7
2013 Nirma University International Conference on Engineering (NUiCONE)
T-connected Transformer Integrated Three-leg
VSC based 3P4W DSTATCOM for Power
Quality Improvement
Yogesh Rohilla, Yash Pal
Abstract--This paper provides power factor correction,
harmonics elimination, load balancing and neutral current
compensation of linear and non-linear, balanced and
unbalanced loads using custom power device DSTATCOM for
three-phase four-wire (3P4W) system. Perfect Harmonic
cancellation (PHC) theory has been used for reference current
generation. A three-leg voltage source converter topology with
T-connected transformer as distribution static compensator
(DSTATCOM) is used in this paper. T-connected transformer is
introduced here for neutral current compensation. Capability of
this arrangement is demonstrated using results obtained from
MATLAB-Simulink based environment.
Index Terms--DSTATCOM, Neutral current compensation,
Perfect Harmonic Cancellation theory, Power factor correction,
T-connected Transformer, THD.
I. INTRODUCTION
3 P4W systems are now widely employed in distributing
electric energy both to commercial and domestic users.
Both of these types of users use loads employing
semiconductors like television sets, air conditioners, ovens,
refrigerators, uninterrupted power supplies, rectifiers,
inverters, computer loads etc [1-3]. Also variation in load is
very high changing minute to minute, day n night, morning to
evening. Seasonal effects also change the load requirements.
Even a half degree rise in temperature in summer results in
high increase in air-conditioning loads [1]. Similarly a
decrement in temperature in winter increases the heating
loads. This load increment or decrement is very high in
highly cooled and hot areas. Also the lifestyle of generation is
moving towards comfort zone which increases the
televisions, computer and inverter type load. Fans and
pumping loads work on the lagging power factor and draw
reactive power from the supply. Compact fluorescent lamps
although requires very less electrical energy but works on
poor power factor and act a source of reactive power
consumption. 3P4W system consists of three-phase as well as
single phase loads. The arrangement of single-phase load on
spur lines is not equal and creates unbalancing in load
problems. All the loads discussed above are non-linear in
nature and distorts the sinusoidal nature of the supply voltage
and currents and require high amount of reactive power.
When this distorted supply is applied on other loads affects
their performance and life also. Due to unbalanced load a
978-1-4799-0727-4/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE
high current will flow through the neutral wire and may be a
cause of insulation failure of neutral wire and hazards.
To cope with all these problems Distribution STATic
COMpensator (DSTATCOM) is employed [2-3]. Here
DSTATCOM is made with 3-leg voltage source converter
(VSC) with DC capacitor for three phases and T-connected
transformer for neutral current compensation [5] [7-8]. PHC
control algorithm has been used as an indirect approach for
the reference source current generation. The three-phase
reference supply currents are derived using sensed ac
voltages at point of common coupling (PCC) and dc bus
voltage of the DSTATCOM as feedback signals. One
proportional plus integral (PI) controllers is used to estimate
the amplitudes of in-phase components of reference supply
currents. Hysteresis current controller has been used to
generate the six gating pulses to operate the 3-leg VSC.
Simulation results during steady state and transient operating
conditions of the DSTATCOM are presented and discussed to
demonstrate power-factor correction, load balancing and
harmonic reduction capabilities of the DSTATCOM system.
Power system blockset of MATLAB (MATrix LABoratory)
Simulink software is used to show the required results.
II. SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND DESIGN
VS ZS IS IL Different
PCC
Varying
L s Rs IC VPCC Loads
DSTATCOM
Cdc
Vdc
Fig. 1. Single line diagram of DSTATCOM.
Fig.1 shows the single line diagram of DSTATCOM
connected as shunt compensator. A three-phase, four-wire ac
source with line impedance (Ls, Rs) feeds power to balanced
or unbalanced, linear or non-linear load and combination of
all the loads. At the DC bus side of the VSC (voltage source
converter) of the DSTATCOM, a DC capacitor is used to
maintain the constant DC bus voltage. The operation of
DSTATCOM can be accomplished in two modes, power
factor correction (PFC) and zero voltage regulation (ZVR).
 7

