Dynamic Voltage Control Using Unified Power Quality Conditioner with Storage

The growth of distributed generation (DG) and electric vehicles (EVs) in the distribution grid demand improved control of active and reactive powers. The enhanced control helps in maintaining the voltage variations within the grid-code specified limits. A unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) protects the loads and DG from grid voltage disturbances. However, the series converter of UPQC remains underutilized because it is only utilized during grid voltage violations. This paper proposes a dynamic voltage control using UPQC, which helps in (1) improving the utilization of the UPQC series converter, (2) maintaining a grid-code specified voltage profile throughout the distribution grid during extreme load and generation conditions. Simulation results are provided in the paper to show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.