Power Quality Improvement at Distribution Level for Grid Interfacing Applications

Abstract

Integration of Renewable Energy Sources into the grid are much more common nowadays. This article will introduce a new control approach to maximize the use of this grid-based inverter interface installed in a 3-phase 4-wire distribution system. the Inverter is controlled such that it can function as an active power filter. In this way, the inverter can be used as: 1) injecting active power from renewable energy sources to the grid at point of common coupling. 2) power filters to compensate for current unbalance, load harmonics, reactive power requirements of the load and neutral load currents. It can perform all these functions either separately or simultaneously. In such a case, the control combination of an inverter network interface and a 3-phase 4-wire linear or non-linear unbalanced load at the point of common contacts looks like a balanced load to the grid. This new control concept is mapped using extensive research, simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and confirmed using a digital signal processor-based laboratory experimental result.