditioners (UPQCs), which aim at integration of series active filters and shunt active filters. The main purpose of a UPQC is to compensate for voltage flicker/imbalance, reactive power, negative sequence current, and harmonics. In other words, the UPQC has the capability of improving power quality at the point of installation on power distribution systems or industrial power systems. This paper discusses control strategy of the UPQC, with the focus onthe flow of instantaneous active and reactive power inside the UPQC. Some interesting experimental results obtained from a laboratory model of 20kVA, along with theoretical analysis, axe shown to verify the viability and effectiveness of the UPQC.

F
u u
I

Series AF Shunt A F

Figure 1: General unified power quality conditioner.

I.

INTRODUCTION

A specially designed twelve-pulse thyristor rectifier of 58MVA is required as a low voltage high current dc power supply for super-conductive material tests. The thyristor rectifier is, however, too susceptible to low frequency variation of the utility voltage, or to the so-called voltage flicker to generate a strong magnetic field with high stability. If large capacity arc furnaces or cycloconverters are connected to the same or upstream power system, the thyristor rectifier would suffer from voltage flicker at the utility-consumer point of common coupling. This paper deals with the unified power quality conditioners (UPQCs) [l] [2][3], which aim at integration of series active filters (4][5][6][7] and shunt active filters. The main purpose of a UPQC is to compensate for supply voltage flicker/imbalance, reactive power, negative-sequence current, and harmonics. In other words, the UPQC has the capability of improving power quality at the point of installation on power distribution systems or industrial power systems. The UPQC, therefore, is expected a s one of the most powerful solutions to large capacity loads sensitive to voltage flicker/imbalance . This paper presents two types of UPQCs: One is a general UPQC for power distribution systems and industrial power systems. The other is a specific UPQC for a voltage

flicker/imbalance-sensitive load, which is installed on his own premises by an electric power consumer. In this paper, much attention is paid to the specific UPQC consisting of a series active filter and a shunt active filter. The series active filter eliminates voltage flicker/imbalance from the load terminal voltage, and forces an existing shunt passive filter to absorb all the current harmonics produced by a nonlinear load. Elimination of voltage flicker, however, is accompanied by low frequency fluctuation of active power flowing into or out of the series active filter. The shunt active filter performs dc link voltage regulation, thus leading to a significant reduction of capacity of the dc capacitor. This paper reveals the flow of instantaneous active and reactive power inside the UPQC, and shows some interesting experimental results obtained from a laboratory model of 20kVA.

11. GENERAL UPQC

Fig.1 shows a basic system configuration of a general unified power quality conditioner consisting of the combination of a series active filter and a shunt active filter. The general UPQC will be installed at substations by electric power utilities in the near future. The main purpose of the series active filter is harmonic isolation between a subtransmission system and a distribution system. In addition, the series active filter has the capability of voltage flicker/imbalance compensation as well as voltage regulation and harmonic compensation at the utility-consumer

0-7803-3500-7/96/$5.00 01996 IEEE

494

Ls(2.6%)

ik j
-

VR

i s

Series Active Filter (1.5kVA)

VLiL

Flicker/Imbalance Generator (SHZ,4%)

; Filter (2OkVA) ;(1OkVA) ,----------------------------------, Unified Power Quality Conditioner

I

I I

Shunt Active Filter (0.5kVA)

