Passive harmonic filter planning to overcome power quality issues in radial distribution systems

In power systems, power quality issues raised by various non-linear devices (NLD) might violate the allowable harmonic limits defined by IEEE-519 standard. In order to maintain the total harmonic distortion well below the allowable limits, passive harmonic filters are commonly used. This paper presents an algorithm to optimally plan passive harmonic filters in the distribution networks to minimize the total voltage harmonic distortion. The optimization considers the filter location, size, type, quality factor and tuned harmonic order with constraints of bus voltage magnitudes, total and individual harmonic limits and filter components design and operating limits. The proposed approach is developed by using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm and tested on IEEE 18-bus and IEEE 33-bus radial distribution systems. The evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of the optimization solution in identifying the best filter location, capacity and type.