3/13/2022

ET8304
Power Theories &
Compensation with Power Electronics

Lecture 11, March 14, 2022

Elisabetta Tedeschi

Lecture 11 - Outline
• The Instantaneous Power Theory (p-q theory)
– The p-q theory in 3-phase 3-wire systems
» (presented by Ayotunde)
– The p-q theory in 3-phase 4-wire systems

– Application to compensation systems

• Relationship between the Instantaneous Power Theory

and the FBD Theory

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Real and imaginary powers

p=p+ p Real power

q=q+q Imaginary power

Centrality of the concepts of real and imaginary power

and their possible decomposition into average and
oscillating components

Use of p-q theory for shunt

compensation
Thyristor rectifier

Compensation with shunt active filters

Shunt active filters can be considered as
a controlled current source
Analysis of a three-phase three-wire system

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Use of p-q theory for shunt

compensation

Selection of
undesired
components
is performed
based on
power terms

Case 1: Compensation of q

p=p+ p Compensation of current

components that do not
q=q+q transfer [any type of] energy
between source and load

No energy storage required

Compensation of the oscillating

reactive power component
involves harmonics – Suitable
compensator bandwidth must
be ensured

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_
Case 2: Compensation of q

p=p+ p Compensation only of average

imaginary power

q=q+q The oscillating part of q is left

No harmonic components
involved in the compensation
(i.e. sinusoidal compensation
current)

~
Case 3: Compensation of p

p=p+ p Compensation to have

constant (no ripple)
q=q+q instantaneous 3-ph real power

Compensation of the oscillating

active power component
involves harmonics and
oscillating real power – Suitable
compensator bandwidth and
energy storage are required

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~ and ~
Case 4: Compensation of p q

p=p+ p Compensation removes only

oscillating (harmonic)

q=q+q components
_
Current associated to q is still
flowing from the grid
Power factor is less than unity

~ and q
Case 5: Compensation of p

p=p+ p Compensation to have only

average real power left
q=q+q This corresponds to the Fryze
(FBD) compensation
Non-linear load + compensator
correspond to a purely resistive
load (ideal, linear)
Source current has the minimum
RMS to transfer the same energy
as the original load, under the
given voltage

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Observations on the p-q theory

• Application targets three-phase systems

• Compensation has power terms as central point

How much physical meaning do

these power terms retain?

- q is not an extension of reactive power in the sense of

oscillating power with zero average
- Both p and q are related to harmonic content

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Observations on the p-q theory

_
• What is the physical meaning of compensating only q
or only ~
p?

q compensation p compensation

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Observations on the p-q theory

How “instantaneous” is the
instantaneous power theory?

- Note that when, for compensation, we refer

to p = p + p and q = q + q
This implies averaging over the period.

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Appearance of hidden currents

3-ph
Non
ideal
load

After calculating ia and ib, the real and

imaginary powers can be derived

Real and
imaginary powers
Sinusoidal (positive only contain
sequence, +) voltages oscillating terms

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Appearance of hidden currents

3-ph
Non
ideal
load

From instantaneous power terms, instantaneous active

and reactive currents on a and b axes can be calculated:

Hidden harmonics (not

present in the original load)
appear
Signs of hidden harmonics
on p and q are opposite

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Appearance of hidden currents

Hidden harmonics have an impact on
3-ph compensation strategy
Non
ideal
load Total currents on a and b axes

I may want to compensate current components that

are related only to ~
p or to ~
q on a and b axes:
The percentage of desired
compensation related to p ~ and
~ can be different (here quan-
q
tified with the gains kp and kq)
If in the compensation strategy kp ≠ kq, then hidden harmonics on p and q don’t
cancel each other anymore and harmonics not previously present appear in the
source current

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Appearance of hidden currents

3-ph
In order to avoid the introduction of
Non hidden harmonics kp = kq should be
ideal
load
kept,

In the presented case hidden harmonics appear at a higher

frequency compared to the frequency of original load
harmonics

Hidden harmonics at a lower frequency compared to

the frequency of original load harmonics can also
appear

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P-q theory application to three

phase four wire systems
The zero-sequence component needs
3-ph to be considered
Non
ideal Zero
load
sequence  p0  v0 0 0   i0 
power  p =0 va
 
vb  ia 
  
 q   0 vb −va  ib 

The instantaneous active power becomes

p3 = vaia + vbib + vcic = va ia + vb ib + v0i0 = p + p0

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P-q theory application to three

phase four wire systems

3-ph
Non
ideal
load

Positive, negative
and zero sequence
components in
voltages and currents

No harmonic
distortion
considered

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P-q theory application to three

phase four wire systems

3-ph
Non
ideal
load

Components of the
same + or - sequence
contribute to p and q

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P-q theory application to three

phase four wire systems

3-ph
Non
Linear
load

- Components of the same (+ or -) sequence contribute to the average (real

and imaginary) power
- Oscillating components of real and imaginary power are contributed by
voltage and currents of different sequence (even when no harmonics are
present)
- The zero-sequence power has an average power that is associated to
active power
- The oscillating component of the zero sequence power
_ transfers energy
instantaneously and it cannot be removed leaving p0 unaffected