The PFC mode is considered here. In PFC mode, among the three phases. The windings of the T-connected
DSTATCOM supplies the reactive power demanded by the transformer are designed such that the mmf is balanced
load so that the source should supply only the active power properly in the transformer.
required by the load. The PFC mode phasor diagram of
DSTATCOM is shown in Fig.2. The synchronous reference
frame control algorithm is used to extract reference source
currents and PI controller is used to regulate the DC bus
voltage. The extracted reference source currents are
compared with the respective sensed source currents and
current errors are used to generate the switching signals for
the VSC after amplification of errors. For generating the
switching signals, current errors are feed to the carrier based
PWM generator or carrier less PWM generator (hysteresis
PWM generator). Carrier less PWM generator has been used
here to simulate the DSTATCOM system in this work. The Fig.2. Phasor diagram of PFC mode of DSTATCOM.
design values of DSTATCOM system components for a load
of 20kVA, .8 power factor, 415V (L-L), 50Hz is given in A. DSTATCOM
appendix. The operation of VSC of DSTATCOM is similar to The power and control diagram of DSTATCOM is shown
the 3-leg DSTATCOM. For compensation of load neutral in Fig.3 to understand the working of it. The following steps
current, a T-connected transformer is used which allow are involved:
flowing zero sequence or loading neutral current and split it

Rr Cr

Va Ls R s CS VS isa CS iLa
Vsa Three-Phase
Foue-Wire
Vb isb Vsb iLb Linear, Non-
linear,
Vc Balanced,
isc Vsc iLc
Unbalanced
iSn iLn and Dynamic
Vsn Loads

iCn b1
b2
a2 a1
iCa iCb iCc

b3 T-connected
Transformer
Cdc

3-Leg VSC

6 Gating
isa isb isc Signals

Current Controller
Vsa
Vsb
Vsc iLa
Compute Reference iLb
Vdc Source Currents iLc

Fig.3. Power and control diagram of 3-leg VSC with T-connected transformer as DSTATCOM.

1. As shown in figure, first of all, three voltages (vSa, vSb 2.
and vSc) at point of common coupling (PCC), three load
currents (iLa, iLb and iLc), three supply currents (iSa, iSb
and iSc) and voltage across the DC capacitor (vdc) are
sensed.
Now with the help of load currents and PCC voltages
reference currents (  are generated with
the use of control algorithm. Control algorithm is needed
to generate the reference source currents. Reference
 7

source currents mean the currents which the source icr(p-p) is current ripple,
should supply. fs is the switching frequency,
3. After that reference source currents and sensed supply Vdc is dc bus voltage of DSTATCOM.
currents are fed into current controller. This current
F. Computation of Controller Gains
controller produces the six switching signals on the basis
of difference in behavior of the two currents. A PI controller is required for regulating the voltage of self-
4. Feed the switching signals produced by the current supporting DC bus. It requires two controller gains,
controller in the 3-leg VSC. These switching signals are proportional gain (kp) and integral gain (ki). In this work the
used to on-off the six IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar values of both the gains are found by hit and trial method.
Junction Transistor) of the VSC. As a result required G. Current controlled PWM Generator
compensator current is produced. Compensator currents
In a current controller, the sensed and reference source
are the currents which flow through the VSC. As it is
currents are compared to generate the switching signals
required that source should supply only active power of
forVSC. There is much type of current controllers in use.
load but load power requirement is of both active and
Hysteresis current controller is used here and a MATLAB
reactive types. So DSTATCOM supply the reactive
power as required by the load and source supply only model of the controller is shown in Fig.4.
active power of the load. DSTATCOM get this power
from the self-supporting dc capacitor connected at the
one end of the VSC.
B. DC Capacitor Voltage
The minimum dc bus voltage of VSC of DSTATCOM
should be greater than twice the peak of the phase voltage
of the system [6] [7]. The dc bus voltage is calculated as

