Current Harmonics reduction Using Sliding Mode
Control Based Shunt Active Power Filter
Minarti Mane
Student, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Fr. C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology, Vashi
Navi Mumbai, India
minarti@gmail.com
Abstract— Use of power electronic devices creates the power
quality issues by generating harmonics and reactive power in the
utility system. Active power filter is one of the best solution to
reduce the harmonics level in the system. In this paper single
phase shunt active filter using sliding mode control is implemented
in MATLAB/Simulink. Sliding mode controller acts as a current
controller to control filter inductor current by providing
harmonics and reactive current required by the load. The
switching signals to the shunt active power filter is generated
based on the sliding surface and the source voltage. PI controller
is used to control DC link voltage of active power filter along with
generation of reference source current. Performance of proposed
shunt active filter is analyzed under nonlinear and combined non-
linear and linear load. It is observed that shunt active power filter
improves the total harmonic distortion (THD) and power factor
under variable load condition.
Keywords—Active power Filter, Sliding Mode Control, Voltage
Source inverter, proportional integrator.
I. INTRODUCTION
Excessive use of power converters and other nonlinear
loads introduces harmonics in network and draws reactive
power current from supply. The increase in the reactive
power, non-sinusoidal supply voltage and current in power
distribution result in many adverse effect such as
overheating, poor efficiency, instability, disturbance to other
consumer equipment, interference with communication
equipment etc. Conventionally passive filters are used to
improve power quality but it has various disadvantages of
fixed compensation, bulky inductor, no isolation between
input and output and resonance [1]. Active power filters are
good solution, since they can compensate for reactive power
and also solve the harmonic problem. There are two types of
active filters: Shunt active power filter & Series active
power filter. Shunt APF used to improve shape of source
current, whereas series APF can compensate for voltage
harmonics and unbalance. Shunt active filter are widely used
as they effectively doing compensation and current rating is
much less as compared to series filter as it is connected in
parallel [2-5].
Shunt active filter is mainly characterized by switching
techniques used to control power converter. Different
control strategies are available in literatures to control the
Mini K. Namboothiripad
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Fr. C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology, Vashi
Navi Mumbai, India
mininfcrit@gmail.com
shunt active power filter based on pulse width modulation
technique [1-7]. Control of APF mainly consists of two parts
such as DC voltage control of filter capacitor and current
control of APF. In literature [2-3] proportional-Integrator
(PI) controller is being used to control DC link capacitor
voltage as well as to generate reference source current.
Literature [4] has taken advantages over conventional PI
controller by using artificial neural network (ANN) to
extract load current harmonics.
In [5] modified ANN based harmonic extraction circuit
and proportional-Derivative (PD) controller is used which
makes the APF robust under even distorted source voltage.
But the response of such controller is get affected by
variation in system parameters.
Sliding mode control is one of the best method to
control the current of shunt active power filter as it is
insensitive to parameter variation. Sliding mode control has
advantages over others with respect to robustness, good
dynamic response and simple implementation.
Response and performance of sliding mode controller
depends upon the design of sliding surface and control law.
Many different methods are there to select the variables to
design the sliding surface [5-8]. One method is to design
SMC by considering inductor current and capacitor voltage
as the variables for the sliding surface. In [6] sliding surface
is designed by considering line current error and its integral
and derivative as sliding variables.
In this paper sliding surface is designed by considering
source current error and its integral term as sliding variables.
Model is implemented and simulated in MATLAB under
variable load conditions. Gate signals are generated by
sliding mode controller to force the source current to follow
the source voltage.
This paper is organized as follows: in Section II
operating principal of shunt active filter and its state
equations is described. Proposed control scheme is
explained in Section III. Analysis of sliding mode control
with sliding surface, switching pattern and controller design
is presented in Section IV. Section V shows the simulation
result to validate the theory of proposed control scheme.
Section VI presents the final conclusion of paper.
 II. SHUNT ACTIVE FILTER for mode 1, with switches ܵͳ and ܵͶ are ON is shown in
Shunt active filter is a voltage source full bridge Fig.2.
inverter whose input is connected to large capacitor and KVL can be applied to the dotted loop as follows.
݀‫ܫ‬
output connected to source with filter inductor. Role of the ܸܵ െ ‫ ܨ ܮ‬െ ܸ‫ ܥ‬ൌ Ͳ (1)
݀‫ݐ‬
inverter is to actively shape the source current by providing ݀‫ܨܫ‬ ܸ െܸ
ൌ ܵ ‫ܥ‬ (2)
harmonics and reactive current required by the non linear ݀‫ݐ‬ ‫ܮ‬
load. Since the harmonic currents are compensated by the ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ ܸ‫ ܥ‬, ‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ ‫ܨܫ‬ (3)
݀‫ܫ‬
shunt APF source current are in phase with voltage by From equation (2) it is clear that since ܸ‫ܸܵ> ܥ‬ǡ ‫ ܨ‬is
݀‫ݐ‬
supplying only fundamental component of the load current. negative. Thus the magnitude of ‫ ܨܫ‬is decreasing, when
A. Operating Principle switches ܵͳ and ܵʹ are ON. Similarly KVL can be applied
to mode 2, with switches ܵʹ and ܵͶ are ON.
Fig.1 shows the configuration for the single phase shunt ݀‫ܫ‬
active filter connected in parallel with source and nonlinear ܸܵ ൌ ‫ܨ ܮ‬ (4)
݀‫ݐ‬
load. As shown in Fig.1 source current, inductor current, ൌ ܵ
݀‫ܨܫ‬ ܸ
(5)
capacitor current and load current are represented by ‫ ܵܫ‬, ‫ ܨܫ‬, ݀‫ݐ‬ ‫ܮ‬

