Power Quality Improvement In Three-Phase Distribution Line Using DSTATCOM

In the modern power system, power quality is a significant issue that may have an impact on consumers and utilities. The integration of renewable energy sources, smart grid systems, and extensive use of power electronics equipment after the semiconductor revolution caused a drastic change in the load characteristics in a day. Since, the conventional methods of using inductors and capacitors for power quality improvement have been replaced by improved power conditioners using FACTS devices due to limitations like oversized, inefficiency, poor reliability and controllability. This paper presents a power quality improvement technique in the presence of non-linear load and harmonics using a Distribution Static Synchronous Compensator [DSTATCOM] with a capacitor as an energy storage element. DSTATCOM provides comparatively fast control of reactive and active powers for load compensation, harmonics elimination, mitigation of voltage flicker, and voltage regulation. The control strategy of the proposed DSTATCOM is provided based on Synchronous Reference Frame theory and Carrier-based Pulse Width Modulation [PWM] technique. Power quality problems like reactive power, low power factor, and harmonics due to load switching, active loads, inductive loads, and non-linear loads at the distribution side have been studied in this paper. Modelling of transmission lines, design and control of DSTATCOM, and monitoring of power quality are carried out in MATLAB/SIMULINK ode23t solver for different types of loads and the simulation results are compared with a typical power distribution system.