Fig.4. MATLAB based model for Hysteresis Current Controller

where m is the modulation index,
VLL is the ac line output voltage of DSTATCOM. H. Design of T-connected Transformer
Fig.3 shows the connection of two single-phase
C. DC Bus Capacitor
transformers in T-conguration for interfacing with a three-
The value of dc capacitor (Cdc) of VSC of DSTATCOM phase four-wire system. The T-connected windings of the
depends on the instantaneous energy available to the transformer not only provide a path for the zero-sequence
DSTATCOM during transients [6] [7]. The principle of fundamental current and harmonic currents but also offer a
energy conservation is applied as path for the neutral current when connected in shunt at point
of common coupling (PCC). Under unbalanced load, the



zero-sequence load-neutral current divides equally into three
where Vdc is the reference dc voltage, currents and takes a path through the T-connected windings
Vdc1 is the minimum voltage level of dc bus, of the transformer. The current rating of the windings is
a is the overloading factor, decided by the required neutral current compensation. The
V is the phase voltage, phasor diagram shown in Fig.5 gives the following relations
I is the phase current and to nd the turns ratio of windings [7]. If Va1 and Vb1 are the
t is the time by which the dc bus voltage is to be voltages across each winding and Va is the resultant voltage,
recovered. then
D. Ripple Filter
A low-pass rst-order lter tuned at half the switching
frequency is used to lter the high frequency noise from the
voltage at the PCC. Ripple filter should be designed such that
its impedance as high as only a small current can pass
through. This insures the very small loss across the RC filter.
E. AC Inductor
The selection of the ac inductance (Lf) of VSC depends
on the current ripple, switching frequency, dc bus voltage. Lf
is given as



where m is the modulation index, Fig.5. Phasor diagram of T-connected transformer
a is the overload factor,
Va1 = K1Va
 7

Vb1 = K2Va the DC bus voltage at a constant reference value ( ).
where K1 and K2 are the fractions of winding in the phases. is the losses of DSTATCOM and this power is required by
Considering |Va | = |Vb | = V and Va1 = Va cos 30o, Vb1 =Va the self-supporting DC bus of DSTATCOM and it is
sin 30o, then from above two equations, one gets, K1 =0.866 estimated by the PI controller over the DC bus voltage of
and K2=0.5. DSTATCOM and can be expressed as:

III. CONTROL SCHEME

Many control theories are available in the literature for the Where = error in DC bus voltage.
control of DSTATCOM by the production of reference and are reference voltage and actual voltage of DC bus of
source currents for the VSC [9-16]. Some of them are DSTATCOM respectively.  are the proportional
instantaneous reactive power theory [9], synchronous and integral gains of the PI controller over the DC bus
reference frame theory [11] [16] on single phase and three voltage of DSTATCOM.
phase basis, Icos control theory [12-14], perfect harmonic Reference supply current in a-b-c frame can be
cancellation [15] etc. In this work PHC control theory is calculated by inverse transformation as:
considered for DSTATCOM operation. The control theory is

developed for the unity power factor operation of the
 
DSTATCOM.



and are the required reference source currents.
]

2 1 1/ 2 1/ 2
v 1 .[ p DC + p DCe

3 0 3 / 2 3 / 2
These extracted reference source currents ( and ) and
is*
1 0 i sa* the respective sensed source currents  are fed
v + 1
+

0

2
2 1 1/ 2 1/ 2 i * 1 / 2 3 / 2 i sb* in hysteresis current controller to generate the switching
s 3
3 0 3 / 2 3 / 2

