The Application of D-STATCOM in Smart Distribution Grid with Wind Power Plants

The growth of wind farms in Brazil brings new challenges to the Brazilian electrical system, such as the adequacy of regulation for system operation, the supply-demand balance, the quality of the supplied power, and the system stability. New technologies associated with smart grids will enable an increase in intermittent renewable sources connected to the power distribution system. D-STATCOM (Distribution Static Synchronous Compensator) provides the necessary resources to prevent technical problems in systems with high penetration of wind power plants. It makes possible the wind farms to meet the requirements of network connection as power factor, voltage output and fault ride through requirements, as well as increases the transmission capacity and the network stability. This paper presents the dynamic behavior obtained by computer simulation of a distribution grid at 34.5 kV with D-STATCOM and wind farms. The use of D-STATCOM contributed to increasing the stability margin of the system, allowing the permanence of the three wind farms during fault and post-fault conditions.