EGAT Transmission System Conference (TS-CON 2003), 2003

Steady State and Dynamic Performance of STATic synchronous COMpensator

Nitus Voraphonpiput Assist. Prof. Dr.Somchai Chatratana

System Control and Operation Division Electrical Engineering Department
Phone: 024362164 Fax.: 024368913 King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok
nitus@it.egat.or.th scn@kmitnb.ac.th

Abstract
The static synchronous compensator or STATCOM is classified as a shunt compensator
type of Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) which can increase voltage and angle
stability of power system. This paper describes the steady state and dynamic performance of
STATCOM in the function of voltage regulation. The simple radial system was used as an
example case for the study. It showed that the STATCOM could perform as a reactive power
generator which could absorb or deliver reactive power from the power system, and result in
regulated voltage at the receiving end. To achieve the purpose, the PI controller has to be
designed, and the modulus optimum (MO) was used for tuning. The performance of STATCOM
under MO design was illustrated in this paper and all simulation was done on ATP-EMTP. The
simulation results showed that the example case could reject all disturbances from switching in
and switching out of difference load types such as RL-type and RC-type within three cycles (60
ms).

1. Introduction
The power system always has disturbances from load, generators and transmission lines,
so they affect variation of bus voltage at any connection points. Sometimes, the disturbances may
cause unacceptable voltage level to be over or under the standard limit. The shunt compensator
was a good practice for recovering bus voltage to the acceptable level. The high attention has
been focused on FACTS devices to improve power system stability (voltage and angle stability)
by using fast action of power electronic devices and static controller. The STATCOM is a kind
of FACTS devices which is classified as a shunt compensator. One basic purpose in control
engineering is to implement STATCOM as a voltage regulator of the power system at the bus
where STATCOM is installed. The AC voltage regulation is regulated by controlling the reactive
power exchanged between STATCOM and the power system. STATCOM was installed in
many utilities such as the Tennessee Volley Authority (TVA), and the National Grid Company
(NGC), because they used it to prevent voltage collapse. [1-2]
This paper described the principles of STATCOM and their configurations. The steady
state and dynamic performance under voltage regulation function are also discussed. To achieve
the AC voltage regulation, A classical control theory was used for controller design. This paper
applied the modulus optimum (MO) which is well practical, and selects a 230 kV radial system
that consists of single three-phase sources, transmission lines and 500 MVA load. The 300
MVAr six-pulse STATCOM was installed at the receiving end for generating or absorbing
reactive power. This case was simulated on ATP-EMTP and the Transient Analysis of Control
System (TACS) was used in the simulation for controlling the STATCOM model

2. Principle and configuration

Considering the two-bus system as shown in figure 1, the reactive power flow from bus 1
to bus 2 depends on the bus voltage level. Namely, The reactive power flows from the higher
voltage level to the lower voltage level. This phenomenon can be explained by using the phasor
 EGAT Transmission System Conference (TS-CON 2003), 2003

diagram in Figure 1. The current flow (I) from bus 1 to bus 2 must always lag voltage drop on
the inductor with the 90 degree angle, and this voltage is the difference between voltage Bus 1
and Bus 2. consequently if the voltage U2 is higher than U1, the current will act as a leading
current, and if the voltage U2 is less than U1, the current will act as a lagging current. The
voltage at Bus 2 can control the reactive power in this system.

I
U1 UL
U1 UL U2
U2
U1
I
U2 UL
I

Figure 1. The simple two-bus power system

Considering Figure 2, The three-phase circuit where the STATCOM is installed at Bus 2.
The STATCOM circuit consists of voltage source converter (VSC), and operates as an inverter
and a capacitor with the direct current in its capacitance side. The voltage source converter might
be a GTO or an other high power electronic switch. In this figure, the voltage source converter is
a six-pulse converter which has 180-degree conduction period in each switching.