:Existing

i Passive

Thyristor Rectifier

Figure 2: Specific unified power quality conditioner used in experiment. are connected to a common dc capacitor of 2000pF. The twelve-pulse bridge rectifier is considered a voltage flicker/imbalance-sensitive load just like a dc power L[mH] C[pF] Q Capacity supply for super-conductive material tests. 30 4kVA 1.1 260 The power circuit of the 1.5kVA series active filter con30 2kVA 1.1 130 sists of three single-phase voltagefed PWM inverters using 0.19 i 260 i - i 4kVA four IGBTs in each phase. The operation of the series active filter greatly forces all the current harmonics produced point of common coupling (PCC). The main purpose of the by the thyristor rectifier into an existing shunt passive filshunt active filter is to absorb current harmonics, to com- ter of 10kVA. It has also the capability of damping sepensate for reactive power and negative-sequence current, ries/parallel resonance between the supply impedance and and to regulate the dc link voltage between both active the shunt passive filter. filters. The 0.5kVA shunt active filter consisting of a threeThe integration of the series active filter and the shunt phase voltage-fed PWM inverter is connected in parallel to active filter is named the unified power quality condi- the supply by a s t e p u p transformer. The only objective tioner in this ]paper, associated with the unified power of the shunt active filter is to regulate the dc link voltage flow controller which has been proposed by Gyugyi [8]. between both active filters. Although it has the capability However, the unified power quality conditioner for distri- of reactive power compensation, the shunt active filter in bution systems i,squite different in purpose, operation, and Fig.2 provides no reactive power compensation in order to control strategy from the unified power flow controller for achieve the minimum required rating of the shunt active filtransmission systems. ter. The shunt passive filter consists of 5th and 7th-tuned LC filters and a high-pass filter. The lOkVA shunt passive filter circuit constants are shown in Table 1. 111. EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEM There is a notable difference in the installation point of Fig.2 shows m experimental system configuration of a spe- shunt active filter between Figs.1 and 2. The reason is cific unified power quality conditioner. The aim of the clarified as follows: In Fig.1, the shunt active filter comspecific UPQC is not only to compensate for the current pensates for all the current harmonics produced by nonlinharmonics produced by a twelve-pulse thyristor rectifier of ear loads downstream of the PCC. Therefore, it should be 20kVA, but also t o eliminate the voltage flicker/imbalance connected downstream of the series active filter acting as a contained in the receiving terminal voltage V R from the high resistor for harmonic frequencies. In Fig.2, the shunt load terminal voltage VL. The receiving terminal in Fig.2 is active filter draws or injects the active power fluctuating often corresponding to the utility-consumer point of com- at a low frequency from or into the supply, while the existmon coupling in high power applications. The UPQC ing shunt passive filter absorbs the current harmonics. To consists of a 1.5kVA series active filter and a O.5kVA avoid interference between shunt active and passive filters, shunt active filter. The dc links of both active filters the shunt active filter should be connected upstream. Table 1: Circuit constants of existing shunt passive filter.

7
TEFT

495

c . -

VAF

ISh

V Lh

I -

ILh V Sh V Sh

I Lh

Figure 3: Equivalent circuit for harmonics.

Figure 4: Equivalent circuit in case of current-detecting method.

A voltage-fed PWM inverter connected in series with the supply is used as a voltage flicker/imbalance generator in this experiment.

IV.

COMPENSATION STRATEGY
I Lh
VSh

Fig.3 shows a single-phase equivalent circuit for Fig.2. For the sake of simplicity, the shunt active filter is removed from Fig.3 because it has no effect on harmonic and flicker compensation. Three kinds of control methods are discussed as follows: (a) current-detecting method
VAF* = K
*

Figure 5: Equivalent circuit in case of voltagedetecting method.

Ish

(1)

(b) voltagedetecting method

B.
(2)

Voltage-Detecting Method

(3)

A.

Current-Detecting Method

Fig.5 shows an equivalent circuit based on the voltagedetecting method in (2). Because the output voltage of the series active filter VAFcancels the receiving terminal voltage harmonics V R h , neither voltage harmonics nor voltage flicker appears at the load terminal, that is, VLh
0.

Fig.4 shows an equivalent circuit where the currentdetecting method is applied. Equation (1)means that the series active filter acts as a resistor of K [ R ]for harmonics. The load terminal voltage harmonics VLh and the supply current harmonics Ish are given as follows.

(6)

'"2s + ZF + K
ZF

VSh -

Zs

+K

However, the existing shunt passive filter lmes the capability of trapping current harmonics, so that all the current harmonics produced by the load escape to the supply, that is,

ZS+ZF+K
ZF
+

ZFILh (4)

VSh + (5) Z s zF KILh ZS+ZF+K If the feedback gain K is set as K >> Zs Z F , neither voltage harmonics nor voltage flicker appears at the load terminal, irrespective of voltage harmonics and flicker existing at the receiving terminal. As a result, both the load terminal voltage and the supply current become purely sinusoidal. It is, however, difficult to set K much larger than ZS ZF for voltage flicker because ZF exhibits high capacitive impedance at the fundamental frequency. Thus, the current-detecting method in (1) is not suitable for voltage flicker compensation.

