Reactive Power Strategy of Cascaded Delta-Connected STATCOM Under Asymmetrical Voltage Conditions

Cascaded static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) is an effective solution for reactive power support in middle/high voltage conditions, and it has been widely employed to control reactive power in photovoltaic (PV) plants, wind farms, and industrial occasions. In this paper, reactive power control strategy of cascaded delta-connected STATCOM under asymmetrical voltage conditions is investigated. A new phase current reference calculation method is proposed to support reactive power continually under abnormal voltage conditions considering cluster voltage balancing control and phase current limitation. Constrains between voltage and current phasors of STATCOM are deduced. Then, the analytical expressions of phase currents and circulating current references are solved. Therefore, reactive power support and the safe operation of STATCOM can be obtained simultaneously by limiting the peak value of the phase current references. Furthermore, the reactive power support capability of cascaded STATCOM under asymmetrical voltage conditions is explored and compared by combining the proposed references calculation method with the three generalized current references calculation strategies. Finally, simulation and experimental results have been given to verify the theoretical studies.