A voltage quality improvement solution using step dynamic voltage regulator

The quality of power supply is largely synonymous with voltage quality. Momentary voltage dips and fluctuations are some of the common power quality disturbances in the electrical supply networks. The effects of these disturbances transcend beyond just annoyances for the utility customers but may cause industrial-process interruptions which can incur significant financial costs. Industries affected include plants with critical processes like semiconductor manufacturing. Although distribution transformers are generally equipped with multiple taps for regulating the output voltage, the response of the conventional mechanical tap-changers is not fast enough to compensate for fast voltage variations on a millisecond time scale. This project proposes three designs of cost effective step dynamic voltage regulator (S-DVR) as forms of series compensation to compensate voltage dips and swells within half a cycle of mains frequency for any critical load. They are namely, S-DVR6, S-DVR8 and S-DVR12. The S-DVRs can counteract a wide variety of voltage fluctuations, with no limit on the duration. The S-DVR12 is simulated in a 230/66 kV network to highlight its effectiveness in overcoming power quality disturbances