Robust Control of Series Active Power Filters for Power Quality Enhancement in Distribution Grids: Simulation and Experimental Validation

Abstract

This paper presents a simulation study and an experimental implementation of a single-phase Series Active Power Filter (SAPF) for the mitigation of harmonics in the load voltage. The aim is to regulate the injection voltage of the SAPF to compensate the grid voltage via the injection transformer in addition to maintaining the load voltage stable. The control strategies investigated in this work include Backstepping Sliding Mode Control (BSMC) and a neuro-fuzzy controller based on ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System) l. The proposed control strategies for the single-phase SAPF are initially evaluated in simulations under MATLAB/Simulink and then validated on a laboratory-scale hardware experimental set up consisting of a source and a single-phase SAPF. A comparative study of these controllers with respect to their performance and robustness in mitigating power quality against voltage disturbances and harmonics is presented. Both simulation and experimental results have demonstrated that ANFIS-based controller was able to achieve superior performance and a lower total harmonic distortion (THD) as compared to the other control methods.