Intelligent unified power quality conditioner based photovoltaic to improve grid reliability and mitigate power quality issues

Problem. Electrical distribution networks are plagued by power quality problems, which have a negative impact on sensitive electrical loads. These problems include reactive current, low power factor on the load side, and voltage harmonics, voltage sags and voltage swells on the grid voltage side. To address these issues, a unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) that combines shunt and series compensators is suggested. The goal of the work is to implement a UPQC integrated with a photovoltaic (PV) system to mitigate power quality problems in the power system, and boosting the grid supply through power injection from the PV system. Methodology. One of the less complex and effective ways to improve the grid’s voltage quality is by using the unit vector template generation (UVTG) strategy as the composition technique (UPQC-P) through the UPQC series compensator. The synchronous reference frame (SRF) strategy through the UPQC shunt compensator to improve the current quality on the load side is used. To further optimize the SRF strategy, it is used the snake optimization (SO) to find the optimal values for the PI controller’s parameters. Results. The UPQC-PV is used to mitigation the power quality issues in the grid and loads by UVTG and SRF techniques in series and shunt compensators, respectively. Scientific novelty. The composition technique (UPQC-P) through a series compensator and uses the SO for tuning the PI controller in the shunt compensator. Practical value. This study reduces the total harmonic distortion (THD) in the load voltage to 0.57 %, while the THD in the grid voltage remains at 10 %. It restores the load voltage to its reference value of 230 V during voltage sags (down to 161 V) and swells (up to 300 V) in the grid. Additionally, it mitigates the low power factor on the load side (0.707 lagging) to achieve a unity power factor in grid current, balances the unbalanced load current to a balanced grid current, and enhances grid stability by injecting power from the PV system into the grid. References 33, table 3, figures 7.