Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems

In reactive power compensators applied in drives with asynchronous motors, a control strategy focusing on the compensation of higher-order current harmonics is implemented. Control schemes of such compensators typically employ low-pass Butterworth filters with fixed cut-off frequencies to isolate th...

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Main Authors: Rolandas Makaras, Sergey Goolak, Vaidas Lukoševičius
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7057
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author Rolandas Makaras
Sergey Goolak
Vaidas Lukoševičius
author_facet Rolandas Makaras
Sergey Goolak
Vaidas Lukoševičius
author_sort Rolandas Makaras
collection DOAJ
description In reactive power compensators applied in drives with asynchronous motors, a control strategy focusing on the compensation of higher-order current harmonics is implemented. Control schemes of such compensators typically employ low-pass Butterworth filters with fixed cut-off frequencies to isolate the reactive power component. However, the impact of alternative filter types on compensator performance remains insufficiently explored. Furthermore, in the control systems under consideration, stator phase current signals of the asynchronous motor are used as reference inputs. This approach proves effective under the steady-state operating conditions of the drive. Under non-steady-state operating conditions—typical for traction drive systems—this approach becomes ineffective due to the increased complexity in obtaining accurate reference current signals. As a result, the performance of the filters also deteriorates. It is therefore proposed to investigate the impact of alternative filter types on the efficiency of compensator operation. To address this challenge, the following strategies are suggested: implement higher-order harmonic compensation in the system of stator phase supply voltages of the asynchronous motor; use the control signals from the Field-Oriented Control (FOC) algorithm as reference inputs; and adapt the cut-off frequencies of the filters dynamically to match the frequency of the supply voltage. The simulation results indicate that the use of an elliptic filter in compensator control systems yielded the highest effectiveness. Moreover, the results confirmed the efficiency of the proposed solutions under both steady-state and non-steady-state operating conditions of the traction drive. These approaches support the development of reactive power compensators integrated into traction drive systems for railway rolling stock.
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spelling doaj-art-725381a367134e0e8155180b21f5f03e2025-08-20T03:28:24ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-06-011513705710.3390/app15137057Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive SystemsRolandas Makaras0Sergey Goolak1Vaidas Lukoševičius2Department of Transport Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentų Str. 56, 44249 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Electromechanics and Rolling Stock of Railways, State University of Infrastructure and Technologies, Kyrylivska Str. 9, 04071 Kyiv, UkraineDepartment of Transport Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentų Str. 56, 44249 Kaunas, LithuaniaIn reactive power compensators applied in drives with asynchronous motors, a control strategy focusing on the compensation of higher-order current harmonics is implemented. Control schemes of such compensators typically employ low-pass Butterworth filters with fixed cut-off frequencies to isolate the reactive power component. However, the impact of alternative filter types on compensator performance remains insufficiently explored. Furthermore, in the control systems under consideration, stator phase current signals of the asynchronous motor are used as reference inputs. This approach proves effective under the steady-state operating conditions of the drive. Under non-steady-state operating conditions—typical for traction drive systems—this approach becomes ineffective due to the increased complexity in obtaining accurate reference current signals. As a result, the performance of the filters also deteriorates. It is therefore proposed to investigate the impact of alternative filter types on the efficiency of compensator operation. To address this challenge, the following strategies are suggested: implement higher-order harmonic compensation in the system of stator phase supply voltages of the asynchronous motor; use the control signals from the Field-Oriented Control (FOC) algorithm as reference inputs; and adapt the cut-off frequencies of the filters dynamically to match the frequency of the supply voltage. The simulation results indicate that the use of an elliptic filter in compensator control systems yielded the highest effectiveness. Moreover, the results confirmed the efficiency of the proposed solutions under both steady-state and non-steady-state operating conditions of the traction drive. These approaches support the development of reactive power compensators integrated into traction drive systems for railway rolling stock.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7057reactive powerhigher harmonics compensationhigh-pass filters
spellingShingle Rolandas Makaras
Sergey Goolak
Vaidas Lukoševičius
Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems
Applied Sciences
reactive power
higher harmonics compensation
high-pass filters
title Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems
title_full Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems
title_fullStr Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems
title_full_unstemmed Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems
title_short Investigation of the Influence of Filter Approximation on the Performance of Reactive Power Compensators in Railway Traction Drive Systems
title_sort investigation of the influence of filter approximation on the performance of reactive power compensators in railway traction drive systems
topic reactive power
higher harmonics compensation
high-pass filters
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7057
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AT sergeygoolak investigationoftheinfluenceoffilterapproximationontheperformanceofreactivepowercompensatorsinrailwaytractiondrivesystems
AT vaidaslukosevicius investigationoftheinfluenceoffilterapproximationontheperformanceofreactivepowercompensatorsinrailwaytractiondrivesystems