2014 IEEE 28-th Convention of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel

Matlab-Simulink Model of AC Grid with Non-Linear

Load and Static Compensator for Power Quality
Improvement
Y. Beck Y. Berkovich
Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering,
Holon Institute of Technology Holon Institute of Technology
Holon, Israel Holon, Israel
beck@hit.ac.il berkovich@hit.ac.il

Abstract— A detailed Matlab-Simulink model of a three-phase
electric grid with a Static Compensator, aimed for power quality
improvement, is presented in the paper. The model is designed
based on known algorithms of the compensator operation and
certain grid and load parameters. Concrete implementation of all
the model’s integral parts is described in detail. Moreover,
efficiency of the compensator operation under various regimes,
such as power factor correction, grid current balancing for
asymmetric load and harmonics suppression, is also presented.
Drawing attention to Static Compensators as multi-purpose tools
for Smart Grid formation is addresses as well.
Index Terms— Power Quality, Harmonics, PFC, Static
Compensator.
I. INTRODUCTION
Improving the quality of electric power in modern electric
grid is an actual and important task. A combination of
conventional and renewable energy sources, a significant
increase of a non-linear loads and the great complexity of
operating modes requires a search for new means to reduce
grid harmonics [1]. Effective tool for this is a Static
Compensator (Statcom) [2,3]. This paper presents a detailed
Matlab-Simulink model of a three-phase electric grid with a
Statcom. The paper shows simulations with specific
verification that confirm its effectiveness.
II. MODEL DESCRIPTION AND THE RESULTS
In Fig. 1 a three-phase electric grid for modeling in Matlab-
Simulink is shown. The grid consists of a non-ideal voltage
source (phases A, B, C, Ls, Rs), non-linear load consisting of
three-phase diode rectifier with a resistor Rd and smoothing
inductance Ld on the output and a Static Compensator
(Statcom) with bridge of transistors IGBT and diodes,
capacitance Cdc and voltage Vdc on the input and inductances Lc
on the output. A Rf-Cf filter is also connected to the grid as
well as other possible load.

Lsa Rsa
isa vsa
A
Lsb Rsb isb vsb
B
Lsc Rsc isc vsc
C
iCc iCb iCa iLc iLb iLa

LCc LCb LCa

isc isb isa iLc iLb iLa
C fc C fb C fa

R fc R fb R fa
vdc Cdc Rd Ld

Fig. 1. A complicated three-phase electric grid with a Statcom and non-linear load.
 A current control mode (CCM) controller is used as the 1
Statcom controlling unit. The control method is based on Vsa1 = (Vsaf + aVsbf + a 2Vscf );
generating a PWM control pulses for IGBT bridge. 3
The model of this grid is based on principles known in the 1
literature, in particular [2]. Vsb1 = (a 2Vsaf + Vsbf + aVscf ); (2)
3
The main task of the controller is receiving a reference
1
current for CCM [4], which will be examined below. Note that Vsc1 = (aVsaf + a 2Vsbf + Vscf )
the principle of obtaining the reference current method is based 3
on the instantaneous power values [5,6]. Block 4 (in Fig. 3(a)) provides the quadrature
A block diagram of the Statcom Controller is presented in transformation of voltages, i.e. creates the voltages which are
Fig. 2. Primarily from the line voltages vab, vbc of the grid are shifted relative to the phase voltages by 90 degrees:
formed by simple arithmetic operations on the phases
1 1
Voltages vsa, vsb and vsc (block 1): vsa1q = − vsb1 + vsc1 ;
2 1 1 1 3 3
vsa = vab + vbc ; vsb = − vab + vbc ;
3 3 3 3 3 1
(1) vsbq1 = vsa1 + (vsb1 − vsc1 ); (3)
1 2 2 2 3
vsc = vab + vbc .
3 3 3 1
These voltages are filtered by using Band Pass Filter (2, vsc1q = − vbc + (vsb1 − vsc1 ).
block 2nd-Order Filter with cut off frequencies 30-70Hz), and 2 2 3
further used for estimation of balanced positive sequence
component vsa1, vsb1 and vsc1 (block 3, where: a=ej2π/3; The voltages which were obtained in blocks 3 and 4 allow
a2=ej4π/3): finding the instantaneous active and reactive powers –block 5
calculates the instantaneous three phase active power of the
connected nonlinear load:

vab isa
vbc isb
isc
vsaf vsa1 Vsa1m isar isbr iscr
vsa
vsbf vsb1 Vsb1m
vsb
vscf vsc1 Vsc1m
vsc
vsa1q vsb1qvsc1q
pL pLdc vsa1vsb1vsc1vsb1q vsa1qvsc1q
Vdcr
qL qLdc Vdc Ptot

Vtr Qtot
Vt

Fig. 2. Block diagram of the Statcom Controller.

