Power Quality Improvement of a Fuel Cell-Based Distributed Generation System Using Unified Power Quality Conditioner

Abstract

This paper deals with power quality profile improvement of fuel cell (FC)-based distributed generation (DG) system using unified power quality conditioner (UPQC). Despite of the several benefits of DG like excellent energy supply, reducing expansion of power distribution system, environmental friendly, and so on, there are several challenges existing due to the integration of DG with the grid or operating it in stand-alone mode. Power quality (PQ) issue is one of the main technical challenges in DG power system. In order to provide improved PQ of energy supply, it is necessary to analyze the harmonics distortion of the system as well as the voltage sag and swell. The UPQC has been extensively useful and it is verified to be the best solution to diminish this PQ issue. This paper explores the detail of PQ impacts in FC-based DG system operating in stand-alone mode. The voltage sag compensation with current and voltage harmonics are estimated at varying load conditions by using control modified synchronous reference frame (MSRF) technique. The proposed model is developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK® and the result obtained validates the superiority of proposed technique over others in terms of harmonics elimination and sag compensation.