Optimal location of shunt FACTS devices for power flow control

Power flow control, in an existing long transmission line, plays a vital role in Power System area. This paper employs the shunt connected compensation (STATCOM) based FACTS device for the control of voltage and the power flow in long distance transmission line. The proposed device is used in different locations such as sending end of the transmission line, middle and receiving end of the transmission line. The PWM control strategy is used to generate the firing pulses of the controller circuit. Simulations were carried out using MATLAB Simulink environment. The suitable location and the performance of the proposed model were examined. Based on a voltage-sourced converter, the STATCOM regulates system voltage by absorbing or generating reactive power. Contrary to a thyristor-based Static Var Compensator (SVC), STATCOM output current (inductive or capacitive) can be controlled independent of the AC system voltage. The simulation results reveals that the reactive power generated is better at the middle of the transmission line when compared with the other ends of the transmission line and also the voltage is controlled at the middle of the line. Henceforth the location of STATCOM is optimum when connected at the middle of the line.