Optimal Design of Passive Harmonic Filters Using

Bee Colony Optimization

Reza Sirjani Mehmet Ku�af
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Cyprus International University Cyprus International University
Mersin 10, Turkey Mersin 10, Turkey
rsirjani@ciu.edu.tr mkusaf@ciu.edu.tr

Abstract-The harmonic problem is as a consequence of non­ Many techniques have been developed for the design and
linear power electronic devices in powering industrial distribution mitigation of harmonics: Genetic Algorithm (GA) [5],
systems.A filter is a necessary equipment in the power system to
Simulated Annealing (SA) [6], Ant Colony Optimization
reduce or eliminate harmonics.In this paper, the optimal design of
(ACO) [7], Lagrange interpolation method [8] and Particle
filters to reduce total harmonic distortion (THD) has been
Swarm Optimization (PSO) [9]. These techniques are useful in
investigated using the Matlab/Simulink. Bee Colony Optimization
(BCO) is applied as optimization technique takes into account the
the design of filter and locate suitable place that is best to place
total filter size due to the reduction of THD. Single tuned and them. Many methods have been employed for the filter design,
double tuned filters are considered, and their passive elements are however it has a distinct uninterrupted with a nondifferentiable
derived to obtain the strength of both filters in the reduction of nonlinear role. This problem originates from context of which
distortion. The BCO results are much better than conventional the capacitor price is increased that makes the nonlinear
harmonic filter design methods and the distortion has been optimization proficiency difficult to apply. An subject like this
decreased.
has been tackled by heuristic or estimate methods [10].
This paper presents the optimal design of filters to mitigate
Keywords-Harmonics; Passive filters; Single tuned; Double
harmonics using the Matlab/Simulink block to test the filtering
tuned;Bee Colony Optimization
capability of the designed filters. The measurement for this
1. INTRODUCTION study was carried out in block A building of Cyprus
International university, where a power analyzer was used for
Power quality problems in a power system, are caused by
the measurement. Bee Colony Optimization algorithm is
different non-linear devices, which might exceed the
applied as optimization technique to solve the optimal sizing of
recommendable harmonic limit defined by IEEE-519 standard.
passive filters. The objective function of the optimization
Over the decade, researchers have dug deep to find many ways
problem takes into account the total filter size due to the
of mitigating harmonics some of the methods used are a phase
reduction of THD. Single tuned and double tuned filters are
multiplication, harmonic injection, shunt filters, and control
considered, and their passive elements derived to get the
system operation condition [1]. Although, there are the
strength of both filters in the reduction of distortion.
preventive solutions to the problems of harmonic which are
aimed at avoiding harmonics and their effects, phase annulling,
or harmonic regulation in power converter, preventive solutions IT. SINGLE TUNED FILTER
are not generally sufficient to eliminate harmonic in power
systems, so we should use harmonic filters to eliminate or to Single tuned filters are the superlatively used and usual type
reduce the effects of one or multiple orders of harmonic of filter in the mitigation of harmonics because it is least
components [2]. A filter is necessary equipment in the power expensive, easy to design and implement. Below is the single
system to reduce or eliminate harmonics. Various kinds of tuned filter configuration.
harmonic filters are obtainable and are set up base on system
network and to the engineer's assessments [3].
Passive harmonic filters are the favoured mitigation
technique of harmonics in power systems. The advantage of the
passive filter is that it has low hardware cost that improves the
power factor of the system by providing reactive power to the
system base on the intimacy of the spot of the filter to the bus.
Due to the price and size advantages, a passive filter is
considered cheap and to be economical in mitigating harmonics
[4].The widely known types of passive harmonic filters are;
single tuned and double tuned filters, second order, third order
and C type damped filter [2-4]. Figure 1. Simple circuit of single tuned filter.

978-1-5090-3784-1/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE

88
 Utilization of passive harmonic filter is the restraint,
W1WZ
inexpensive and most produced or capable of producing an WS = (6)
Wp
intended result to mitigate or eliminate hannonics of the voltage
and current of the distorted wavefonns. Putting together an
inductor, a resistor and a capacitor will give a passive filter. The series capacitor is given by
Optimal plan, blueprint, pattern, or design means
insignificantly or downplaying the price of the filter and
mitigates the total hannonic distortion of currents and voltages.
This necessitates computing the least value of the capacitor,
the inductor, and the resistor to incur the accepted/measured
harmonic distortion of current and voltage. Where w[ is the angular frequency.
Steps taken to design a single tuned filter:
Deducing the above equation forCv Ll can be calculated from;
Step 1: Obtain the capacitive reactance Xc, at fundamental
frequency
(8)
VZ
Xc=­ (1)
c Q Capacitor Cz is given by

Where Qc is reactive power and V is line-line voltage.

