Performance Analysis of a Grid-Integrated Wind Energy Conversion System Using Static Synchronous Compensator for Load Variation

Wind power is a promising renewable energy option that will play a major role in future power generation. However, this also introduces integration-related power quality challenges, primarily reactive power compensation and voltage control. Due to their instability and high reactive power consumption, induction machines are mostly utilized as generators in wind-powered generation. In reactive power compensation, the goal of adjusting controller parameters for a pulse width modulated converter-based static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) is to improve the system’s performance in controlling voltage and power factor. This article presents a comparative analysis between two controllers, which are the conventional Proportional-Integral (PI) controller and the proposed hybrid (PI + Fuzzy logic) controller. A STATCOM should be able to absorb or inject the required amount of reactive power into the grid while operating in inductive mode. The study investigates the dynamic behavior of the system when subjected to both resistive-inductive and nonlinear and time-varying loads. To lessen the amount of burden from the grid, the STATCOM will help to compensate for the reactive power from the grid by keeping it at zero and ensuring all the reactive power demanded by the load will be supplied by the STATCOM, while only the active power demanded by the load will be supplied by the grid. Regarding the performance of the proposed setup in wind and grid conditions, simulation and analysis are executed via MATLAB/Simulink. The results show whether STATCOM operates to sustain dynamic reactive power and mitigate total harmonic distortion to a level acceptable by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards.