Application of DSTATCOM compensators

for mitigation of power quality disturbances

in low voltage grid with distributed generation
Irena Wasiak, Rozmyslaw Mienski, Ryszard Pawelek, Piotr Gburczyk
Institute of Electrical Power Engeering
Technical University of Lodz
Lodz, Poland
irena.wasiak@p.lodz.pl
Abstract The paper presents capabilities of DSTATCOM
systems used to improve power quality (PQ) in low voltage (LV)
grids with distributed energy resources (DERs). For the case
study a typical rural network has been selected in which, on one
hand DER installing is the most probable and on the other hand,
integration process may cause the biggest problems. Selected
single-phase DERs of varying power are connected into the
network which introduce PQ disturbances such as voltage
variations, harmonics and asymmetry. To mitigate deviations in
power quality DSTATCOM compensator operating in current
control mode has been applied. Models of the network together
with the selected DERs and compensator system have been
developed in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. Simulation has
been performed for the analysis of the network performance and
the assessment of compensation effectiveness. The possibility of
using the DSTATCOM operating in voltage control mode for
reducing voltage dips coming from the supplying network has
also been studied. Control circuits have been designed for these
two modes of operation. Description of the study network, their
element models and some selected results of simulation are
presented in the paper.
Keywords: distributed generation, DSTATCOM, power quality,
simulation

I.

INTEGRATION OF DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES

WITH ELECTRICAL POWER NETWORK

In Poland like in other European countries special support

systems and mechanisms have been developed in the recent
years [1, 2, 3] which according to the EU policy [4, 5] promote
increasing the share of distributed generation (DG) in energy
market. There are few factors which imply this trend:

This work has been supported by the Polish State Committee for
Scientific Research under Contracts No. 11239/T10/2003/25.

liberalization of the electricity market, development in DG

technology, constrains in the extension of electrical
transmission networks, consumer demand for increasing the
reliability of supply and environmental protection concern.
These favorable conditions should assure the growth of number
of distributed energy resources (DERs) installed in the
network. DERs produce power on a customers site or at a
local distribution utility and supply electrical energy to the
local distribution network. This feature has some economic
advantages: allows reducing transmission and distribution
costs, generates waste heat that can be used by the customer
(CHP), and may be better positioned to use inexpensive fuels
such as landfill gas. Installing DERs may delay the need to
upgrade distribution assets in case distribution grid operates
near its capacity limits or needs to be upgraded.
Different types of DG technologies are in use today. They
can be grouped dependently on the fuel applied: microturbines,
fuel cells or reciprocating engines are based on gas,
photovoltaics, wind or hydro sources use renewable energy.
Distributed generation is characterized by some specific
features:
rather free location in the network area
natural variability of power dependently on availability
and variability of the primary energy.
Optimization of DG sources efficiency requires
interconnection to the electrical power network, converting
energy available at the moment and transmitting it into the grid.
It can be presumed that the integration of considerable number
of DERs into the grid may cause difficulties with maintaining
the required power quality (PQ). DERs may generate

disturbances such as voltage variations, asymmetry or

harmonics. The problems may be heightened by disturbing
loads if they are installed in the grid.
It is obvious that DER interconnection should not disturb
normal operation of loads and the network itself. Power quality
indices should remain in the range required by standards and
local regulations [1, 6]. On the other hand faults occurring in
the power system should not interrupt the sources operation.
Therefore, DG integration may need some control devices to be
applied in the network which will facilitate the integration
process and assure the required power quality. The authors
propose DSTATCOM compensator to be used for that purpose.
DSTATCOM (Distribution STATCOM) is a shunt connected
device of the configuration of 6-pulse semi-conductor bridge
like in conventional STATCOM (Static Synchronous
Compensator) systems applied in HV transmission networks
[7]. These two groups of devices differ in power, the type of
semi-conductor switches applied and their control systems.
DSTATCOM controllers are designed for distribution grids and
are the members of Custom Power devices family [8] which
provides solutions to the present problems with the quality of
supply that are faced by utilities and customers
II.

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY NETWORK

Problems with the integration of DERs are likely to emerge

first of all in rural or local weak distribution grids. Supplied
from distribution transformers of relatively small capacity,
such grids deliver energy to only few customers who use
mostly single-phase load devices which power is sometimes
equal a dozen or so percent of the transformer power.
Moreover, the rural networks may operate near power quality
limits. In these circumstances connection of a single-phase
energy source of power comparable or even bigger that the
power of existing loads on the spot may cause power quality
characteristics to exceed their permissible values. Furthermore,
the values of PQ indices may vary considerably because of the
variation of generated power.

