Reactive Power Compensation

Modern power quality norms place a premium in the tariff structure towards out-of-limit reactive power. These limits are getting tighter by the day in the increased deregulated environment and competitive pressures amongst various agencies as evidenced by newer grid interconnection codes and penalty provisions. Further, corrections for power quality issues such as voltage sags, surges, flicker as well as grid stability support are demanded from installations that need to connect with the grid.

Wind Power generation is susceptible to fluctuations in the reactive power outlay based on wind speed variations. While these can be compensated broadly at an individual wind turbine level, there can be substantial difference in the reactive power needs at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) due to the combined effects of all wind turbines, transformers, transmission lines etc. It is necessary to confirm to the grid codes for interconnection of the wind farms to the utility transmission lines at the PCC. International grid codes, for instance, require a Fault Ride Through / Low-Voltage Ride Through facility that maintains the windfarm support to the grid during faults by having provision for substantial short-time reactive power available to maintain wind generation.

Similarly, Railways traction substations take utility feed and are required to draw power under tightly regulated conditions. The fluctuating reactive power requirement of a moving train requires precise and fast compensation to avoid breaching the imposed limits.

Conventional reactive power compensation mechanisms fail to provide for all above measures which require a dynamic response and short time capability for contingency events.

Aartech is associated as a value added system reseller with M/s S&C USA for their PureWave DSTATCOM , a proven power quality product with a large and successful installation base worldwide.

S&C’s PureWave DSTATCOM Distributed Static Compensator is a fast-compensating reactive power source that is applied on the transmission or distribution system to reduce voltage variations such as sags, surges, and flicker, along with instability caused by rapidly varying reactive power demand. PureWave DSTATCOM can also help provide quick recovery for the transmission system after contingency events such as loss of part of the system or individual equipment.