Investigating the performance of photovoltaic based DSTATCOM using I cos Φ algorithm

•Photovoltaic fed boost converter operated DSTATCOM.•It provides source harmonic reduction, reactive power and load compensation.•DSTATCOM was controlled by I cos Φ algorithm.•PV with boost converter used to step up the voltage to match the DC-link voltage.•Fuzzy is compared with PI at AC terminal voltage controller to reduce source current THD.

In this paper, a three-phase three-wire Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) which is fed by Photovoltaic (PV) array or battery operated DC–DC boost converter is proposed for power quality improvement in the distribution system. The DSTATCOM consists of a three-leg Voltage Source Converter (VSC) with a DC-link capacitor. The PV array or battery operated boost converter is used to maintain the desired voltage across the DC bus capacitor to provide continuous compensation. The proposed DSTATCOM provides continuous source harmonic reduction, reactive power compensation and load compensation throughout the day. The I cos Φ controlling algorithm is proposed for three-phase three-wire DSTATCOM. The performance of the Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) is compared with the conventional Proportional Integral (PI) controller at AC voltage controller in I cos Φ algorithm. The fuzzy controller further reduces the source current Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) when compared with the conventional PI controller. The main advantage of this proposed system is to provide continuous compensation for the whole day. The switching of VSC will occur by comparing the reference source current with the sensed source current using hysteresis based Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) current controller. The performance of the DSTATCOM is validated using MATLAB software with its simulink and Power System Blockset (PSB) toolboxes.