For the above reasons a typical rural overhead network was

taken into consideration which diagram is depicted in Figure 1.
The low voltage (LV) grid is radial, TN-C arranged and is
supplied from a distributed transformer 20/0,4 kV of nominal
power equal 63 kVA. The medium voltage (MV) grid with
isolated neutral forms link arrangements but operates normally
as radial. The high voltage (HV) network has a meshed
configuration which is represented by two transmission lines
supplying the distribution station. The remaining part of the
HV network is represented by equivalent voltage sources
which reactance reflect the short-circuit power at the points of
connection.
The following load devices are distributed along the LV
feeders:

Loads 25 three-phase, balanced, of total constant

power equal 30 kW and 12 kVAr
Load 1 - single-phase (connected in phase C) of
maximum power equal 4 kW and 1,5 kVAr.

It has been accepted that single-phase DERs are installed in

the grid which use energy of sun and wind. This type of DG
technology seems to be the most probable to be applied
because of the energy availability and the fact that investors are
not subjected to any substantial constraints of installation and
exploitation process. The worst operation conditions are
assumed, i.e. the DERs are connected to different phases at the
end of the feeder. Small wind turbine of nominal power 10 kW
is connected to phase A, and produces the active power in the
range of 30100% of the nominal one with constant tg = 0,4.
Photovoltaic source of 5 kW is connected to phase B and
produces power in the range 20100% of its nominal power.
In order to secure the required PQ and keep the supplying
voltage characteristics in the permissible range DSTATCOM
compensator is installed in the grid.

0,4 kV
Rk = 0,12 om/km
Xk = 0,4 om/km
110 kV
X0/X1=3, l = 10 km

20 kV

Rk = 0,164 om/km
Xk = 0,17 om/km
X0/X1=3, l = 0,2 km

20 kV

Al 4x25 mm2

Load 5
100 m

110 kV

l = 1 km
Rk = 0,12 om/km
Xk = 0,4 om/km
X0/X1=3, l = 20 km

110/20 kV
10 MVA
10 %

P = 3 MW
tg = 0,4

l = 1 km
P = 3 MW
tg = 0,4

20/0,4 kV
63 kVA
4,5 %

100 m

Load 4

100 m

Load 3

Load 2

300 m

Load 1

WT
PV

Figure 1. Diagram of the study network

III.

COMPENSATION OF PQ DEVIATIONS INTRODUCED TO

THE NETWORK BY DERS

It is easy to foreseen that in case of compensation of PQ

disturbances the best results can be achieved when the
compensator is installed
close to a disturbing device.
Therefore, in this simulation study it was assumed that the
DSTATCOM system is connected in parallel to the DERs.

modified by adding the fourth leg. DSTATCOM diagram for

this case obtained in PSCAD environment is presented in
Figure 2. The hysteresis control has been applied in which the
inverter tracks the current reference.

A. DSTATCOM topology and control

DSTATCOM compensator is built around a 3-phase 6pulse voltage source inverter which is connected to the network
through a reactor and supplied by a DC capacitor. The inverter
consists of fully controllable switches (like IGBT) which are
turned on and off through a gate drive circuit.
DSTATCOM task is to mitigate PQ disturbances
introduced to the grid by the DERs: voltage variations,
asymmetry, harmonics and compensate for the reactive power.
The working principle is to inject a set of three unbalanced
compensating currents to the network such that the network
current becomes sinusoidal, balanced and in phase with the
voltage. The compensator performing such tasks operates in
current control mode.
An important aspect of this type of compensation is the
generation of appropriate reference currents that achieve the
desired performance. A control algorithm has been designed
based on the theory of instantaneous power. This method was
described for the first time in the eighties of the last century [9]
and examples of its applications can be found in many further
publications [among others 8, 10, 11,12]. The compensation
principle consists in the identification of power components
and selection of those which are to be eliminated.The control
algorithm is derived after the transformation of currents and
voltages from phase to 0 coordinates.
In 3-phase, 4-wire LV grid DSTATCOM may have to
inject currents in one phase independent on the other two
phases. Therefore, the compensator neutral should be
connected to the load neutral, which provide a path for the
circulation of zero-sequence currents.
B. Modeling the network element
The network has been modeled and simulated using the
PSCAD/EMTDC program environment [13]. To make it easier
in this study case the supplying HV and MV network has been
replaced by the equivalent voltage source. Short-circuit power
on the high voltage side of the distribution transformer has
been assumed 100 MVA. Distribution lines are represented by
the general -type circuit which contains resistance, reactance
and capacitance, however shunt capacitances for the LV lines
have been neglected. The same scheme is used for
transformers. Model parameters have been selected assuming
the typical transformer units and conductors usually applied in
rural power network.
DSTATCOM model has been developed using typical
modules offered in the PSCAD standard library. As the
compensator is expected to work in the 4-wire LV network
under unbalance conditions the basic configuration has been