The capacitance can be computed by (9)

l
C=_ _ (2) The value of Czis used to obtain the reactor Lz.
Zn[Xc

Wherefis the fundamental frequency (10)

Step 2: Compute the inductive reactance XL, and inductance L

The reactor resistance for special quality factor is given;

(3) (11)

L=.!.f... (4) Where Xn= .JXCXL= � and Q is the quality factor.

Zn[
Wherefis the fundamental frequency and hn is harmonic order.

Step 3: Compute the resistance (R) for a special choice element

Q
Xn
R= (5)
Q

Where Xn= .JXCXL= �

and Q is quality factor where30 < Q < 150

Ill. DOUBLE TUNED FILTER

The double tuned filter is the combination of two single

tuned filters, because it is used to filter and it can be used to
filter double hannonic components simultaneously. It is a series
and parallel circuit of parameters Rl and Ll and C1 , and R2 and
Lz and Czwith an advantage of little space and a single reactor
to full line voltage. The double tuned filter configuration is
shown in Fig. 2.
To design a double tuned filter, when the tune-up
frequencies CDI and CD2together with the scheme voltage, V, and
reactive power Q are known, the equidistant resonance
frequency wpof the filter are chosen such that it is the quantity Figure 2. A simple circuit of double tuned filter.
between Wi and Wz .The filter series is given by,

89
 IV. PROBLEM FORMULATION procedures for implementing the proposed method are
Tn this work the objective function is to minimize the total described as follows:
harmonic distortion (THD) and the filter size. The objective 1. Read line data, loads data and harmonic sources data
function is expressed as: and model in Matlab/Simulink.
11. Measure THD for base case without filter.
THDi QFilter 111. Generate randomly ns scout bees for runnmg bee
Minimize F =
w1
THD(base) +
w 2
QMax
(12) colony optimization.
IV. Consider random RLC for the filters.
where THDi, and Q Filter are total harmonic distortion and total v. Measure THDi and calculate filter size for scout bees.
filter size, respectively. (01 and (02 are corresponding VI. Calculate the objective function and consider it as the
coefficients of the corresponding objective function(s); nectar amount of each site visited by the scout bee.
THD(base)is the total base case harmonic distortion in the Vll. Sort the visited sites in descending order according to
network before installing filter and Qrnax is the maximum their nectar amounts.
installed filter. THDi (%) is the total harmonic distortion at the VIII. Select the best m visited sites out of visited sites
which computed by using, according to their nectar amounts.
IX. Generate nb neighborhood search for each selected
2 site.
Lh=ho IIhi l
100
TH D l. ( O/.
70
) -
- IIll
"H
(13) x. Select the best objective function (nectar amount) and
determine the optimal size of passive filters
h is the harmonic order and I It I is the fundamental rms current. Xl. Determine the best R, L and C for each filter
The filter size can be computed by,

v2
QFilter =

XCXL
(14)
Taking into consideration the fact that the filter size
objective function is less important than the THD reduction and
voltage profile improvement, the corresponding coefficients for
each objective are defined as (0\ =65% and (02=35%.

V. BEE COLONY OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM

The Bees Algorithm is an optimization algorithm inspired

by the natural foraging behavior of honey bees to find the
optimal solution. This algorithm is proposed by Karaboga for
numerical optimization in 2005 [11].
In BCO algorithm, the colony of bees consists of two
groups, scout and employed bees. The scout bees seek a new
food source and the employed bees look for a food source
within the neighborhood of the food source in their memories.
Both scout and employed bees share their information with
other bees within the hive. Fig.3. shows the flowchart of the
algorithm in its simplest form. The algorithm starts with ns
scout bees randomly distributed in the search space. The nectar
amounts of sites visited by ns scout bees are calculated. Sites
(m) that have the highest nectar amounts are chosen for
neighborhood search. Recruit nb bees for each selected site to
explore neighborhood search. The nectar amounts of all (nbx m)
sites are calculated. Select m sites which have the highest nectar
amounts from (nbx m) sites to form the next bee population.

