Open UPQC: A possible solution for power quality. Series unit analysis

Power quality in distribution grids is already a concern in many European Countries where there is a strong presence of renewable energy generation. There is therefore a growing interest in new technologies able to improve the power quality level, among them the Open Uninterruptible Power Quality Conditioner (Open UPQC). Despite several proposals have been analyzed in literature, there are still few examples of experimentation in real environments. The paper discusses the design and the simulation of the Open UPQC, focusing on its series component. This analysis is the result of the preliminary investigation lead before the physical installation of the system in a real operating distribution grid.