Power Quality improvement of distribution system using D-STATCOM

1. INTRODUCTION
Reactive power is a major portion of the power drawn by the consumer, due to inductive loads
like pumps and motors. They draw in excessive lagging power factor currents to magnetize
windings. Rise in the reactive power demand increases the losses in feeder and reduces the
power flow capability due to excessive current flow in the distribution system. This further drops
voltage, which is a major concern for power quality engineers. To maintain the voltage and to
deliver active power in transmission line, reactive power is required to be injected for the load.
When there is not enough reactive power, the voltage sags down, unable to deliver power to the
load.
To curb the effects of reactive power being drawn by the consumer, we need to use
compensators to inject reactive power into system which load requires. They manage the
reactive power to improve the performance of AC systems load.
There are 2 types:
1

Lead compensator: The main objective is to increase the power factor, balance the real

power from the system, compensate voltage regulation and eliminate the current harmonics.
Voltage support: To reduce fluctuation in voltage at the transmission level.
2. POWER QUALITY PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

Large scale grid integration of renewable energy sources, implementation of smart grid, rising
need for expansion of grid, reliability of the system and improving the efficiency of the line.
The above-mentioned needs cause their own challenges and their own unforeseen problems,
like cascading faults, loop current flow, increasing short circuit currents, needing the change of
the existing system components at an unsurmountable cost.
3. Advantages of utilizing FACTS devices:

FACTS devices can mitigate all the above problems and has the following advantages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Regulate voltage through load compensation.

Increased utilization of the existing system.
Increase in stability and controllability of the voltage and current flow.
Mitigation of sub-synchronous resonance.
Limiting the short circuit currents without replacing preexisting protection devices.
Increase in efficiency of the line.
Increase in power supply for large loads.
4. FLEXIBLE AC TRANSMISSION SYSTEM (FACTS)

Dr. Narain Hingorani was attributed with

presenting the idea of reactive power
compensation in power system, in the
1970s. He proposed the use of power
electronic

devices

to

provide

the

Figur compensation, while having an

necessary
e1
enormous amount of control over the process of compensation. Several such FACTS devices
have been proposed over time. The above equation mentions the principle FACTS.
Power transfer between two buses generally depends on the voltage at each bus, phase angle
and impedance of the line. When we connect FACTS devices at specific locations, it can affect
one of these parameters and improves the voltage stability at bus. Since we dont have much
control over the voltages, we control the phase angle and the inductance of the line, to transfer
additional power.
IEEE defines FACTS controller as follows:
Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS): Alternating current transmission systems
incorporating power electronic-based and other static controllers to enhance controllability and
increase power transfer capability.

FACTS Controller: A power electronic-based system and other static equipment that provide
control of one or more AC transmission system parameters.
Although FACTS devices are meant for transmission systems, these days, the increase in
household renewable devices have increased the need for voltage control in the distribution
system, further blurring the divide between transmission side and distribution side.
3.1 Static VAR Compensator (SVC)

Figur
e2

Static VAr Compensator (SVC) is a

shunt connected static VAr generator
(or

absorber)

adjusted

to

whose
supply

output
(or

is

absorb)

inductive or capacitive current to

maintain general bus voltages.

3.2 Series-connected controllers:

Series connected FACTS controllers are
divided in to impedance type or converter
type. Impedance type consists of Thyristor
switched series capacitor (TSSC), Thyristor Switched Series Reactor
(TSSR), Thyristor-Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC), Thyristor and
Thyristor-Controlled Series Reactor.
Figur
e3

3.3 Converter-based Compensator

Figur
e 4Converter-based Compensator is a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) which is
Key
designed based on current source inverter (CSI) or voltage source inverter (VSI). When bus

voltage of the VSC is more than the AC voltage, the

STATCOM generates reactive current versus when
the voltage magnitude of source is less than the AC
voltage, it absorbs reactive power

5. DSTATCOM
DSTATCOM
device

is

based

a shunt
on

connected

voltage

source

converter (VSC) in distribution network

based on voltage source converter and
STATCOM. DSTATCOM is generally
used

to

regulate

compensation

and

voltages,
reduce

load

voltage

harmonics. DSTATCOM can be used to

reduce voltage dips by injecting reactive
Figur
e 5 at the PCC in the distribution
power
system.
Compared to STATCOM, DSTATCOM has lower rated power and faster electronic switches.
DSATCOM contains:
o
o
o
o

DC Capacitor
Reactor
Voltage Source Inverter (VSI)
Coupling Transformer

The change in voltage at the bus, instructs the device to supply or absorb, leading or lagging
power factor parameters.
4.1 Operating Principle

DSTATCOM can compensate bus voltage or line current. Based on the parameter which needs
to regulate, it operates on two modes.
Voltage mode of Operation: In the voltage mode of operation, it makes bus voltage
sinusoidal at the PCC. Irrespective of distortion or unbalance, it can achieve desired
voltages.
Current mode of Operation: In this mode of operation, irrespective of load current
harmonics, balanced sinusoidal current is achieved through DSTATCOM.
The basic principle of a D-STATCOM is to regulate the bus voltage by generating or absorbing
reactive power. Therefore, D-STATCOM operates either as a capacitor or as an inductor, based
on the magnitude of the bus voltage.
Inductive Operation: When the bus voltage magnitude is more than rated voltage then
the DSTATCOM works as an inductor by absorbing the reactive power from the grid.