‫ ܥܫ‬and ‫ ܮܫ‬respectively. ܸ‫ ݏ‬, ܸ‫ ݔ‬and ܸܿ are source voltage, ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ Ͳ, ‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ Ͳ (6)
inverter output voltage and capacitor voltage respectively. Equation (5) shows that when switches ܵʹ and ܵͶ are ON
Filter inductor is represented by ‫ܮ‬. magnitude of ‫ ܨܫ‬is increasing.
Is IL Similar analysis can be done for mode 3 and 4 with ܵ͵ and
either ܵͳ or ܵʹ is ON. Result of the analysis at these four
modes of operation is summarized in Table 1.
IF
AC
C Ro
TABLE1
+
Active Filter Operating Modes
Mode 1 ܸܵ >0 ܵͳ =1 ‫  ܨܫ‬՝ ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ ܸ‫ܥ‬ ‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ ‫ܨܫ‬
+ Mode 2 ܵͶ =1 ܵʹ =1 ‫  ܨܫ‬՛ ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ Ͳ ‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ Ͳ
S1 S3
Mode 3 ܸܵ <0 ܵʹ =1 ‫  ܨܫ‬՛ ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ െܸ‫ܥ‬ ‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ െ‫ܨܫ‬
Mode 4 ܵ͵ =1 ܵͳ =1 ‫  ܨܫ‬՝ ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ Ͳ ‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ Ͳ
- +
Vc
+
Vx is iL
-
-
AC Vs iF
C Ro

S2 S4
Active Filter

L S1 S3

Fig.1Shunt Active Filter with Non-linear load - +

Vc
+
In the voltage source inverter switches supports Vx -
unipolar voltage and bipolar current and controls the -
current‫ ܨܫ‬flowing through inductor. Current through
inductor forces source current to follow the shape of
source voltage. Capacitor voltage ܸ‫ ܥ‬should be greater S2 S4

