Distributed Control System for Medium-Voltage STATCOM based on Parallel Connected Power Converters

Power semiconductor installations in medium-voltage power grids are usually built by numerous particular power converter units containing large number of power modules. Such large installations place high demands on control systems including precise timing and signal distribution across the whole system. This paper deals with a proposed distributed modular control system designed for STATCOM installed in a MV power grid of 22 kV. The proposed control system is designed for a real-time control of the converter with high-speed interference-immune communication, reliable synchronization of numerous PWM outputs and synchronous immediate blocking of fire pulses for safe central stop in case of error handling.