GTO D Idc
U1A R L U2A
+
U1B R L U2B
Udc C
U1C R L U2C -

Figure 2. The six-pulse STATCOM Circuit

The Bus 2 voltage (U2) varies with the capacitor voltage (Udc) which can be controlled by
the capacitor current (Idc). Neglecting line resistance, The capacitor current can be approximated
by this equation [3].
 EGAT Transmission System Conference (TS-CON 2003), 2003

kU1
I dc = sin δ (1)
2πfL

2
Where k = , U1 is Bus 1voltage, U2 is Bus 2 voltage, Udc is capacitor voltage [V], L is
π
transformer leakage reactance [H], δ is difference angle between two buses, f is frequency [Hz].
The capacitor voltage is related with the integral of its current divided by the capacitance
value. It can be seen that the capacitor current can be controlled by the difference angle between
two buses. It might be said that capacitor voltage can be controlled by δ, and δ is directly related
with the lagging or leading angle of voltage source converter when comparing with the voltage at
Bus 1. Namely, if the firing angle is delayed, the capacitor voltage will be high. Conversely, If
the firing angle is advanced, the capacitor voltage will be low. This phenomenon can be
illustrated in the phasor diagram in Figure 3, and the waveform of voltage and current at steady
state are shown in Figure 4.

U1 U2
R jXL

I
I

U2
U1 jXL I δ
δ U1
RI
jXL I
RI
Leading power factor I Lagging power factor
U2

Figure 3. Phasor Diagram of two bus power system with STATCOM

600 600
U2AB U1AB U1AB
400 400 U2AB
U1A U1A
200 200

0 0

-200 -200

I
-400 -400
I
-600 -600
0.160 0.165 0.170 0.175 0.180 0.185 0.190 0.195 [s] 0.200 0.160 0.165 0.170 0.175 0.180 0.185 0.190 0.195 [s] 0.200
(file STATCOMdesign.pl4; x-var t) c:XXS1 -XXU1 v:XXU1 -XXU2 v:XXSA-v:XXSB (file STATCOMdesign.pl4; x-var t) c:XXS1 -XXU1 v:XXSA-v:XXSB v:XXU1 -XXU2
v:XXSA v:XXSA

(a) (b)
Figure 4. The waveform of voltage and current (phase A) at steady state of the system
 EGAT Transmission System Conference (TS-CON 2003), 2003

3. Voltage regulation performances

Considering the power system in Figure 5, it contains a 230 kV power system, an
equivalent circuit, and loads. The step-down transformer is connected between the equivalent
circuit and the six-pulse STATCOM. This system has 20.08 kA, three-phase short circuit
current. The size of STATCOM capacitor is 4800 µF.
US U1 U2
R jXL
C

I 300 MVA,230/16 kV
230 kV %uk =20%
Isc =20.08 kA H 6-pulse
85 deg PI STATCOM
6
Rload controller δmax
um
- Firing Circuit
Xload
+
δmin
uref
Figure 5. The power system voltage regulation case study

This power system is considered as the controlled system and its transfer function is
needed. This system can be identified by a step response test. The basic transfer function should
be in the form of equation below. [1]

Um ( s ) A e − Td s
F( s ) = = (2)
δ (s ) 1 + T1 s

This equation is confirmed by the step response test in Figure 6. The delayed time of the
power system is equal to 28 ms, the measuring delayed time is equal to 6.66 ms, and the system
gain is 1.66 [1/rad]. The delayed time of the voltage source converter is approximately 1.7 ms
and it can be neglected because of very small delayed time, so this plant is approximate as two
time delayed elements.
35
*10 -3
30
100% 0.0288
25
1.7 ms
20 1 6.66 ms 1.66 28 ms
63% δ(s) U2(s)
15
28 ms
10

0
0.48 0.52 0.56 0.60 0.64 [s] 0.68
(f ile STATCOM_perf ormance4T.pl4; x-v ar t) t: V t: ALPHA
factors: 1 1 0.01
offsets: 0 -0.993 0

Figure 6. The step response and approximated block diagram of plant

 EGAT Transmission System Conference (TS-CON 2003), 2003

Applying modulus optimum technique, the PI controller is suggested. [4] The controller
parameters are as follows: Kp = 1.27 [rad] and Ti = 28 ms, the performance of voltage regulation
under modulus optimum is presented in figure 7 and figure 8.