than the source voltage in order to shape the source current

[6].
Switches ܵ͵ and ܵͶ of inverter defines the voltage ܸܺ
at each half cycle of ܸܵ , while switches ܵͳ and ܵʹ defines
magnitude of the current ‫[ ܨܫ‬6]. Switches of APF are Fig.2 Equivalent circuit when ܵͳ and ܵͶ ON
controlled in such a manner that during positive half cycle
B. Dynamic equations
of ܸܵ switch ܵͶ is ON and during negative half cycle of ܸܵ
switch ܵ͵ is ON. Considering these switch position single Operation of APF can be analyzed by considering
phase shunt APF has four modes of operation. Let the switching function ܷ݅ =1 if ܵ݅ is ON and ܷ݅ =0 if ܵ݅ is OFF,
modes be 1 and 2 during positive half cycle of ܸܵ and 3 where ݅=1, 2, 3, 4 denotes the switch number. Switches on
and 4 during negative half cycle of ܸܵ . Equivalent circuit the same leg of APF operate complementary.
Thus switching function can be written as follows: ‫ כ ܵܫ‬ൌ ܸ݇ܵ (16)
ܷͳ ൅ ܷʹ ൌ ͳ and ܷ͵ ൅ ܷͶ ൌ ͳ (7) where  represents the source voltage and k the scaling
Also: factor.
ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ ሺܷͳ ܷͶ െ ܷʹ ܷ͵ ሻܸ‫ܥ‬ (8)
B. Design of Control Law
Using (7) and (8)
ܸ‫ ݔ‬ൌ ሺܷͳ ൅ ܷͶ െ ͳሻܸ‫ܥ‬ (9) A suitable control law is to be designed for forcing the
Similarly current ‫ ܥܫ‬can be written as: trajectories to reach the sliding surface in finite time. A
sufficient condition for the existence of the sliding mode
‫ ܥܫ‬ൌ ሺܷͳ ܷͶ െ ܷʹ ܷ͵ ሻ‫ ܨܫ‬ൌ ሺܷͳ ൅ ܷͶ െ ͳሻ‫ܨܫ‬ (10)
can be defined from the sliding surface ‘S’ as:
The dynamic state equation of APF can be derived by
considering inductor current (‫ ) ܨܫ‬and capacitor voltage (ܸ‫) ܥ‬ ܵ᏿ ൏ Ͳ (17)
as state variables. Considering ܸ‫ ݔ‬and ‫ ܿܫ‬values from Thus to achieve ᏿ ൏ Ͳ, a control law to be designed
Table 1. state equations can be written as: such that when S is positive, ᏿to be negative (S to be
݀‫ܫ‬ decreased) and vice versa. Using equation (13), S can be
‫ ܮ ܮ‬ൌ ܸܵ െ ሺܷͳ ൅ ܷͶ െ ͳሻܸ‫ܥ‬ (11) decreased by decreasing ‫ ͳݔ‬. Decreasing  will decrease •
݀‫ݐ‬
ܸ݀ ‫ܥ‬
‫ܥ‬ ൌ ሺܷͳ ൅ ܷͶ െ ͳሻ‫ܨܫ‬ (12) and thus ‫ ͳݔ‬. .
݀‫ݐ‬
From Table.1 it is clear that during positive half cycle of
ܸܵ if  is positive then ‫ ܨܫ‬and thus  can be decreased by
III. CONTROL SCHEME OF ACTIVE POWER FILTER forcing the APF to work in mode-1 i.e. ܵͳ is ON. But in the
APF consists of two control loops, outer is voltage same positive half cycle of ܸܵ if  is negative then ܵʹ to be
control loop and the inner is current control loop. Outer ON to increase S. Similarly we can see from table 1 that
loop regulates the voltage across DC side capacitor and the during negative half cycle of ܸܵ if  is positive ܵͳ to be ON
inner loop regulates the current flowing through the else ܵʹ be ON.
inductor. PI controller can be is used to regulate the DC Thus the control strategy can be summarized as ܵͳ to
side capacitor voltage. Output of the PI controller can be be ON when S is positive irrespective of the positive or
used to generate reference source current. Harmonic negative half cycle of ܸܵ and ܵͶ to be ON when ܸܵ is
component of the load current that has to be supplied by positive. Thus the control law is designed as follows:
APF is controlled using SMC in inner loop.
ͳ݂݅ܵ ൐ Ͳ

