An unified power quality conditioner for load sharing and power quality improvement

This paper reports the integration of a hybrid system that consist of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and an ultra-capacitor (UC) with the UPQC. Apart from performing load sharing with the grid, the overall UPQC is able to handle a wide range of power quality (PQ) problems; thus enhancing the functions of the UPQC and ensures higher network availability, reliability and stability. The UPQC is controlled by the Model Predictive Control (MPC), which has the capability to handle hard constraints. Illustrative examples to demonstrate the robustness and performance of the UPQC with the hybrid system are presented. The proposed hybrid system is generic in nature and can be used with other UPQCs to enhance their performance and capabilities.