qL = vsa1qiLa + vsb1qiLb + vsc1qiLc = QLdc + qLac (5)

pL = vsa1iLa + vsb1iLb + vsc1iLc = PLdc + pLac (4)
where PLdc and pLac are the average and oscillating
components respectively: the instantaneous three phase
reactive power of the connected nonlinear load is:
 The values Vsa1m, Vsb1m, Vsc1m and PLdc and QLdc are
selected by using blocks 6 and the LPF block respectively
allow to find the reference supply currents – block 9 (for
simplicity, the active losses Ploss in the Statcom and the
reactive value Qtr of blocks 7 and 8 are not taken into
account).
Next the active component of reference supply current is
calculated as:
isap = (2 ptot vsa1 ) / [Vsa1m (Vsa1m + Vsb1m + Vsc1m )],
isbp = (2 ptot vsb1 ) / [Vsb1m (Vsa1m + Vsb1m + Vsc1m )], (6)
(a)
iscp = (2 ptot vscv1 ) / [Vsc1m (Vsa1m + Vsb1m + Vsc1m )],
The reactive component of reference supply current:
isaq = (2 qtot vsa1q ) / [Vsa1m (Vsa1m + Vsb1m + Vsc1m )],
isbq = (2 qtot vsb1q ) / [Vsb1m (Vsa1m + Vsb1m + Vsc1m )], (7)
iscq = (2 qtot vsc1q ) / [Vsc1m (Vsa1m + Vsb1m + Vsc1m )].
The resultant reference supply currents are:
(b) isar = isap + isaq ; isbr = isbp + isbq ; iscr = iscp + iscq (8)
These currents along with the currents isa, isb, isc, are
supplied to the last block 10. This block implements the PWM
current controller, which forms the three phase pulses for the
transistors bridge of the STATCOM.

(c)
Fig. 3. Matlab-Simulink Model of blocks 4 – (a), 3- (b), and 10-(c).

Fig. 4. Matlab-Simulink Model of AC Grid Fig.1.

 500

vsa 0

500-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
500

vsb 0

500-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
500

vsc 0

500-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

50

0
iLa

50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
50

iLb 0

50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
50

iLc
0

50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

50

isa 0

50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

50

0
isb
50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

50

isc 0

50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
50

0
iCa
50-
0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

Phase A of non linear load Non linear load

no connected Is balansed

Fig. 5. Simulation results.


(a)
(b)
(c)
Fig. 6. Simulation results – THD of grid voltage - (a) , sources current –(b)
and balanced loads current.
Now focus on the blocks 3 and 10. Equation (2) shows the
formation principle of the direct sequence component from the
effective voltage values in the complex plane. We have
instantaneous values of voltages therefore block 3 is made in
accordance with Fig. 3(b). In block 10 for generating the pulses
a Simulink PWM Generator unit is used (as shown in Fig.
3(c)).
The complete Matlab- Simulink model is shown in Fig. 4,
in which the blocks of Fig. 2 are integrated in the Controller
and three blocks of the PWM. The Measurement unit (Fig. 4) is
designed to collect data `on the modeling results.
Other blocks correspond to the circuit in Fig. 1 (except load
elements of the block Load) . For obtaining unbalancing mode
in one of the phases of the nonlinear load enabled switch,
controlled by using the element Step.
The simulation results are shown in Fig. 5. In the upper
graphs the voltage curves vsa, vsb, vsc are given.
In the following three graphs the nonlinear load currents -
iLa, iLb, iLc are , wherein a current in the phase A until time t1 is
equal to zero (unbalancing mode).
Independent of the state of non-linear load (balanced or
unbalanced) the grid currents isa, isb, isc remain sinusoidal and
symmetric. At the same time, the STATCOM current (for
example, ica in the phase A) contains all harmonics that are
necessary for compensating the harmonics in the grid current.
The sinusoidal waveform of the grid voltage, grid currents
and the non-sinusoidal waveform of the load currents is
confirmed by Fig. 6.
III. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper a particular Matlab-Simulink model of electric
grid with a Statcom was developed. The model enables
verification of the different grid modes and evaluates the
efficiency of its operation.
Checking the grid model containing a non-linear and
unbalanced load shows the possibilities of STATCOM for
providing high sinusoidal voltage and current in the grid and
improve the power factor.
REFERENCES
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2006.
[2] S. R. Arya, B. Singh. Power quality improvement under non
ideal AC mains in distribution system. Electric Power System
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[3] J. Schlabbach, D. Blume and T. Stephanblome, Voltage quality
in electrical power systems, IEEE. pp.241. 2001.
[4] D. G. Holmes, T. A. Lipo, Pulse Width Modulation for Power
Converters. Principles and Practice. A John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
Publication. 2003, p. 724.
[5] Teodorescu R., Liserre M., Rodriguez P., Grid Converters for
Photovoltaic and Wind power Systems, 2011, John Wiley &
Sons, Ltd. Publication, p. 398.
[6] P. Salmeron, R. S. Herrera, J. R. Vazques. A new approach for
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reactive power theory. Electric Power System Research 78
(2008) 605-617.