An E-STATCOM Based Solution for Smoothing Photovoltaic and Wind Power Fluctuations In a Microgrid Under Unbalanced Conditions

Abstract

This manuscript presents a novel control architecture for the E-STATCOM (STATCOM integrated with Energy Storage System (ESS)) that is common for both the Stand-Alone (SA) as well as the Grid-Connected (GC) modes of operation of a microgrid operating under unbalanced conditions. The proposed control architecture fulfils the aim of regulating the E-STATCOM in such a manner so as to smoothen the power fluctuations of a nearby renewable energy source (solar, wind, etc) and also to maintain the voltage and frequency at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) within the normal range of operation. Hence, the resultant real power injected by the renewable energy source along with the E-STATCOM is constant in magnitude, irrespective of whether the microgrid is in the GC or the SA mode of operation. Dynamically varying limits are introduced to provide inherent VSC over-current protection. In order to illustrate the performance of these control architectures, a model of the IEEE 34 node power distribution network that is being supplied by a solar Photo-Voltaic (PV) Distributed Generation (DG) unit, a wind DG unit and two identical E-STATCOMs (for compensating the power fluctuations from the PV and wind DG units) has been considered for study in PSCAD/EMTDC.