IV. SLIDING MODE CONTROLLER ܷͳ ൌ ൜ ሺͳͺሻ
Ͳ݂݅ܵ ൏ Ͳ
Sliding mode controller is a nonlinear controller which 
uses variable structure control method to change the ͳ݂ܸ݅ܵ ൐ Ͳ

ܷͶ ൌ ൜ ሺͳͻሻ
dynamics of a nonlinear system. Since the structure of APF Ͳ݂ܸ݅ܵ ൏ Ͳ
also changes by the action of switches, SMC method is one 
of the best method to generate switching pulses for power
converter. V. SIMULATION RESULT
In the sliding mode control, trajectories are forced to Shunt active filter using sliding mode controller for the
reach sliding surface in finite time and stay on the surface nonlinear and linear load has been implemented in
for all future time. When the system is on the sliding MATLAB. The parameters used for the simulation of shunt
surface, its dynamic is independent of the circuit active filter are shown in Table 1.
parameters. It depends only on the selected sliding surface.
TABLE 1
Design of SMC basically involves two stages, design of
the suitable sliding surface and a control law to force the Parameters of Shunt Active filter
system trajectories to reach and stay on the sliding surface. Parameters Values
ܸ‫ݏ‬ሺ‫ ݏ݉ݎ‬ሻ 230V
A. Design of Sliding Surface
ܸ‫ܿܦ‬ 380 V
The sliding surface can be defined as
L 7 mH
ܵ ൌ ‫ ͳݔ‬൅ ߣ‫ʹݔ‬ (13)
C 1500μF
‫ ʹݔ‬ൌ ‫ͳݔ ׬‬ (14)
݂‫ݏ‬ 50 Hz
where šͳ is the factor to be controlled and ɉ is the control
parameter (sliding coefficient)[. ܴ݅݊ 10 Ω
Since shunt active filter should shape the source current ܴ‫݋‬ 9Ω
the state variable ‫ •‹ ͳݔ‬defined as follows: ‫݋ܥ‬ 500 μF
‫ ͳݔ‬ൌ ‫ ܵܫ‬െ‫כ ܵܫ‬ (15) λ 10
‫כ‬
where ‫ ܵܫ‬and ‫ ܵܫ‬are the source current and the reference ݇‫݌‬ 0.0032
source current respectively. Since the source current should ݇݅ 0.00045
follow the source voltage in shunt active filter ‫ כ ܵܫ‬can be
calculated from the source voltage as:
 Fig 3. Shows the implementation of shunt active filter
for linear and nonlinear load using sliding mode controller

Fig.5 Source voltage and load current without APF

It has been observed that after the implementation of

proposed shunt active filter, harmonic factor is reduced to
get the source current shape same as that of the source
voltage as shown in Fig. 6. Reduced source current THD is
measured as 12.59%.
Fig.3 Simulink Model

Capacitor voltage is selected as more than the peak

value of source voltage for the inverter to work as the active
power filter. PI controller is implemented in the outer loop
to regulate the capacitor (DC link) voltage to 380V. Output
of the PI controller multiplied with source voltage to
generate the reference source current. Sliding mode
controller is implemented in the inner loop with inputs as
reference source current and actual source current and
output as gate signals to the inverter.

