static VAR compensator (SVC) is a set of electrical devices for providing

fast-acting reactive power on high-voltage electricity transmission networks.[1]
[2] SVCs are part of the Flexible AC transmission system [3][4] device family,
regulating voltage, power factor, harmonics and stabilizing the system. A static
VAR compensator has no significant moving parts (other than internal
switchgear). Prior to the invention of the SVC, power factor compensation was
the preserve of large rotating machines such as synchronous condensers or
switched capacitor banks.[5]

The SVC is an automated impedance matching device, designed to bring the

system closer to unity power factor. SVCs are used in two main situations:

 Connected to the power system, to regulate the transmission voltage

("Transmission SVC")
 Connected near large industrial loads, to improve power quality
("Industrial SVC")

In transmission applications, the SVC is used to regulate the grid voltage. If the
power system's reactive load is capacitive (leading), the SVC will use thyristor
controlled reactors to consume VARs from the system, lowering the system
voltage. Under inductive (lagging) conditions, the capacitor banks are
automatically switched in, thus providing a higher system voltage. By
connecting the thyristor-controlled reactor, which is continuously variable,
along with a capacitor bank step, the net result is continuously variable leading
or lagging power.

In industrial applications, SVCs are typically placed near high and rapidly
varying loads, such as arc furnaces, where they can smooth flicker voltage.

Principle

Typically, an SVC comprises one or more banks of fixed or switched

shunt capacitors or reactors, of which at least one bank is switched by
thyristors. Elements which may be used to make an SVC typically include:
 Thyristor controlled reactor (TCR), where the reactor may be air- or
iron-cored
 Thyristor switched capacitor (TSC)
 Harmonic filter(s)
 Mechanically switched capacitors or reactors (switched by a circuit
breaker)

By means of phase angle modulation switched by the thyristors, the reactor may be variably
switched into the circuit and so provide a continuously variable VAR injection (or absorption) to
the electrical network.[2] In this configuration, coarse voltage control is provided by the
capacitors; the thyristor-controlled reactor is to provide smooth control. Smoother control and
more flexibility can be provided with thyristor-controlled capacitor switching.[7]
 Thyristor Controlled Reactor(TCR), shown with Delta connection

Thyristor Switched Capacitor (TSC), shown with Delta connection

The thyristors are electronically controlled. Thyristors, like all semiconductors,

generate heat and deionized water is commonly used to cool them.
[5] Chopping reactive load into the circuit in this manner injects undesirable
odd-order harmonics and so banks of high-power filters are usually provided to
smooth the waveform. Since the filters themselves are capacitive, they also
export MVARs to the power system.

More complex arrangements are practical where precise voltage regulation is

required. Voltage regulation is provided by means of a closed-loop controller.
[7] Remote supervisory control and manual adjustment of the voltage set-point
are also common.

Generally, static VAR compensation is not done at line voltage; a bank

of transformers steps the transmission voltage (for example, 230 kV) down to a
much lower level (for example, 9.0 kV).[5] This reduces the size and number
of components needed in the SVC, although the conductors must be very large
to handle the high currents associated with the lower voltage. In some static
VAR compensators for industrial applications such as electric arc furnaces,
where there may be an existing medium-voltage busbar present (for example at
33 kV or 34.5 kV), the static VAR compensator may be directly connected in
order to save the cost of the transformer.

Another common connection point for SVC is on the delta tertiary winding of
Y-connected auto-transformers used to connect one transmission voltage to
another voltage.

The dynamic nature of the SVC lies in the use of thyristors connected in series
and inverse-parallel, forming "thyristor valves"). The disc-shaped
semiconductors, usually several inches in diameter, are usually located indoors
in a "valve house".

The main advantage of SVCs over simple mechanically switched compensation

schemes is their near-instantaneous response to changes in the system voltage.
[7] For this reason they are often operated at close to their zero-point in order
to maximize the reactive power correction they can rapidly provide when
required.

They are, in general, cheaper, higher-capacity, faster and more reliable than
dynamic compensation schemes such as synchronous condensers.[7] However,
static VAR compensators are more expensive than mechanically switched
capacitors, so many system operators use a combination of the two
technologies (sometimes in the same installation), using the static VAR
compensator to provide support for fast changes and the mechanically switched
capacitors to provide steady-state VARs.
STATCOM

STATCOM or Static Synchronous Compensator is a power electronic device

using force commutated devices like IGBT, GTO etc. to control the reactive
power flow through a power network and thereby increasing the stability of
power network. STATCOM is a shunt device i.e. it is connected in shunt with
the line. A Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) is also known as a
Static Synchronous Condenser (STATCON). It is a member of the Flexible AC
Transmission System (FACTS) family of devices.

The terms Synchronous in STATCOM mean that it can either absorb or

generate reactive power in synchronization with the demand to stabilize the
voltage of the power network.

Working Principle of STATCOM:

To understand the working principle of STATCOM, we will first have a look at

the reactive power transfer equation. Let us consider two sources V1 and V2
are connected through an impedance Z = Ra + jX as shown in figure below.

