Volt/VAr Regulation of the West Mediterranean Regional Electrical Grids Using SVC/STATCOM Devices With Neural Network Algorithms

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ABSTRACTReactive power compensation is now a challenging issue in maintaining adequate power quality and improving the performance of the transmission system. Many researchers have focused on the behavior of voltage in the unbalanced state, and the majority of the studies have been done with STATCOM. In this study, the increasing power demand in power grids and the challenges associated with maintaining power quality and stability are discussed. The power system in the western Mediterranean region of Turkey is modeled with the DigSILENT Power Factory program using real data. It highlights the importance of reactive power compensation and introduces FACTS devices as a solution to control power factors and reactive power in the grid. In the realistic model, voltage and reactive power regulation is achieved by using SVC and STATCOM devices to ensure voltage stability. A load flow and short circuit analysis is performed on the designed transmission system for a number of critical scenarios. The modeled power system is optimized for the size and location of the FACTS devices by applying genetic algorithms (GAs) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms to the selected busbars of the FACTS devices, a strategy designed to significantly reduce system losses. The load values used in the heuristics differ from those used in other studies in that they use a realistic load profile that varies randomly and instantaneously over the long term, as opposed to a fixed load profile. All the comparative results show that the STATCOM controller can maintain the most significant reduction in technical losses and excellent performance in controlling the reactive power response under various outages. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology has been validated in various outage scenarios, and it has been shown that it will reduce the total cost of electricity generation in the western Mediterranean region on an annual basis. Considering the results of the Turkish National Transmission System, increasing voltage sensitivity and reactive power control can be beneficial in reducing power transmission costs and maintaining the balance between generation and consumption.