A study on probabilistic evaluation of harmonic levels produced by static compensators

The probabilistic study of harmonics is becoming an important issue in power systems since the usage of power electronic devices is necessarily unavoidable. This has become more important due to the need for more reliable harmonic studies which consider the stochastic nature of produced harmonics in electrical power systems. This provides a probabilistic remedy that needs to be incorporated in the harmonic analyzes. This paper briefly reviews the related literature, and presents a tangible view on the probabilistic aspects, methods and standards of harmonics in electrical power systems. Then, a semi-stochastic method is proposed to predict and simulate the three-phase voltage unbalance, leading to an analytical tool for prediction of harmonic performance of STATCOM. This method is developed based on the measured data obtained from a low voltage distribution network. Finally, the modeled STATCOM is linked with the distribution substation, applying the proposed voltage unbalance modeling to evaluate uncharacteristic harmonics injected by the STATCOM at the PCC. This investigation on STATCOM illustrates the proper application of the probabilistic methods in practical and theoretical situations.