Fig.6 Source Voltage, Source current and load current with APF for
Nonlinear load

TABLE II
Simulation Result for Nonlinear load

Without filter and With filter and load is

load is nonlinear load nonlinear load
Fig 4. Sliding mode Controller
(R=70Ω, C=500 μF) (R=70Ω, C=500 μF)
THD 54.39 % 12.59%
Implementation of the sliding mode controller is shown
Distortion
in Fig 4. SMC controls the current flowing through the 0.78 0.988
power factor
inductor to track the reference source current by generating
Total power
the gate signals according to the designed control law. 0.78 0.988
factor
Source voltage ܸ‫ ݏ‬and the load current IL drawn by the
Third harmonic 50.98 % 5.09 %
nonlinear load without APF are shown in Fig 5. It is
Fifth harmonic 8.90 % 4.21 %
observed that without filter source current is same as that of
Seventh
the load current and the current THD is measured as 8.04 % 3.82 %
harmonic
54.39%.
 Detailed observations and calculations are shown in
Table II. It is clear from the table that even though source
current THD with APF is not filtered out completely 3rd, 5th
and 7th harmonics are reduced considerably.
V. CONCLUSION
In this paper shunt active filter using sliding mode
controller is implemented in MATLAB and simulated for both
linear and non linear load. The switching signals to the shunt
APF is generated based on the sliding surface and the source
voltage. The proposed shunt APF with the SMC generated the
inductor current to meet the harmonic requirement of the load
and thus shaped the source current as that of the source voltage.
It is observed that by using this method THD is decreased from
54% to 12.69% for nonlinear load and 24.92% to 6.69% for
combined linear and nonlinear load. Power factor improvement
also observed in the simulation.

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[4] Djaffar Ould Abdeslam, Patrice Wira, Jean Mercklé,
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load (R=70Ω, C=500 C=500 μF) Filters,”IEEE Trans. Power electronics, vol.54, no.1, pp.
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THD 24.92 % 6.69% [5] A.D.Torrey, M.A.Al-Zamel, “Single phase active power
Displacement filters for multiple nonlinear loads,” IEEE Trans. on Power
0.93 0.99
power factor Electronics vol. 1; no. 10, May1995; pp. 263-272.
Distortion [6] J. Matas, Luis Garcia de Vicuna, J. Miret, J. M. Guerrero,
0.94 0.99
power factor M. Castilla,“Feedback linearization of single phase active
Total power power filter via sliding mode control”. IEEE Trans. power.
0.88 0.99
factor Electron., vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 116-125, Jan 2008.
Third harmonic 29.15% 3.08 % [7] Utkin, VI. Sliding mode control design principles and
Fifth harmonic 4.48 % 2.03 % applications to electric drives, IEEE Transactions on
Seventh Industrial Applications, 40, 1993, 23-36.
3.92 % 1.93 %
harmonic [8] Mattavelli, P., L. Rosetto and G. Spiazzi. Small-signal
analysis of dc-dc converters with sliding mode control,
Proposed shunt active filter works under both nonlinear IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 12, 1997, 96-102.
and linear load condition. Fig.7 shows the result for [9] D. Stanciu, M, Teodorescu, A Florescu, DA Stoichescu,
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to 6.69% as recorded in Table III.
Power factor improvement due to harmonic and reactive
power compensation by shunt active filter is also shown in
Table II and III. It is clear from Table II that with the use of
APF the distortion power factor improved from 0.78 to
0.988 due elimination of 3rd harmonic mainly. Similarly
improvement of both displacement and distortion power
factor are clear from the Table III.
Minarti Mane received the B.E in electrical
engineering from the Indira Gandhi College of
Engineering, Koperkhairane, Navi Mumbai in 2011 and
currently doing M.E in power electronics and drives in
Fr. C Rodrigues Institute of Technology,Vashi, Navi
Mumbai, India. His research power system sources and
power electronics.

Mini K. Namboothiripad received the B.Tech

in Electrical and Electronics engineering from Govt.
Engineering College Thrissur, India, in 1995 and
M.Tech degree in Control and Computing from Indian
Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2011. She is
currently working as an Assistant Professor in the
Electrical Engineering Department of Fr. C. Rodrigues
Institute of Technology, Vashi, Navimumbai, India.
Her research interest includes Control and Optimization
Techniques in Power System.