A Robust Current Control Strategy for Single-phase Shunt

Active Power Filters

Hasan Komurciigil* and Osman Kiikrer"
*I
'Computer Engineering Department, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department
Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazimagusa, Mersin 10, Turkey
E-mail: h;rsan.komurcu~iI(~~en~u.rdu.tr
Tel: 4 0 392 6301363, Fax:4 0 392 365071 I
-

Abstract- This paper proposes a robust
current control strategy for single-phase
shunt active power filters (APFs) based on the
dynamic model of a single-phase voltage
source inverter (VSI) with four controllable
switches. The idea in this strategy is to
generate a switching function in terms of the
filter current reference, and then apply it to
the VSI so that the actual filter current
follows .its reference. The load current is
measured and subtracted from source current
reference to form the filter current
(compensating current) reference. The
amplitude of the input current reference can
he adjusted by using a PI controller that
regulates the de capacitor voltage. It is shown
that t h e proposed method has a good
robustness. ta parameter changes. In addition
t o this,. the method has another advantage of
usiirg only o n e current sensor for the load
current. Computer simulation and
mp~riiaentalresults are compared and good
agreement is report& vwifying the correct
operation of the proposed control method.
1. INTRODUCTION
Active power filters (APFs) are widely used in
all branches of industry as well as by general
consumers of electric energy not only to
compensate the unwanted harmonic currents
produced by nonlinear loads, but also to improve
input power factor. Conventionally, passive LC
filters were used to compensate these harmonic
currents and achieve unity power factor.
However, they have many disadvantages, such as
resonance, fixed compensation characteristics,
large size, tuning problems, and inability to
compensate changing harmonic current content.
Therefore, the compensation strategies based on
the technique of power electronics have become
an important issue recently. The shunt APF, as
compared with the series APF, is the most
widely used active filter because of its excellent
performance characteristics and simplicity in
implementation, both in single- and three-phase
configurations. The study in this paper is
concentrated on the single-phase shunt APF.
Various control strategies have been proposed in
recent publications for this type of active filters
[I-SI. These control methods yield various
advantages and disadvantages related to control
circuit complexity and transient responses. For
instance, the compensating current reference
generation techniques in the control methods
proposed in [21 and [3] are complicated. On the
other hand, the least compensation current
method presented in [ 5 ] needs two current
sensors to generate the compensating current
reference.
In this paper, we investigate the applicability
of the current control strategy presented in [6] to
the control of a single-phase shunt APF. In this
approach, the idea is to obtain a switching
function from the dynamic model of the VSI. A
robustness study is carried out to investigate the
effects of the parameter changes on the
performance of the closed-loop system.
Computer simulation and experimental results
are presented and discussed.
11. THE CURRENT CONTROL STRATEGY
Fig. I shows a schematic diagram of the
proposed single-phase shunt APF with a
nonlinear load. The equations describing the
operation of the active filter are
C-=di,
dv<
dt

0-7803-7906-3/03/$17.0002003 IEEE. 2277

 vs
Fig.1. A single-phase shunt active powerfilter with theproposed co.rtrol method
,where d is the switching function of the voltage
source inverter (VSI), and v, = V_ sin(&) is the
ac source.voltage. The main objective of the
control method is to produce a compensating
current reference which has the same amplitude
but opposite phase to those of the nonlinear (or
linear) load current harmonics to be
compensated. This objective can be achieved if
the switching function is chosen as
where i; = i,. - i, is the compensating current
reference. If the current i; is to he generated by
measuring only the load current i L , then the
source current reference i: = I,m (t)sin(wt) must
also be generated. Hence, a proportional-integral
(PI) controller is used to generate the amplitude
I s m as
I m ( t ) = k P ( v-c K)+ k, -Y)dt
where is the dc capacitor voltage reference.
Then, the source current reference i: is
generated as the product of a waveform template,
obtained by measuring and scaling v, , and the
amplitude I,*(t). When PWM signals, generated
from the switching function given in (3), are
applied to the closed-loop system, the
compensating current i , will be forced to follow
its reference ( i ; ) .In this case, the source current
i, will be nearly siriusoidal at unity power
factor. Note that the division by vc,in (3) can be
handled by modulating the amplitude of the
triangular carrier with L> as shown in Fig. 1.
111. ROBUSTNESS TO PARAMETER
CHANGES
It is evident that deviations of L and R in (3)
from their actual values may give rise to adverse
effects on the perfonriance of the closed-loop’
system. Now, let L- be the estimated value. of
the inductance. For the sake of simplicity in the
analysis, R is neglected. The switching function
is then written as
(4)
(5)
Substituting this expression into ( I ) gives
dAi di‘
LL=ALL-I
dt dt
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where Ai, = i, - i; and AC = L. - L . Solving ( 6 ) diode bridge rectifier with a large dc inductance
at its output. This load draws an almost 28A
in the steady-state gives the error in the (peak-to-peak) square-waveform current from
compensating current Ai, = ( A L / L ) i ; . Assuming the mains supply. In all the simulation and
that load draws a sinusoidal current of experimental results given, L = 5 mH,
i, = I , sin(& + +4L), then the actual iJ becomes C = IOOOp F, R = 0.5R , Vm=I20V,
Vc = 200 V, w = 1 0 0 rad/s,
~ kg = -0.3,
k, = -14. The switching devices in the VSI are
operated with a frequency of f, =SkHz.
Simulations were performed using the Simulink
toolbox of Matlab. The solution method chosen
was Runge-Kutta with order 5 with a fixed step
size ( 2 p s).