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Physical meaning of inst. power terms

Source: Akagi, Watanabe, Aredes (2007)

1)

2)

3)

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Observations on the p-q theory

1) The neutral wire is treated as a special conductor
2) p and p0 are defined independently but both relate to an
active power transfer between source and load
3) Contribution of different phenomena such as
harmonics and unbalance is not discriminated by any
of the power quantities

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Link to the instantaneous abc

theory
- What is defined as the abc Theory corresponds to the
FBD Theory

- The FBD Theory can be seen as the result of a

minimization algorithm applied under the condition that
“non-active currents” (powerless currents) do not
contribute to instantaneous power

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Comparison p-q vs abc theory

- The objectives of the [avg] abc (FBD) theory are:

1) Having compensated currents with minimum RMS values
that transfer the same active power
2) Having power transfer with unity power factor

- The pq Theory aims at ensuring constant

instantaneous power transfer

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Recalls on the abc theory

- If the abc (FBD) theory is applied at instantaneous level, no
proportionality is evident between voltages and currents
Voltages Total currents Instantaneous powers

Power currents Powerless currents Instantaneous power is

not constant

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Recalls on the abc theory

- If the abc (FBD) theory is applied at average level,
proportionality is obtained between voltages and currents
Voltages and active currents Instantaneous powers

Instantaneous
power is not
generally constant

…but in some cases,

it can be…

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Recalls on the abc theory

Difference between average & instantaneous abc (FBD) theory

Instantaneous powers
Avg theory
gives always
lower RMS
currents

Active Power
currents currents

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Comparison p-q vs abc theory

- Compensation of powerless currents (abc/FDB
Theory) corresponds, under certain conditions, to
the compensation of the imaginary power (p-q
Theory).
- The abc/FBD theory, however, does not require a−
b−0 axis transformation (Clarke transformation)
- The focus of the abc/FBD Theory is on currents
and of the p-q theory on powers

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Comparison p-q vs abc theory

Abc and p-q theory differ if zero seq. components are present

Voltages Active
with 0-seq currents

Load
currents
without Power
0-seq currents

4-wire
Power system
terms

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Comparison p-q vs abc theory

Abc and p-q theory differ if zero seq. components are present

Voltages Active
with 0-seq currents
(abc
Theory)

Load
currents Power
without currents
0-seq (abc
Theory)

Real
Power
currents
terms
(p-q Theory)

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Comparison p-q vs abc theory

Abc and p-q theory differ if zero seq. components are present

Voltages Active
with 0-seq currents

Load Compen
currents sated
without currents
0-seq To have
_
p
(p-q
Theory)

Power
terms

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Comparison p-q vs abc theory

- Compensation of non-active currents (abc
Theory) generates current circulation in the
neutral wire.
- This does not happen with the p-q theory
- The p-q theory, however, does not ensure the
RMS current minimization, i.e. the minimization
of resistive losses
- This depends on the different way of dealing with
the neutral conductor

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The p-q theory in the perspective of

cooperative compensation

1) It does not consider single-phase circuits

2) Compensation is only focused on the use of
active power filters
3) Different physical phenomena contribute to the
same power/current terms, making the sharing
of compensation tasks difficult

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Obs. on instantaneous power

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Obs. on instantaneous power

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Lecture 11: summary

Theory of Akagi-Nabae (p-q theory)

1 – Suitability of the theory for compensation with

dynamic compensators (APF)
2 – Effect of the compensation of different power terms
3 – Discussion of the physical meaning of various terms

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Lecture 11: summary

Comparison of p-q and FBD Theory

1 – Difference in the final goal and methodologies

2 – Analogy of the compensation results without zero-
sequence components
3 – Difference of compensation results with zero-
sequence components and its motivation

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Reference material
1) Akagi, H., Watanabe, E. H., & Aredes, M.
(2007). Instantaneous power theory and applications to
power conditioning (Vol. 31) – Chapter 3. John Wiley &
Sons.
2) Staudt, V. "Fryze-Buchholz-Depenbrock: A time-domain
power theory." 2008 International School on
Nonsinusoidal Currents and Compensation. p.1-12

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Thanks for your attention

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