Virtual active filters for HVDC networks using V2G technology

•A method for implementing V2G in bulk power transmission is presented.•A virtual active filter is designed based on p–q theory.•Reactive power support and filtering capabilities of PHEV is investigated.•PHEVs as virtual active filters and use of HVDC terminals as PHEV parks.•Proposed virtual active filter improves the power quality maintaining the IEEE Std.

Active and passive filters are essential to maintain the power quality of a HVDC link. In this paper the Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology is used to design a virtual active filter based on instantaneous power theory (p–q theory). The potential of a low-cost solution that utilizes the reactive power and filtering capabilities of plug-in vehicles parked in charging stations is investigated. Simulations are performed for the CIGRE benchmark HVDC network to demonstrate that the proposed virtual active filter improves the power quality maintaining the IEEE Std 519-1992.