Study of a Novel Equivalent Model and a Long-Feeder Simulator-Based Active Power Filter in a Closed-Loop Distribution Feeder

The closed-loop distribution system has become a trend, owing to increasing demands of electric power reliability in high-tech parks or in metropolitan areas. Harmonic propagation caused by power-factor correction capacitors and system inductors may lead to significant harmonic amplification throughout a closed-loop distribution feeder. This paper proposes a novel equivalent model of a closed-loop distribution feeder that a closed-loop distribution feeder can be equivalent to a radial feeder. This paper analyzes the harmonic propagation in a closed-loop distribution feeder and proposes a long-feeder simulator-based active power filter (LFS-APF) to damp out the harmonic propagation, based on the novel equivalent model. The proposed LFS-APF is installed at the middle point of a closed-loop feeder. The LFS-APF has better capability of harmonic damping than the resistive APF (RAPF), especially in response to variation of both nonlinear loads and power-factor correction capacitors or even if the installation location has to deviate from the middle point. Both simulation and experiment results are provided to validate the correctness and effectiveness of the novel equivalent model and the proposed LFS-APF.