Mass Tuning Reduction Method for Vibration and Audible Noise of HVDC Filter Capacitors

Filter capacitors are among the most serious noise sources in HVDC converter stations, and there are still no satisfactory noise reduction measures. This paper proposes the use of the mass tuning (MT) method to adjust the vibration frequency response characteristics and to realize vibration control and noise reduction. First, the theoretical model of the MT structure is developed based on continuum mechanics. Based on the theoretical model, it is revealed that inserting an MT component into the capacitor element package will cause a decrease in the resonant frequencies and antiresonant frequencies. Furthermore, the movement degree of the resonant frequencies increases as the position of the MT component becomes closer to the package end, while the movement degree of the antiresonant frequency is the largest when the MT component is located in the middle of the package model. The vibrations and the noise levels of an example MT capacitor are then compared with the results of an original capacitor. The comparison results show that the MT scheme designed in this paper can achieve a noise reduction effect of 12-15 dB(A). The proposed reduction method is proven to be both effective and efficient.