Grid tie converters aided rapid grid voltage fluctuation compensation with power hardware-in-the-loop experimental validation

The majority of photovoltaic systems, small wind turbines and approximately half of large wind turbines are connected to power grids via electronic converters which regulate both active and reactive power. Such converters are capable of rapid adjustment of reactive power, thereby assisting in the stabilization of grid voltage. This capability is of paramount importance in the context of grids with distributed generation. This article presents a method that employs the reactive power generated by converters to dynamically compensate for voltage fluctuations, eliminating the need for additional costly equipment such as dynamic voltage restorers. By regulating the flow of reactive power, voltage fluctuations can be mitigated in real-time. Simulations in Matlab-Simulink and tests in a laboratory power hardware-in-the-Loop system demonstrated the efficacy of the method, exhibiting rapid compensation with response times of approximately 100 ms. Despite constraints associated with the converter’s power capacity, the approach is promising due to the pervasive availability of converters in power grids.