Figure 2. DSTACOM topology for application in unbalanced 4-wire grid in

the form obtained in PSCAD environment

Small wind turbine model includes four basic components:

Prime mover
Permanent magnet alternator
Three-phase 6D rectifier
Three-phase 6T PWM inverter

The prime mover component represents conversion of

wind energy to rotational energy and produces mechanical
torque on the output. It was modeled according to the
principles describing physical phenomena connected with
effect of wind on the turbine and implemented using standard
PSCAD library modules. The permanent magnet alternator
(PMA) is a very-low-speed synchronous machine with high
number of poles. It was modeled using standard synchronous
generator module; a constant field voltage was used to
simulate constant magnet flux in rotor. The input to the PMA
is the mechanical torque generated by the prime mover. The
PMA output voltage of variable frequency and peak value is
rectified by the rectifier with booster system that controls DC
voltage at a chosen set-point. The six-pulse inverter
interconnects the wind turbine system to the AC network
through a coupling reactor. The inverter operates in current
control mode. The closed-loop hysteresis switching control
has been applied. For determination of reference currents the
theory of instantaneous active and reactive powers has been
used, like in case of the DSTATCOM. The reference active
power is calculated using a standard proportional controller
aimed at DC voltage stabilization and reactive power demand
is set by the operator. The wind turbine model is described in
details in [14].
PV source model includes two components:

DC voltage source with

characteristic
Single-phase PWM inverter

flat

voltage-current

The inverter is controlled as a current source generating a

reference current on the basis of the assumed active power.

Effect of solar radiation variation is simulated by variation of

the set power in the range given by the source nominal power.
A lot of simulation tests were performed to validate the
developed models. They aimed at checking the performance of
the modeled devices under different operation conditions and
verifying the stability of control algorithms.
C. Simulation studies
The studies focused on the assessment of capabilities of the
DSTACOM system in compensating disturbances produced by
loads and DERs connected to the grid. Power quality indices
such as RMS voltage level and unbalance factor, measured at
the point of common coupling, were investigated for the three
cases: before and after connection of DERs, and with DERs
connected and the 4-leg DSTATCOM in operation. The
method of assessment was similar to that given in [6] however,
the time of results aggregation was reduced to 0,5 s and the
period of observation was shortened to 30 s. Nevertheless,
results are representative and can be extended to longer period
of operation. Outcomes of the simulations are gathered in
Figures 3-5, in which the levels of RMS phase and line-to-line
voltages are presented as well as the voltage unbalance factor
K2U.

Figure 4. RMS phase voltages and voltage unbalance factor at the PCC after
DERs connection

Figure 3. RMS phase voltages and voltage unbalance factor at the PCC
before DERs connection

Figure 5. RMS phase voltages and voltage unbalance factor at the PCC after
DERs connection and with DSTATCOM in operation

It is visible in the figures that before the connection of

DERs the network operated near power quality limits but the
permissible values of PQ indices were not violated
(0,9UN < U <1,1UN, K2U < 2% ) [6]. After connection of the
wind turbine and photovoltaic source, the network conditions
have got worse, unbalance factor reaches the value of 3 % and
the voltage level goes out of bounds in the phases A and C.
DSTATCOM connection mitigates voltage variations and
reduces the asymmetry level, thus improves significantly the
voltage quality at the PCC.

IV.

COMPENSATION OF DIPS COMING FROM THE SUPPLYING

NETWORK

Another problem which appear in the integration of DG

sources into the supplying network is the need to reduce
voltage dips which can occur on DG device terminals due to
faults in high voltage (HV) lines feeding the rural LV grid. The
DSTATCOM system considered in the paper can protect the
LV grid against disturbances coming from the HV side when
connected to the LV busbars of the supplying station.

