POWER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT USING FACTS DEVICES

Abstract

Power quality (PQ) issues—such as voltage sags, swells, harmonics, flicker, and imbalance—pose significant challenges to modern electrical grids due to growing nonlinear loads, distributed generation, and renewable energy integration. Power electronics–based Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices are promising solutions for dynamic control of voltage, reactive power, and power flow to mitigate PQ disturbances. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the role of major FACTS devices—Static VAR Compensator (SVC), Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC), Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC), and related custom power devices—in enhancing PQ. A detailed literature review is followed by a methodology involving simulation studies on standard test systems to quantitatively evaluate PQ metrics (voltage regulation, harmonic distortion, reactive power compensation). Results show significant improvements in voltage stability and harmonic mitigation with appropriate FACTS implementation. The discussion contextualizes findings with existing research, highlighting operational challenges, optimization techniques for device placement, and future research directions including AI-enhanced FACTS control. The study confirms that strategic deployment of FACTS devices is essential for resilient, high-quality power delivery in modern grids.