Ish =

ISh = ILh. (7) Thus, the voltagedetecting method in (2) is not suitable for harmonic compensation of the load.

C. Combined Method
Fig.6 shows an equivalent circuit in case of combination of Figs.4 and 5. It is clear from (3) that the series active filter looks like a series connection of a voltage source VRh and a resistor K [ R ] .The receiving terminal voltage harmonics VRh and supply current harmonics Ish are given by the following equations.

496

c--

K*sh

cos wt
~ r L h

sin wt

Figure 6: Equivallent circuit in case of combined method.

Figure 7: Control circuit of series active filter.

If K is set larger than ZF for harmonics, the combined method can eliminate the supply current harmonics Ish a s well as the current-detecting method can. Note that the supply harmonic and/or flicker voltageVsh is excluded from (8). The first term on the right hand of (3) plays a role in harmonic current compensation of the load, while the second term contributes to voltage flicker cancellation of the supply. Assuming that K is infinite, the output voltage of the series active filter, VAF is given by

Harmonic Frequency [Hz]

Figure 8: Compensation characteristics of VLh/VSh.

v.
A.

COMIPENSATING CHARACTERISTICS is operated, no amplification occurs, that is, the ratio of V L to ~ VSh is less than OdB in either case. However, these two methods are quite different in voltage flicker-compensating characteristics. The plots for the current-detecting method are nearly OdB in a frequency range of 60f20Hz because the current-detecting method has almost no capability of voltage flicker compensation in V L . On the other hand, the plots for the combined method is -15 -2OdB for voltage flicker with a frequency range of 5 20Hz. This means that the combined method has the capability of voltage flicker compensation of the supply.
N N

Control Circuit

Fig.7 shows a control circuit of the series active filter based on the combined control method of (3). The control circuit consists of two d - q transformation circuits Gc(s) and G v ( s )which take the detected supply current is and the detected receiving terminal voltage V R , respectively. Two first-order high-pass filters (HPFs) with the cutoff frequency of 1.6Hz in G,(s) are used for extraction of current harmonics ish, while those with the cut-off frequency of O.8Hz in Gv(s) for extraction of voltage flicker/imbalance VRh. The control circuit is implemented in a DSP(TMS32OC20).

B. Analysis of compensating Characteristics

Fig.8 shows a ratio in voltage harmonics/flicker of the load terminal to the supply, which is given by

Fig.9 shows a ratio of supply current harmonics with respect to load current harmonics.

When no series active filter is connected (AF-off), the s u p ply harmonic volltage a t 240Hz is amplified by about ten times at the loadl terminal because of series resonance between 2.9 - and Z p . After the series active filter based on either the current-detecting method or the combined method

The plots for the currentdetecting method are similar to those of the combined method. This means that the second term on the right hand of (3) makes no contribution to harmonic compensation.

497

I S h / I L h IdB] ._....._ .... .... ....,......._ _._ . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . I . 40 . ......._..____

I
I I

.... .... .... .... ..__ _........ ...

I
I I

flicker appears at the load terminal. Therefore, the load current i~ has a constant amplitude of ILand the passive filter current i~ have a constant amplitude of I F . With the series active filter operating, the passive filter is assumed to absorb all the load current harmonics. According t o [9], instantaneous active power pr, ( p = ~ 0) and instantaneous reactive power qr, qF on the upstream side of the load terminal are given by

Harmonic Frequency IHz)

Figure 9: Compensation characteristics of I s h / I ~ h .

VI.

FLOW OF INSTANTANEOUS ACTIVE AND REACTIVE POWER

where cos& displacement power factor of load. Taking into account the output voltage of the series ac1 intive filter, A v s , instantaneous active power p ~ p and stantaneous reactive power q A F 1 inside the series active filter are obtained as follows:

A. Instantaneous Active and Reactive Power in Sm'es Active Filter

Assuming that no shunt active filter is installed, the flow of instantaneous active and reactive power into or out of the series active filter is discussed with much emphasis on voltage flicker. Three-phase balanced voltages, u s f u , u S f u and u s j , are given by

[ "v":, ]
" sf w
where
U: supply

= AVsf

zz;"w"t - 2 ~ / 3 ) , cos(wt 2 ~ / 3 )

(17)
The above equation means that P A F ~and q A F l fluctuate at an angular frequency of w'. On the supply side, instantaneous active power p s and instantaneous reactive power qs are given by
"SP "Sa.

