Optimal Sizing and Minimizing the Volt Ampere Loading on UPQC Converters for Distributed Generation Applications

This paper presents the optimal sizing of the converters in unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) and also for minimizing the volt-ampere (VA) loading on the converters of UPQC integrated with distributed generation (DG) sources in the DC link. The algorithms that are developed for conventional UPQCs are not suitable for the UPQC with DG, due to the active power transfer through the converters. So, there is a need for analyzing the VA loading on the converters of UPQC when integrated with DG sources. This paper calculates the optimum power angle between grid voltage and load voltage for minimizing the VA loadings on the converters. The control algorithms for series and shunt converters are modified for operating at optimum power angle to minimize the VA loading on the converters in the steady-state condition. Moreover, these modified UPQC control algorithms are verified by using OPAL-RT and dSPACE as hardware in the loop (HIL).