Dictionary of Electrical Engineering

Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.

active filter
(1) a filter that has an energy gain greater than one, that is, a filter that outputs more energy than it absorbs.
(2) a form of power electronic converter designed to effectively cancel harmonic currents by injecting currents that are equal and opposite to, or 180. out of phase with, the target harmonics. Active filters allow the output current to be controlled and provide stable operation against AC source impedance variations without interfering with the system impedance.
The main type of active filter is the series type in which a voltage is added in series with an existing bus voltage. The other type is the parallel type in which a current is injected into the bus and cancels the line current harmonics.