PEV-based P-Q control in line distribution networks with high requirement for reactive power compensation

While plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are expected to provide economic and environmental benefits to the transportation sector, they may also help the electric grid, both as a potential source of energy storage and as a means to improve power quality and reliability. In this paper, our focus is on the latter, where PEVs offer reactive power compensation using P-Q control at their charger inverters. In this regard, we develop a new optimization-based P-Q control strategy for PEV charging stations to be implemented in line distribution networks that are in great need of reactive power compensation, either because of serving large industrial loads or due to the inductive impact of distribution level wind turbines. Our design is based on a nonlinear power flow analysis, and the design objectives are to perform voltage regulation and demand response. Through various computer simulations, we assess our proposed PEV-based reactive power compensation and compare it with the case where no P-Q control is conducted at PEV charging stations.