 
In the above reactive power flow equation, angle δ is the angle between V1 and
V2. Thus if we maintain angle δ = 0 then Reactive power flow will become
Q = (V2/X)[V1-V2]

and active power flow will become

P = V1V2Sinδ / X =0

To summarize, we can say that if the angle between V1 and V2 is zero, the
flow of active power becomes zero and the flow of reactive power depends on
(V1 – V2). Thus for flow of reactive power there are two possibilities.

1)    If the magnitude of V1 is more than V2, then reactive power will flow
from source V1 to V2.

2)    If the magnitude of V2 is more than V1, reactive power will flow from
source V2 to V1.

This principle is used in STATCOM for reactive power control. Now we will
discuss about the design of STATCOM for better correlation of working
principle and design.

You may like to read Reactive Power and Voltage Control of a Transmission

Line

Design of STATCOM:

STATCOM has the following components:

1)      A Voltage Source Converter, VSC

The voltage-source converter is used to convert the DC input voltage to an

AC output voltage. Two of the common VSC types are as below.

a)    Square-wave Inverters using Gate Turn-Off Thyristors: In this type of

VSC, output AC voltage is controlled by changing the DC capacitor
 input voltage, as the fundamental component of the converter output
voltage is proportional to the DC voltage.

b)    PWM Inverters using Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT): It

uses Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technique to create a sinusoidal
waveform from a DC voltage source with a typical chopping frequency
of a few kHz. In contrast to the GTO-based type, the IGBT-based VSC
utilizes a fixed DC voltage and varies its output AC voltage by
changing the modulation index of the PWM modulator.

2)      DC Capacitor

DC Capacitor is used to supply constant DC voltage to the voltage source

converter, VSC.

3)      Inductive Reactance

A Transformer is connected between the output of VSC and Power

System. Transformer basically acts as a coupling medium. In addition,
Tranformer neutralize harmonics contained in the square waves produced
by VSC.

4)      Harmonic Filter

Harmonic Filter attenuates the harmonics and other high frequency

components due to the VSC.

A simplified diagram along with equivalent electrical circuit of STATCOM is

shown in figure below.
Now we will understand how the STATCOM works though we have discussed
the basic operating principle of STATCOM. As can be seen from the figure
above, source V1 represents the output voltage of the STATCOM. In case of
reactive power demand increases in the power system, STATCOM increases its
output voltage V1 while maintain the phase difference between V1 and V2 to
zero (it shall be noted here that there will always exists small phase angle
between V1 and V2 to cater for the leakage impedance drop in the
interconnecting Transformer ). As V1 > V2, reactive power will flow from
STATCOM to the power system. Thus STATCOM, supplies reactive power
and acts as reactive power generator.

Again, if the voltage of power system increase due to load throw off,
STATCOM will reduce its output voltage V1 and therefore will absorb reactive
power to stabilize the voltage to normal value.

The above mode of operation of STATCOM is called Voltage Regulation

Mode.

But as we know every equipment has got their own limitations, so STATCOM
must also have some limitation of supplying or absorbing reactive power. Yes,
there exists a limitation and this limitation is imposed by the current carrying
capacity of force commutated devices like IGBT, GTO etc. Therefore, if the
operation of STATCOM reaches their limitation, it does not further increases
or decreases its output voltage V1 rather it supplies or absorbs fixed reactive
power equal to its limiting value at a fixed voltage and current and acts like
constant current source. This mode of operation of STATCOM is called VAR
Control Mode.

Thus form the above discussion, the operation of STATCOM can be classified into
two modes:

1)    Voltage Regulation Mode

2)    VAR Control Mode

The figure below well explains the above two modes of operation of STATCOM.

The figure above is the Voltage Current Characteristics of STATCOM. As can be

seen, voltage regulation capability of STATCOM is from V1 (in lower side) to V2 in
upper side of power system. If the voltage of power system goes below V1 or above
V2, STATCOM acts in VAR Control mode. Here V1 and V2 are just taken for
example, it should not be confused with the V1 (used for output voltage of
STATCOM) and V2 (Voltage of power system) used in the discussion above.

Application of STATCOM:
Voltage stability is one of the biggest problems in power systems. Engineers
and researchers are trying to consolidate a definition regarding to voltage
stability, besides proposing techniques and methodologies for their
analysis. Most of these techniques are based on the search of the point in
which the system’s Jacobian becomes singular, this point is referred as the
point of voltage collapse or maximum load ability point. (we will discuss
point of voltage collapse in next post) The series and shunt compensation are
able to increase the maximum transfer capabilities of power network
.Concerning to voltage stability, such compensation has the purpose of
injecting reactive power to maintain the voltage magnitude in the nodes close
to the nominal values, besides, to reduce line currents and therefore the total
system losses. Today due the development in the power electronics devices, the
voltage magnitude in some node of the system can be adjusted through
sophisticated and versatile devices named FACTS. One of them is the static
synchronous compensator (STATCOM).

Usually a STATCOM is installed to support electrical networks that have a

poor power factor and often poor voltage regulation. The most common use of
STATCOM is for voltage stability. A STATCOM is a voltage source converter
(VSC) based device, with the voltage source behind a reactor. The voltage
source is created from a DC capacitor and therefore a STATCOM has very
little active power capability. However, its active power capability can be
increased if a suitable energy storage device is connected across the DC
capacitor. 
Comparision of SVC and STATCOM