Electrical Power Engineering Department

Faculty of Engineering
Cairo University

Electrical Power Systems (1) (EPM301A)

Course Report
Compensation techniques

Supervisor and Course Tutor:

Associate Professor Dr. Heba Ahmed Hassan
Teaching Assistant Engineer Omar Abo Gabl

Student Name Section B.N.

Ahmed essam abd rabou 1 17

3 December 2019
Abstract
The quality of electrical power in a network is a major concern which has to be examined with
caution in order to achieve a reliable electrical power system network.
Reactive power compensation is a means for realizing the goal of a qualitative and reliable
electrical power system. This report made a comparative review of reactive power compensation
technologies; the devices reviewed include synchronous condenser and static synchronous
condenser (STATCON).
Introduction
There is a heightening concern in power efficiency and energy savings among policy makers,
economies and academics from the aspect of technology, economic, policy and human behavior
point of view. Thus, the needs to further promote and explore efficient, reliable and sustainable
technology such as synchronous condenser for reactive power compensation in electrical power
systems.
Reactive power {Q} is an expression used for the unreal power from inductive loads like motor
or capacitive loads , which normally is not so much common it is widely calculated in units of
VARS, that is volt-amp reactive.
In order to maintain the most advantageous circumstances for a power system from engineering
and economical point of view, it is very important to always apply the most advantageous
reactive power compensation technology in an electrical power system.
1.1synchronous condenser
Are the active shunt compensators and have been used both at transmission and sub-transmission
levels to improve voltage profile and system stability.
Synchronous capacitor is a synchronous machine synchronous machine synchronized to the
power grid and controlled to absorb or generate lagging var on the system.
Most of the synchronous capacitors are out-door and unattended. These are automatically
controlled.
A synchronous condenser is said to have normal excitation if the terminal voltage under no-load
condition is its rated voltage. If the excitation is more than its normal excitation the condenser is
said to be over excited and if less than the normal, it is under excited.

Figure (1)

Page 1 of 5
Fig. (1) Show the flow of reactive power and the corresponding phasor diagrams under the two
operating
When the machine is overexcited, it acts as a shunt capacitor as it supplies lagging vars to the
system and when under excited it acts as a shunt coil as it absorbs reactive power to maintain
terminal voltage
1.2 applications of synchronous condensers
The synchronous condensers are used for
(I) Power system voltage control both under normal and emergency operation
conditions.
The emergency operation conditions result from a system fault or a sudden
loss of a major transmission link or major generating station which result in a
breakdown of the system
(II) HVDC application
The condenser serves the following purposes:
(I) a part of the reactive power requirement of the converter
(ii) A system with low short circuit capacity is subjected to a large voltage
dips in case of shunt faults. For such system the condenser allows d.c
converter control to maintain acceptable control of the a.c.

Figure 2: uses of condenser in HVDC line

1.3 advantages of synchronous condenser
1. By varying the field excitation, the magnitude of current drawn by the motor can be
changed
by any amount. This helps in achieving step less †control of power factor
2. The motor windings have high thermal stability to short circuit currents
3. The faults can be removed easily

1.4 disadvantages of synchronous condenser

1. There are considerable losses in the motor
2. The maintenance cost is high

Page 2 of 5
3. It produces noise
4. Except in sizes above 500 kVA, the cost is greater than that of static capacitors of the
same rating
5. As a synchronous motor has no self-starting torque, therefore, an auxiliary equipment has
to be provided for this purpose
2.1static condensers (STATCON)
Are parts of FACTS device lineage. Their primary aim is to provide a fast acting, precise,
and adjustable quantity of reactive power to an AC power system network to which they
are linked.
Fig. (3) Shows a basic circuit of a statcon which is GTO (gate turn off) based
compensation system. These devices are known as STATCO or static synchronous
condensers as these exhibit characteristics similar to conventional synchronous
condensers without the moving parts.
The basic elements of a voltage source inverter(VSI) based STATCON are an inverter , a
d.c. , capacitor and a transformer to match the line voltage as shown in fig.(3)

Figure (3): STATCON

Voltage source inverter inverts a D.C. voltage (PWM inverter) with a balanced set of
three quasi-square voltage waveforms by connecting the D.C. source sequentially to three
output terminals. The three phase a.c. generated by inverter is synchronized to the a.c.
line through a small tie reactance which is the leakage reactance of transformer.

Page 3 of 5
 2.2 operation of STATCON
When the inverter fundamental output voltage is higher than the system line voltage, the
STATCON works as a capacitor and reactive vars are generated.
However when the inverter voltage is lower than the system line voltage, the STATCON
acts as an inductor there by absorbing the reactive vars from the system to control the
reactive current, thus the magnitude of D.C. voltage is raised or lower by adjusting the
phase angle of the inverter output voltage.
The capacitor here doesn't play an active role in the var generation it is only required to
maintain a smooth D.C. voltage while carrying the ripple current drawn by the inverter.
2.4 application of STATCON
In addition, static synchronous compensators are installed in select points in the power system to
perform the following:

 Voltage support and control

 Voltage fluctuation and flicker mitigation
 Unsymmetrical load balancing
 Power factor correction
 Active harmonics cancellation
 Improve transient stability of the power system

2.5advantages of STATCON
1. It occupies a small footprint, for it replaces passive banks of circuit elements by
compact electronic converters;
2. It offers modular, factory-built equipment, thereby reducing site work and
commissioning time; and
3. It uses encapsulated electronic converters, thereby minimizing its environmental
impact
4-volltage variation due to customer's loading is reduced.
2.6 disadvantages of STATCON
Also, the STATCON has a faster response as it has no time delay associated with
thyristor firing. Nevertheless, these advantages come at a higher price

Page 4 of 5
References
1- Power Factor Correction Equipment: Advantages and Disadvantages.” Electrical
Equipment, 28 Jan. 2013,
2- engineering.electrical-equipment.org/power-quality/power-factor-correction-
equipment-advantages-and-disadvantages.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2019.
3-Electrical4U. “Synchronous Condenser | Electrical4U.” Electrical4U, 24 Feb. 2012,

www.electrical4u.com/synchronous-condenser/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2019.

4-Pundir, Arun, and Gagan Deep. “Comparison of Different Types of Compensating

Devices in Power System.” 11 Nov. 2016.

5- Wadhwa, C L. Electrical Power Systems. London, New Academic Science, 2017.

6- Yepyep. “STATCOM (STATIC SYNCHRONOUS COMPENSATOR).”

Powerqualityworld.Com, 2011, www.powerqualityworld.com/2011/09/statcom-static-

synchronous-compensator.html. Accessed 6 Dec. 2019.

Page 5 of 5