”, s

(a)

Pf
(simu 0.999 0.997 0.993 0.986 0.975
lation) I
@)
Pf Fig. 2. Simulufed and experimental responses of
(eqn. 0.998 0.995 0.989 0.981 0.970 i, and i,. (a) Simulated waveforms (b)
11)
Experimenfal waveforms.

IV. SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL Fig. 2 shows the simulated and experimental
responses of the source current i, and nonlinear
RESULTS load current i,. The near sinusoidal source
In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the current i, shown in Fig. 2 shows that most of the
proposed single-phase shunt APF, the closed-
unwanted load current harmonics have been
loop system has been tested both hy computer
compensated successfully. Also, the simulation
simulations and experiments. The main
and experimental results show good agreement
advantage of shunt filters over series ones is that
verifying the correct operation of the proposed
they are ideal for compensating unwanted
control strategy.
harmonic currents. Therefore, the nonlinear load
is assumed to be a single-phase uncontrolled

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 ma. I

(a)

(b)
Fig. 4. Simulated and experimental responses of
v, and i , . (a) Simulated waveforms (b)
Experimental waveforms.

(b)
Fig. 3. Simulated and experimental responses of
i , and i , . (a) Simulated waveforms (6)
Experimental waveforms.

Fig. 3 shows the simulated and experimental

responses of the input current i, and
compensating current i, . As can be seen from
these waveforms, the experimental results are in
good agreement with the simulation results. Fig. .. .. .. .. .. . . . .

4 shows. the simulated and experimental

responses of the source current i, and source
voltage v , . As can be clearly noticed in this
figure, the source current i, is nearly sinusoidal
and is in phase with the source voltage v,
satisfying the unity power factor requirement.

(b)

Fig, 5. Simulated and experimental responses of

I _ and i,. (a) Simulated waveforms (b)
Experimental wavefo.ms.

In Fig. 5, the siniulation and experimental

waveforms for the source current i, and
amplitude I _ are shown. It is clear from these

2280
results that the source current amplitude follows Proceedings Electric Power Applications,
its reference with no steady-state error. There is a vol. 141,pp. 129-134, 1994.
good agreement between the simulation and
[2] D. A. Torrey, and A. M. A. AI-Zamel,
experimental results that verifies the correct
“Single-phase active power filters for
operation of the closed-loop system with the
multiple nonlinear loads,” IEEE Trans.
proposed control strategy.
Power Electron., vol. 10, pp. 263-272, 1995.
V. CONCLUSIONS
A new current control strategy for single-phase [3] C. Y.Hsu, and H. Y . Wu, “A new single-
phase active power filter with reduced
shunt APFs is proposed based on a dynamic
energy-storage capacity,” IEE Proceedings -
model of the inverter. In this method, the
Electric Power Applications, vol. 143, pp.
switching function is determined directly (in
25-30, 1996.
terms of output capacitor voltage and source
current), which makes the implementation of the
[4] I. C . Wu, and H. L. Jou, “Simplified control
method simpler than those proposed in the
method for the single-phase active power
literature. The proposed control method not only
filter,” IEE Proceedings - Electric Power
offers easy implementation, but also needs only
Applications, vol. 143, pp. 219-224, 1996.
load current sensing. In addition to this, it is
shown that the proposed strategy exhibits good
robustness to parameter changes. It is apparent [SI L. Zhou, and Z. Li, “A novel active power
from the simulation and experimental results that filter based on the least compensation
current control method,” IEEE Trans. Power
the APF with the proposed control strategy -is
Electron., vol. IS, pp. 655-659,2000,
quite successful in compensating unwanted load
current harmonics.
[6] 0. Kiikrer, and H. Komiirciigil, “Control
strategy for single-phase PWM rectifiers,”
REFERENCES Electronics Letters, vol. 33, pp. 1745-1746,
[I] H. L. Jou, J. C . Wu, and H. Y . Chu, “New 1997.
single-phase active power filter,” IEE

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