(13)

Vsf: voltage amplitude angular frequency.

=3NSf

] [ :; ]
[

Because voltage flicker is considered a low frequency amplitude modulation of the fundamental supply voltage, voltage flicker Aus in each phase is given as follows:

+ AVS)

IL COS 4 I L sin 4 + Ifi,

Equation (18) equals the sum of (16) and (17) as

(18)

[ izz: ]
A"S,
where

= .\/2Avs

[ zZ,w,"+ , ]
cos(wt - 2 27r/3) ~/3)

(14)

Ps

PAFI
q A F l ] + [

g S ] - [

:i+qF]'

(19)

AV, = AVs COS(U'~+ I ) , AVs: amplitude of voltage flicker, w': angular frequency of voltage flicker.
Hence, the supply voltage us is given as a sum of usf and AVS.

(15)
"sw

"sf w

Fig.10 - shows the flow of instantaneous active and reactive power when no shunt active filter is connected. Note , and q F are constant values, while P A F ~and that p ~ q L qml fluctuate due. to the supply voltage flicker of (14). The fluctuation of p m l results in the variation of the dc link voltage at w' because no shunt active filter is connected. The total amount of instantaneous active power drawn from the supply also fluctuates a t U'. Note that QAF~ has no effect on the dc link voltage [9]. Assuming that the dc link voltage Ud is the sum of a fluctuating component V'l and a constant component I+, G J is given by
ad = :sPedt=-

Because Avs is canceled by the series active filter, the load terminal voltage vr, equals vSf, SO that no voltage

3Aus:cm4

dt.

(20)

498

PL

"Sf

m,

Figure 10: Flow d instantaneous active and reactive power when no shunt active filter is installed.

Figure 11: Flow of instantaneous active power when shunt active filter is operated.

The ratio of
E=

6 to vd, c is given by
(22)

3AVsI1, COS 4 .
w'c\/d2

Note that E is inversely proportional to flicker frequency. This means that a larger capacity of dc capacitor is required to compensate for voltage flicker fluctuating at a lower frequency.

B. DC Link Vclltage Regulation

The purpose of the shunt active filter is to inject instantaneous active power p A F 2 into the supply, and to keep instantaneous re,active power q A F 2 to be zero. Here, p A F 2 is equal to P A F ~ so , that no variation occurs in the dc link voltage. Accordingly, P A F 2 and QAF2 are given by

The amplitude of isp varies although p s is constant. Whereas the amplitude of isq is constant because A v s is excluded from (26).

VII.

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

PAF2 qAF2]

PAF 1 0

1'

(23)

Fig.11 shows the flow of instantaneous active power when the shunt active filter is operated. The instantaneous active power drawn from the supply, ps equals p~ because and P A F ~ cancel each other at the receiving termind. Here, p s and qs are given by

Figs.12-15 show experimental results obtained from Fig.2, when the voltage flicker of 4%, which fluctuates at 5Hz, is superimposed on the supply by the voltage flicker/imbalance generator. Fig. 13 is close-up waveforms of V R and V L in Fig.12. With the help of the series active filter, the amplitude variation in V L is reduced t o 1/10, compared t o that in VR. The rms voltage of the series active filter is 4.4V (3.8%) of the supply, which is equal to the rms voltage of the supply flicker. The rms current of i~ is 60A, and the displacement power factor of the load is cos 4 = 0.45, hence the fluctuating active power flowing into the series active filter is given by

3 x 4.4 x 60 x 0.45 = 360W.

Although voltage flicker AVS is superimposed on the s u p ply voltage us, p s is constant, while qs is not constant b e cause qAFl fluctuates. On the supply side, instantaneous into the supply, the The shunt active filter injects ~ A F amplitude of which fluctuates due to the voltage flicker in us. The variation of the dc link voltage is suppressed

499

VR

0 .....................
..,.,,.....
. . , I , , . .

...

20v
VAF

1 0 0 A ~

~OOAT

Figure 14: Experimental waveforms before both active filters are operated.

