Design, Optimization and Experimental Verification of a Low Cost Two-Microcontroller Based Single-Phase STATCOM

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes the design and optimization procedure for a low cost single-phase Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) based on Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel Converter (CHBMC) topology. The CHBMC consists of two series-connected identical H-bridge converters so that five voltage levels at the AC side of STATCOM are attained. After summarizing the basic STATCOM operation and the modelling of the CHBMC topology, the STATCOM model connected to a 220 V single-phase grid is simulated in order to verify closed-loop operation of the STATCOM. In this study, two PI controllers are used for reactive power control and regulating the average DC link voltage of the two H-bridge converters. The optimization of the PI controller parameters are achieved by particle swarm optimization method. Finally, the hardware design of a small power rated of single-phase STATCOM connected to 220 V grid is realized and verified experimentally. Phase shifted multi-carrier sinusoidal pulse width modulation is chosen to drive the MOSFET switches. It is shown that STATCOM is able to be operate both in capacitive and inductive mode of operation and injects the desired amount of reactive power into the grid. The advantages of the developed prototype are low-cost, easy to implement and upgradable to higher voltage/power levels.

KEY WORDS:

• Cascaded H-Bridge multilevel converter
• Hardware design
• Microcontroller
• Particle swarm optimization
• STATCOM
• Static synchronous compensator

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to express their deep and sincere gratitude to the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, the General Company for the production of electric power, the northern region, which had supported Mr. Hamed Atyia Soodi for the completion of this research.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at doi:10.1080/03772063.2021.1875270

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hamed Atyia Soodi

Hamed Atyis Soodi received his PhD degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Gaziantep University, Turkey in 2019. His research interests include power system modelling and control, power quality, FACTS devices, and multilevel converters. Email: [email protected]

Ahmet Mete Vural

Ahmet Mete Vural is currently working as a full-time associate professor in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department in Gaziantep University. He is leading Power Systems Research Group. He received his PhD degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Çukurova University, Turkey in 2012. He worked as research assistant in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department in Gaziantep University between 1999 and 2004 and in Automation and Process Control Engineering Department in Wuppertal University, Germany between 2004 and 2007. His research interests are application of power electronics to power systems, multi-level converters, FACTS devices, power quality, microgrid, smartgrid, renewable energy, and energy storage.