Active power filter equivalent to an infinite feeder for harmonic suppression in radial distribution systems

This study proposes to install a novel active power filter (IF-APF) mimicking the character of an infinitely long transmission line at the end of a radial feeder. The proposed IF-APF eliminates the reflected wave and realises the background harmonic voltage suppression capability throughout the feeder by mimicking the characteristic of an infinite feeder. The proposed IF-APF shows a better harmonic damping performance than the traditional resistive active power filter (R-APF). Moreover, the proposed IF-APF achieves a better harmonic suppression performance than the traditional R-APF, especially when the characteristic impedance of the feeder changes or there are non-linear loads. Simulation and experimental results verify the theoretical analysis and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed IF-APF.