1 ,2
b

0 ,8
a
0 ,6

0 ,4
0 ,2
0 ,0
0

B. Simulation studies
It has been assumed that voltage dips occurring in the LV
grid result from short-circuits in the HV supplying network.
The studies focused on the assessment of DSTACOM
capabilities in reducing the depth of dips. Simulation studies
were performed for different types of short-circuits. To obtain
voltage dips of variable depth short-circuits were modeled in
various location along the AC line of 20 km length. Fault
duration time was assumed to be 0,2 s which resulted from
protection operation. As an example, the compensation effect is
illustrated in Fig. 6 for the three-phase voltage dip of 0,5 Un.
Summary results of simulation studies have been gathered
in Fig. 7 and 8 which show voltage dips observed on the LV
busbars during three- and single phase faults as the function of
short-circuit location in the 110 kV line. Distance 0 km in the
figures indicates a fault in A station, distance 20 km indicates
a short-circuit in C station, which in case of symmetrical fault
causes short interruption in supply (voltage dip of value equal
to 0). The influence of leakage reactance of the distribution
transformer has also been investigated.
Voltageia
Napiec
compensation
Uf with
z kompens
ac ja

1.20

without
compensation
Uf bez
kompensac
ji

V o l ta g(p.u
e ).

1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40

0.00
0.40

0.50

0.60
Time (s)

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

Figure 6. Phase voltages RMS variations on LV busbars

during three-phase short-circuit in 110 kV network
1 ,2
c

1 ,0

U [jw]
U [p.u.]

0 ,8
a

0 ,6

0 ,4

0 ,2
0 ,0
0

10

12

14

16

18

10

12

14

16

18

20

l [k m ]

Figure 8. Phase voltage RMS values on LV busbars during single-phase

short-circuit occurred in distance l [km] from A station:
a) without DSTATCOM, b) with DSTATCOM in operation and MV/LV
transformer of 4,5 % leakage reactance c) with DSTATCOM in operation and
MV/LV transformer of 10 % leakage reactance

It can be seen from Fig. 7 that in the LV grid fed by the

transformer of 10 % leakage reactance the DSTATCOM
compensator secure voltage level within the limits (0,9 Un)
during all single phase faults independently from the location
of the short-circuit. DSTATCOM also limits the negative
influence of symmetrical faults. As it can be seen in Fig. 6 the
predominant number of short-circuits will not affect normal
operation of generators.
V.

CONCLUSIONS

Integration of DERs in electrical power networks may need

some measures to be used for maintaining the required power
quality in the grid. The problems with integration are likely to
emerge first of all in rural or local weak distribution grids
which operate normally near power quality limits. DG
technology using energy of sun and wind seems to be the most
probable to be applied. In some cases connection of singlephase DERs to the grid may deteriorate power quality
considerably.
DSTATCOM system is an efficient mean for mitigation of
PQ disturbances introduced to the grid by DERs. DSTATCOM
compensator is a flexible device which can operate in current
control mode for compensating voltage variation, unbalance
and reactive power and in voltage control mode as a voltage
stabilizer. The latter feature enables its application for
compensation of dips coming from the supplying network.
Configuration of the system in these two cases is different;
unbalance compensation in 4-wire network requires 4-leg
device to be applied, whereas the remaining tasks may be
effectively performed by 3-leg compensator.

0.20

0.30

1 ,0

[jw]
UU[p.u.]

A. DSTATCOM topology and control

In this case 3-leg DSTATCOM has been used. The
DSTATCOM control system is designed for voltage
stabilization. In the control circuit two regulation loops are
applied. First one elaborates the amplitude modulation factor of
inverter output voltage using the comparison of voltage signal
measured at the PCC with its reference value. The second loop
is used for the stabilization of DC voltage. The independent
voltage control in each phase is applied.

20

l [k m ]

Figure 7. Phase voltage RMS values on LV busbars during three-phase

short-circuit occurred in l distance from A station:
a) without DSTATCOM, b) with DSTATCOM in operation and MV/LV
transformer of 4,5 % leakage reactance c) with DSTATCOM in operation and
MV/LV transformer of 10 % leakage reactance

The method of simulation is very useful and effective in the

analysis of operation of electrical power networks with DERs.
Having the appropriate models one can perform simulation
studies to assess the performance of additional custom
power equipment used to protect end-users from effects of
disturbances, which in modern electrical network cause many
technical and economical problems. Such studies may help to
facilitate the integration process of DERs with the supplying
network.

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