Design and simulation of unified power flow controllers using matrix converters

Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices have gained huge attraction recently. They offer optimal utilization of the existing system sources and capacities with an essential level of reliability as well as increasing practical capacity of transmission lines. Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) is one of the recent members of these devices, which offers unique characteristics such as independent control of active and reactive powers in a transmission line. In this paper, the two converters and the capacitor in the UPFC´s structure are replaced with a dual-bridge matrix converter which results in considerable decrease in UPFC´s cost and volume. A detailed model of the UPFC with matrix converter is derived and tested in a simple power system to evaluate the suitability and functionality of the model. To control the switching of the matrix converter, Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM) control scheme is used.