VI. ApPLICATION OF Bco FOR OPTIMAL SIZING OF PASSIVE

FILTERS

Tn this section, BCO algorithm is applied as optimization

technique to solve the optimal sizing of passive filter. The
objective function of the optimization problem takes into
account the total filter size due to the reduction of THD. The Figure 3. Flowchart of bee colony optimization algorithm [12]

90
 VII. CASE STUDY AND RESULTS specific harmonic orders, as shown in Table 11. It is observable
The case study for this work is the block A building of that the double tuned filter found by BCO, in terms of THD
Cyprus International University. Measurements were taken in reduction and filter size is much better than other double tuned
the power room using the power analyzer to measure the filter designs. THD is reduced to 8.1% and filter size is 13.5
current, voltage, power, reactive power, apparent power, kVar.
harmonics and the results were obtained. To model this case
study, a Simulink block is assembled with and without filters.
TABLE II. COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT DOUBLE-TuNED FlLTER DESIGNS
The block diagram was run based on the combinations of filter
assigned to each harmonic at a particular time. Cases Filter Filter Filter Filter Found
Results of the calculated values for each component of the tuned to tuned to tuned to byBee
designed filter are given and the performed simulations are also the 3,d and the 3,d the 5th and Colony
presented. Simulations are performed with filters and without 5th and7th 7th Optimization
filters to find out the functioning potency or strength of the
harmonics harmonics harmonics
filters design to mitigate harmonics.
The rms values of voltage and current are measured as 233.7 Rl('o) 0.0106 0.1333 0.0216 0.0127
V and 208.4 A , respectively while the peak to peak values of
voltage and current are 307.4 V and 382.3 A. Since there are Ll(H) 20x10-3 5.52x10-3 2x10-3 5xlO-3

many sources of harmonics in this building such as air Cl(F) 1.42x10-1 8.04xlO-4 5.88x10-6 6.71x10-5
conditioners, computer labs and fluorescent lamps, the current
THD is 31.4% which is very high. The greatest harmonics Rz('o) 0.3197 0.1031 6.67xlO-3 0.012

currents are 3rd• 5 th, 7th and 11th which are 17%, 16% ,19% and Lz(H) 4.521 X 10-4 6. 315x10-4 2.22x10-3 4.51 x10-4
8%, respectively. In this study, the value of Qrnax in Eg. (12) is
also considered as 25 kVar . Cz(F) 5.88xlO-4 4.23xlO-4 4.99xlO-3 1.79x10-4
As the first stage, by modeling the case study in THD;(%) 21.0 18. 3 19.2 8.1
Matlab/Simulink, one simple RLC as single-tuned filter is
Filter Size
applied for this network. Using BCO algorithm the best RLC 16.1 15.7 15.2 13.5
which is reducing THD as far as possible with minimum filter (kVar)

size has been found and compared with the other traditional
filter design methods for specific harmonic orders, as shown in
Table 1.

TABLE I. COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT SINGLE-TUNED FILTER DESIGNS

Cases R L C THDi Filter

(.0) (H) (F) (%) Size
(kVar)
Without
- - - 31.4 0
Filter
Filter tuned
to the 3,d 1.24xlO-0 6.11 x10-3 2.01xlO-4 26.4 12.4
harmonic
Filter tuned
to the 5th 6.24xlO-0 1.97xlO-3 2.01xlO-4
27.1 11. 3
harmonic
Filter tuned Figure 4. Comparison of THD before and after applying filter
to the 7th 4.44x10-0 1.01x10-3 2.01xlO-4
25.0 11.1
harmonic
Filter Found
byBee
2.31 x10-5 9.14xlO-4 1.61 X 10-4 12.4 8.8
Colony
Optimization

From Table I, the single tuned filter found by BCO, in terms

of THD reduction and filter size is much better than other single
tuned filter designs. THD is reduced to 12.4% and filter size is
8.8 kVar.
After, a double-tuned filter is applied. Using BCO algorithm
the best RI,LI,CI,R2,Lz and Cz which are reducing THD as far
as possible with minimum filter size has been found and
compared with the other traditional filter design methods for Figure 5. The current waveform without filter

91
 - - - filters are better in compared with the other traditional filter
�/·
�
design methods. From the results based on performance, double
::00 1=I=l=R= � I1=R=I= 1$ tuned filters will give a better execution in carrying mitigating
W harmonics to a better level than the single-tuned filters because
-
O·I!:ti±t - .=tj::!:t: -
the double tuned filter can mitigate or eliminate two harmonics
at once unlike the single, which will mitigate or eliminate one
=b'
� �.
'_ 1 , 2 , , , , ,_ . 1

at a time. The results indicate that the method used for this work

tt -
::r:j:::;:::;; :::::::ct
Fe :\ffi
is valid and effective in the mitigation of harmonics.
$/
;".
REFERENCES

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