~ A F

vd

of active power is (520 - 170)/2 = 345W. This is nearly equal to 360W. 0 Figs.14 and 15 are experimental waveforms before and after starting the series active filter. The supply current is in Fig.14 includes a non-negligible amount of 11th and 13th harmonic currents. On the other hand, is in Fig.15 200 I is a purely sinusoidal waveform. Figure 12: Experimental Waveforms. Figs.16 and 17 show experimental waveforms under an imbalance condition with a negativesequence voltage of 4% superimposed on the supply voltage by the voltage flicker/imbalance generator. Here, an induction motor of 2.2kW is connected to the UPQC as a load, which presents a low impedance at the negativesequence. Before start200ms ing the series active filter, the three-phase load currents include a negativesequence current of 1A. After started, the negativesequence currents becomes 0.2A because the negative sequence in the load terminal voltage is reduced Figure 13: Closeup Waveform of V R a from 4% to less than 1%.

within only 2V (1%). This means that the shunt active filter returns almost all the active power drawn by the series active filter to the supply. If the shunt active filter is disconnected, the variation of the dc link voltage reaches
E =

VIII.

CONCLUSION

3AVs I L COS d
W " d 2

20 x Id x 3.8/100 x 1 - 13%. 2n x 5 x 2000 x lor6 x 2Oo2 The active power of 520W flows into the shunt active filter at the point of A in Fig.12, while the active power of 170W flows out a t the point of B. Thus, the variation

This paper has dealt with the "unified power quality conditioners," the aim of which is not only to compensate for current harmonics produced by nonlinear loads but also to eliminate voltage flicker/imbalance appearing at the r e ceiving terminal from the load terminal. Theoretical comparison among three types of control methods has clarified that the combination of current and voltagedetecting methods is suitable for voltage flicker/imbalance elimination and harmonic compensation. The flow of instantaneous active and reactive power has shown that installa-

500

20v T

5A

~OOAT

20v
VAF

Figure 1 7 Experimental waveforms under voltage imbalance condition after starting series active filter. ~A ~i~~ ~ Voltage ~ Regulator/Conditioner ~ : for H ~ ~ (21 S. M monic Sensitive Load Isolation, the 1989 IEEE/IAS Annual Meeting, pp. 947-951, 1989. 1 3 1 F. Kamran, and T. G. Habetler: Combined Deadbeat Control of a Series-parallel Converter Combination Used as a Universal Power Filter, the 1995 IEEE Power Electronics Specialist Conference, pp. 196-201, 1995. [4] F. Z. Peng, H. Akagi, and A. Nabae: A New Approach to Harmonic Compensation in Power Systems - A Combined System of Shunt Passive and Series Active Filters, IEEE h n s . Ind. Appl., vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 983-990, 1990 [5] H. Fujita, and H. Akagi: A Practical Approach to Harmonic Compensation in Power Systems - Series Connection of Passive and Active Filters, IEEE 2.Ind. Appl., vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 1020-1025, 1991
[6] S. Bhattacharya, D.M. Divan: Synchronous Frame Based Controller Implementation for a Hybrid Series Active Filter

Figure 15: Experimental waveforms after both active filter are operated.

isuo

\\I
5A
T

5A

H6.7-

5A

Figure 16: Experimental waveforms under voltage imbalance condition before starting series active filter. tion of the shunt active filter is effective in eliminating a low frequency flickerof voltage. Although the specific UPQC dealt with in this paper provides no power factor correction in order to minimize the required rating of the shunt active filter, the general UPQC is capable of improving power quality a s well as improving power factor.

System, IEEE/IAS Annual Meeting, pp. 2531-2540, 1995 [7] E. H. Watanabe: Series Active Filter for the DC Side of HVDC Transmission Systems, Proceedings of the 1990 International Power Electronics Conference, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 1024-1030, 1990 [8] L. Gyugyi: A Unified Flow Control Concept for Flexible AC Transmission Systems, IEE Proceedings, vol. 139, pt. C, no. 4, pp. 323-331, 1992 [9] H. Akagi, Y. Kanazawa, and A. Nabae: Instantaneous R e active Power Compensators Comprising Switching Devices without Energy Storage Components, IEEE h n s . Ind. Appl., vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 625430, 1984

REFERENCES
[l] H. Akagi: New Trends in Active Filters, Pmeedings of the 6th European Conference on Power Electronics and App l i ~ t i o m Vol. , 0,pp. 17-26, 1995

501