The application of a SVPWM STATCOM for voltage regulation in wind power integration

Due to global warming, the importance of the environmentally friendly method of converting wind power into useful energy has increased significantly. Studies over the years have made the integration of wind farms into electrical networks feasible today. However, due to the fluctuating nature of the wind, voltage variation at the interconnection of wind farms continues to be a problem. This paper aims to study the viability of a STATCOM in providing reactive power compensation, and in turn voltage regulation at the interconnection of wind farms. The proposed technique uses space vector PWM (SVPWM) modulation strategy which has lower switching losses, higher output voltage for the same dc-bus voltage, and better harmonic performance compared to the sinusoidal PWM (SPWM) technique. Results show that the proposed technique provides voltage regulation and fault ride through capability for the voltage at the point of common coupling.