The installed capacity of photovoltaic (PV) systems globally reached 177 GW at the end of 2014 The annual rate of installations, 387 GW in 2014, continues to increase A large part of this is installed as residential systems connected to low voltage (LV) networks The majority of the LV distribution networks are radial, unbalanced with respect to loads and feeder structures and have high R/X ratios The large scale deployment of PV within the LV distribution networks is limited by voltage quality problems, particularly over voltages and unbalance Development of proper mitigation techniques is essential to effectively and efficiently manage high penetration of PV within the LV distribution networks A number of techniques have already been developed and implemented in LV distribution networks to alleviate those problems This paper provides an extensive review of the present status, impacts and technical challenges of PV penetration in LV distribution networks In addition, the review comprehensively examines the commercially available and emerging mitigation methods and provides a framework that systematically explores the full range of technical methods and limitations for PV impact mitigation These will provide a useful framework and strong point of reference for the researchers working further in this field

A review of high PV penetrations in LV distribution networks: Present status, impacts and mitigation measures

This paper presents a control system based on a repetitive controller to compensate for key power-quality disturbances, namely voltage sags, harmonic voltages, and voltage imbalances, using a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR). The control scheme deals with all three disturbances simultaneously within a bandwidth. The control structure is quite simple and yet very robust; it contains a feedforward term to improve the transient response and a feedback term to enable zero error in steady state. The well-developed graphical facilities available in PSCAD/EMTDC are used to carry out all modeling aspects of the repetitive controller and test system. Simulation results show that the control approach performs very effectively and yields excellent voltage regulation.

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A Versatile Control Scheme for a Dynamic Voltage Restorer for Power-Quality Improvement

In this paper, two new topologies are proposed for three-phase dynamic voltage restorers (DVRs). These topologies are based on direct converters. The proposed topologies do not require dc-link energy storage elements. As a result, they have less volume, weight, and cost. They can also compensate long-time voltage sags and swells. The proposed DVRs can compensate several types of disturbances, such as voltage sags, swells, unbalances, harmonics, and flickers. Moreover, due to the fact that the compensation voltage for each phase is taken from all three phases, the proposed topologies can compensate one-phase outages. In the proposed topologies, three independent three-phase to single-phase direct converters are used. Each converter operates independently and, as a result, the proposed DVRs properly compensate unbalanced voltage sags and swells. The used converters can be constructed by four or six power switches. Depending on the structure of the used converters, the compensation ranges will be different. A new control method is also proposed for using direct ac/ac converters. The experimental and simulation results verify the capabilities of the proposed topologies in compensation of voltage distortions.

Mitigation of Voltage Disturbances Using Dynamic Voltage Restorer Based on Direct Converters

The paper deals with an optimized unified power-quality conditioner (UPQC), which aims at the integration of series active and shunt active power filters with minimum volt-ampere (VA) loading of the UPQC. The series active filter is a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR), which regulates the voltage at the load end with minimum VA loading of the overall UPQC by injecting the voltage at an optimum angle. The proposed scheme is validated by an experimental prototype in the laboratory. Selected experimental results are reported along with analytical findings, which show the effectiveness of the proposed UPQC

Experimental Investigation of a Single-Phase UPQC With Minimum VA Loading

A comprehensive review of dynamic voltage restorers

The compensation capability of a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) depends primarily on the maximum voltage injection ability and the amount of stored energy available within the restorer. A new phase advance compensation (PAC) strategy for the DVR is proposed in order to enhance the voltage restoration property of the device. The scheme requires only an optimum amount of energy injection from the DVR to correct a given voltage sag. Supply voltage amplitude and phase detection scheme as well as a phase advance determination scheme are also included. The resulting DVR design is shown to be superior in terms of lower storage energy need compared to the conventional in-phase boosting method. The analytical results are validated by laboratory tests carried out on a prototype of the restorer. The efficacy of the proposed method is illustrated.

Voltage sag compensation with energy optimized dynamic voltage restorer

The compensation capability of a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) depends primarily on the maximum voltage injection ability and the amount of stored energy available within the restorer. A new phase advance compensation (PAC) strategy for the DVR is proposed in order to enhance the voltage restoration property of the device. The scheme requires only an optimum amount of energy injection from the DVR to correct a given voltage sag. Supply voltage amplitude and phase detection scheme as well as phase advance determination scheme are also included. The resulting DVR design is shown to be superior in terms of lower storage energy need compared to the conventional in-phase boosting method. The analytical results are validated by laboratory tests carried out on a prototype of the restorer. The efficacy of the proposed method is illustrated.

A. A. D. R. Perera

Papers

Voltage sag compensation with energy optimized dynamic voltage restorer

Voltage sag compensation with energy optimized dynamic voltage restorer