Modeling and Simulation of Reactive Power Compensation Using a Synchronous Motor with Excitation Control in MATLAB/Simulink

This study investigates reactive power compensation using a synchronous motor in a three-phase electrical power system without conventional capacitor banks through MATLAB/Simulink-based modeling and simulation. The proposed system consists of inductive loads and a 15 kVA synchronous motor operating as a dynamic reactive power compensator via excitation current control. Different operating conditions were analyzed by varying the excitation voltage and current parameters. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed compensation method significantly reduced reactive power demand and improved the overall system power factor to nearly unity (PF ≈ 1.00). In addition, the apparent power demand decreased from 24 kVA to 21.63 kVA under optimized operating conditions, resulting in lower transmission line current, reduced power losses, improved voltage stability, and enhanced overall system efficiency. The findings confirm that synchronous motor-based reactive power compensation provides a flexible, reliable, and dynamically controllable alternative to conventional capacitor bank systems under varying load conditions.