A Comprehensive Revision of FACTS Devices and Their Effects on the Power Quality of Microgrids Including Renewable Energy Sources

Due to the incremental applications of the distributed generators that represent renewable energy sources in the electrical networks, the challenges related to power quality issues become factors with very importance. grid has brought new challenges for utilities. These challenges include ensuring the harmonics in the allowable limits, stabilizing voltage, and utilizing energy efficiently, also the nonlinear loads connected to electrical network that may cause lot of harmonics. Nonlinear loads obtained from the application of power electronic devices connected with linear loads or batteries which happened in case for PV inverters, represent a source for harmonics. Due to the increasing demand of electrical power, power electronic converters are commonly used to connect renewable energy sources to distribution and transmission systems including those with energy storage, as well as smart buildings. The applications of flexible AC transmission systems (FACTSs) with dynamic controllers are applied to improve power quality, provide stabilization and filter the harmonics efficiently. FACTSs are also important for improving power factor, and energy utilization, this paper presents detailed study for all types of FACTS devices, including Static VAR Compensators (SVC), Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitors (TCSC), Unified Power Flow Controllers (UPFC), static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and other types. The analysis of each device introduces the operational principles, advantages, disadvantages, and constraints. Also, the paper assesses the effectiveness of these devices on Microgrids Technical Challenges.