Real-Time Implementation of a High Power Three-Phase Hybrid Shunt Active Harmonic Power Filter using Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Simulation

Abstract

Electric power quality is a business issue and requires a lot of attention. If a failure exists due to internal integration of the power system in any one of the internal networks, it would cause uncomplimentary consequences to the entire power system. Current harmonics and their mitigation is the topic of interest in industries due to the excessive use of non-linear load that causes to reduce the life of the equipment and degrades the electric power quality. So, harmonic pollution in the system rises and in order to reduce it, a Hybrid shunt active harmonic power filter (HSAHPF) is designed and simulated in MATLAB SIMULINK. For power quality improvement, Digital Real-time and efficient hardware in the loop (HIL) controller is implemented for testing the efficacy using instantaneous active and reactive power theory (Pq0) and instantaneous active and reactive current theory (Id-Iq) as control algorithms for reference current generation in HSAHPF. The control algorithms are employed in a cost-effective microcontroller i.e Arduino MEGA. The real-time simulations from SIMULINK are interacting with the controller for generating reference currents in the HIL technique based on Pq0 and Id-Iq control algorithms. For the inner control loop, switching signals are generated by Hysteresis Current Controller or PWM and charging/ discharging of the capacitor is conserved with the use of the PI controller. The real-time testing of HSAHPF using controller HIL simulations have demonstrated the ability of control algorithms to run in a portable embedded device. The system response for both of the implemented control algorithms in Arduino provides minimum THD with improved stability time. Through this HIL approach, mitigation of harmonics and better-quality power attained with power factor near to unity is also verified experimentally.