Modeling and Simulation of STATCOM for a power system network using MATLAB/SIMULINK

Nowadays, the proliferation of non-linear loads (especially power electronics equipment) leads to deterioration of the quality of voltage waveforms at the point of common coupling (PCC) of various consumers. In view of the wide spread use of harmonics-sensitive electronic equipment, power conditioning equipment is becoming more important for both electric utilities and their customers. With rapid development of power semiconductor devices in power and control circuits, a new generation of equipments that help maintaining a good level of power quality, namely active power filters, has been developed. Theirs advantages over conventional means are more flexibility and very fast control response. This paper aim to present the actual status of active power filters based on state of the art power electronics technology. A STATCOM or Static Synchronous Compensator is a regulating device used on alternating current electricity transmission networks. It is based on a power electronics voltage-source converter and can act as either a source or sink of reactive AC power to an electricity network. If connected to a source of power it can also provide active AC power. It is a member of the FACTS family of devices. STATCOM has no long term energy support in the DC Side and can not exchange real power with the ac system; however it can exchange reactive power. Also , in principle, it can exchange harmonic power too. But when a STATCOM is designed to handle reactive power and harmonic currents together it gets a new name – Shunt Active Power Filter. So a STATCOM handles only fundamental reactive power exchange with the ac system. In this paper, the present work is aimed at the study of a STATCOM or Static Synchronous Compensator as it is otherwise called as a solution to these (dynamic compensation of reactive and harmonic currents) power quality issues