A Comparative Study of the Influence of BESS and STATCOM on Post-Fault Voltage Recovery in Microgrid

Abstract

Reliable and efficient power flow in the electrical grid is crucial given network expansion and the incorporation of numerous renewable sources. Microgrids are becoming more and more important in the global energy sector due to its numerous benefits. The variable nature of distributed energy resources (DER) in microgrid makes large-scale DER integration potentially unstable for system voltage. Grid regulations place restrictions on the voltage control of DER unit, which raises the need for reactive power support. Proper placement of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) under post-fault conditions may enable faster voltage recovery. In this work, battery energy storage system (BESS) and static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) have been considered for improving the post-fault voltage in DER integrated weakly grid-connected microgrid system. Two operation scenarios have been considered for analyzing the behavior of BESS and STATCOM individually at post-fault situation. According to the results of the simulation, BESS requires lesser rating than STATCOM for faster recovery of post-fault voltage of the system.