Figur
e7
Figur
e6

Capacitive Operation: When the bus voltage magnitude is less than rated voltage then the
DSTATCOM works as a capacitor by injecting the reactive power to the grid.

4.2 Circuit explanation

The

STATCOM

essentially

should

consist

single-phase

of

inverter

a
for

each of the 3 phases, DC

side capacitor meant for dc
supply voltage, filters to filter
out ripples in the inverter
output voltage, inductor to
links the inverter output to
the ac supply side and
interface

magnets

(if

required) and the control

blocks. The circuit diagram
Figur
consisting
e8

of

self-

commutated semiconductor switches (IGBT, MOSFET) with anti-parallel diodes, that act like a
full bridge converter. Here, this converter configuration employs IGBTs as the switching devices.
The charged capacitor acts as the DC source for the inductor circuit, the converter produces
balanced voltage waveforms of given frequency. The reference signals are generated by
sensing the grid voltage, dc voltage, converter current and load current. The sensed values are
given as the input to the controller to generate the reference values for compensation. The
inverter generates a three-phase voltage which is synchronized with the ac supply, from the dc
side capacitor and links this voltage to ac source. The current drawn by the inverter from ac
mains is controlled to be purely reactive. Main condition for operation of this boost converter
circuit, to have bidirectional flow of current, the voltage across the capacitor must be greater or
equal to the peak value of the grid voltage.

4.3 Control strategy for the system

The control strategy has mainly three sections, as follows:
1. Extraction of harmonic or reactive current from load current
2. Generation of Unit Vectors from Grid Voltage
3. Reference voltage for PWM generation
4.3.1 Control block of STATCOM:
The main control block diagram is in the figure below. The required data are sensed from dc bus
voltage V c , grid voltage V g , load current

i c (t) and inverter current

corresponding unit vectors are generated which are in phase and 90

phase shifted sine and

cosine waves respectively. The pulses are based upon these voltage vectors.
Figur
e9

i L (t), and

4.3.2 Unit Vector Generation:

There is no backup or battery for the system. It takes the voltage from the grid and uses it for
compensation but grid voltage cant be purely sinusoid, it consists of harmonics so different
methods are adopted to generate the current needed. One method Fig.1 Voltage source inverter
as a grid connected STATCOM Fig.3. Proposed circuit configuration Fig.4. Control block of the
STATCOM controller 3 for PWM generation is creating truth table for grid voltage and then
triangular comparison can be done, but the change in grid voltage affect the truth table. More
the values in truth table more accurate will be the signals but then memory required increases
therefore a strategy known as Unit vector generation is adopted. In this method, the grid voltage
is sensed and corresponding voltage is generated whose magnitude is always unity. Fig.4
shows the block diagram for unit vector generation in which the peak value of the grid voltage is
sensed by sensing the zero crossing of the cosine wave (i.e. 90

phase lag with the grid

voltage.) Each low

pass filter has 45

phase

difference

which

create cosine and

in

phase

component.
Figure
10

4.3.3) Harmonic current generation:

Let us assume that unit vectors are known and the direction of current from inverter to grid is
taken as positive. Let the grid voltage be

V grid V g

* sinst

(4.1)

Generalized Load current be

I Load

I Harmonic

Where

Io ( Ip
I Load

sinst

(Io ( I p

I o =dc component,

I q cosst)

sinst

I harmonic

I q cosst))

I p =peak of active current,

(4.2)

(4.3)

I q =peak of reactive current.

Figure 6 shows the diagram for generating the harmonic current thats required by load for
compensation. The dc component can be neglected as it the low value and then the harmonic
current is obtained by

I Harmonic

I Load ( I p

sinst

I q cosst)

(4.4)

The active part is obtained by multiplying by in phase component and the reactive part by phase
lag component. Sint and Cost are generated unit vectors, icfa(t) and icfr(t) are active and
reactive components respectively.
Conclusion
The project presents the power quality problems in distribution systems. It is shown that,
customer power devices are used to improves voltage profile which is the most effective and
efficient modern power device used in distribution system.
References