U [pu] U1A ISTATCOM

1.02 200
*10 3
1.01 150
With MO design
1.00 3 cycle 100

0.99 50

0.98 0
Without
-50
0.97
STATCOM
0.96 -100

0.95 -150

0.94 -200
0.48 0.52 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.68 0.72 [s] 0.76
0.48 0.52 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.68 0.72 [s] 0.76
(f ile STATCOM_PERFORMANCE5M.pl4; x-v ar t) v :U1A c:U2A -UPA
STATCOM_perf ormance5without.pl4: t: V factors: 1 1 100
STATCOM_PERFORMANCE5M.pl4: t: V offsets: 0 0 0

(a) (b)

Figure 7. Performance of Voltage regulation during energizing 500 MVA load

ISTATCOMA(le ISTATCOMA(la
U [pu] ading) U1A
1.04 200
gging)
*10 3
1.03 150
Measured voltage
1.02 100

1.01 50

1.00 0

0.99 -50

0.98 -100
3 cycle
0.97 -150

0.96 -200
0.96 1.00 1.04 1.08 1.12 1.16 [s] 1.20 0.96 1.00 1.04 1.08 1.12 1.16 [s] 1.20
(f ile STATCOM_perf ormance5M.pl4; x-v ar t) t: V (f ile STATCOM_perf ormance5M.pl4; x-v ar t) v :U1A c:U2A -UPA
factors: 1 1 100
offsets: 0 0 0

(a) (b)

Figure 8. Voltage regulation performance during tripping 250 MVA load

And switching a 200 MVAr capacitor

Figure 7(a) presents the voltage at Bus 2, and it compares the system performance
between the system without compensator and the system with STATCOM under the MO design.
The simulation result demonstrates that the bus voltage can recover to the pre-disturbance level
within three cycles after disturbance from 500 MVA load occurred. Figure 7(b) demonstrated
that the phase A of STATCOM current responses, when the leading current is increased after this
disturbance.
 EGAT Transmission System Conference (TS-CON 2003), 2003

The STATCOM response during changing mode was shown in Figure 8. In this case, the
voltage reference is set to 1.0 p.u, 250 MVA load is rejected from the power system, and a 200
MVAr capacitor load is switched in at the same time, Figure 8(a) shows that the controlled bus
voltage can also recovered within three cycles. Figure 8(b) shows that the phase A, STATCOM
current responses during changing mode from generating reactive power to absorbing reactive
power, and the current was changed from a leading current to a lagging current within a cycle.

4. Conclusion
This work is focused on steady state and dynamic of STATCOM. This device can
perform as a reactive power source which can generate or absorb reactive power in the power
system. The STATCOM capacitor is used for exchanging the reactive power and maintaining the
dc voltage level at the dc side. The reactive power can flow into STATCOM by reducing voltage
at a capacitor and it can be controlled by making the leading δ angle, conversely, the STATCOM
can generate reactive power by making the lagging δ angle, both conditions are introduced in this
paper. Furthermore, it also suggests the simple way for rough system identification by using the
step response test, and the test indicates the dominant pole of a plant. The other dominant pole
come from the measuring system, thus the STATCOM and the power system can be estimated
by two delay elements.
The AC voltage regulation can be achieved by using closed loop control. The modulus
optimum (MO) is applied for PI controller design. The simulation was done on ATP-EMTP,
indicates that the controlled bus voltage can be recovered within three cycles after disturbance.
The simulation result also demonstrates the STATCOM current during a disturbance, and the
leading current can be changed to the lagging current within a cycle.
Because of its fast response and less reactance, STATCOM is an attractive shunt
compensator in the power system and the greatest benefit of a STATCOM is applied for
automatic AC voltage regulation. This may be a new coming in Thailand, understanding
STATCOM performance might be a good preparation for EGAT in the near future.

References
[1] Narain G. Hingorani, Laszlo Gyugyi "Understanding FACTS concepts and Technology of
Flexible AC Transmission Systems" IEEE Press 2001
[2] GE Power Systems "Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) Technologies on the TVA
Transmission" EPRI TR-106462 May 1996
[3] Philip Moore, Peter Ashmole “Flexible AC Transmission systems part 4 Advanced FACTS
controllers” Power Engineering Journal, April 1998
[4] Friedrich Fröhr, Fritz Orttenburger “Introduction to Electronic Control Engineer” SIEMENS
AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT 1982