1 / 2 3 / 2
signals or pulses for the DSTATCOM.
( 3 )

i sc*
1
= Ax

IV. MODELING AND SIMULATION

iS 0
i S*
iS

vdc*
*
*

Fig.6. Block diagram of extracting reference source currents using PHC The DSTATCOM (3-leg VSC with T-Connected
Transformer) is modeled and simulated in MATLAB-
The block diagram representation of the PHC control Simulink with power system toolbox. This model is shown in
theory is shown in Fig.6. The perfect harmonic cancellation Fig.7. Different load arrangement is shown. The result will
(PHC) method can be regarded as a modication of the be discussed for linear as well as non-linear load with
instantaneous reactive power theory and unity power factor unbalancing using phase out. First linear but unbalanced load
theory. Its objective is to compensate all the harmonic is applied which is not shown here and then the results for
currents and the fundamental reactive power demanded by the non-linear loads are tested. After some interval of time
the load in addition to eliminating the imbalance. The source load of phase a and then phase b are out. The R-C ripple
current will therefore be in phase with the fundamental filter is connected with the DSTATCOM to filter out the
positive-sequence component of the voltage at the PCC. The ripples in the PCC voltage. PCC voltage and load current
reference source current will be given by along with the dc capacitor voltage are required to generate
the reference source current with the PHC for the hysteresis
current controller. Source current and generated reference
Where is the PCC voltage space vector with a single
fundamental positive-sequence component and K is a source current are compared in Hysteresis current controller
constant whose value depends on the PCC voltage and the to generate 6-pulse switching signals to control the 3-leg
load. The power delivered by the source will be voltage source converter IGBTs so that it supply required

reactive power by the load. Connection of T-connected
In above equation represents the DC component transformer is shown for the purpose of nearly zero neutral
which is responsible for fundamental active power whereas current.
is harmonic power component. As source is required to
supply fundamental power only and the other power V. SIMULATION RESULTS
requirement i.e. reactive power must be supplied by The performance of 3-leg VSC with T-connected
DSTSTCOM so only is required from above equation. transformer as DSTATCOM is tested with linear-unbalanced
The fundamental instantaneous active power component can and nonlinear-unbalanced load for the purpose of power
be extracted from the by using a low Pass Filter factor correction, load balancing, harmonics reduction and
(Butterworth type). neutral current compensation. All the results are shown with


the simulation environment.

A. Linear Load
Performance of DSTATCOM with linear load with

Where
 represent the reference source unbalancing is shown in Fig.8 for power factor correction,
harmonics reduction, load balancing and neutral current
current signals in --0 coordinates respectively.

compensation. Three-phase load is changed to two-phase
and is active power required to maintain load at time 0.5s and to single-phase at 0.56s. And loads are
  

reapplied from single-phase to two-phase aat 0.63s and three-
phase at 0.68s. Results shows PCC voltagee and load current
are in same phase. Also reactive power suppplied by source is
negligible small as compared to power reqquired by the load
i.e., whole reactive power is suppllied by DSTATCOM. It is
shown neutral current by source iss nearly zero whereas load
neutral current is very high at the time
t of phase out as whole
neutral current is compensated by T-connected
T arrangement.

Fig.7. Matlab-Simulink simulation based model of 3-leeg VSC with T-connected transformer as DSTATCOM

Fig.8. Performance of DSTATCOM in PFC mode for llinear load (a) supply voltage vS (V), (b) supply current iS (A), (c) load currents iL (A), (d) compensator
currents iC (A), (e) supply voltage of phase a vSA (V) annd supply current of phase a iSA (A), (f) DC bus voltage VDC (V), (g) reacctive power demand by load qL
(W) and reactive power supplied by source qS (W) for pphase a, (h) source neutral current iSn (A), (i) load neutral current iLn (A)).

B. Nonlinear load compensation. Three-phase load is changed to two-phase

load at time 0.47s and to single-phase at 0.56s. And loads are
Performance of DSTATCOM with nonnlinear load with
reapplied from single-phase to twoo-phase at 0.64s and three-
unbalancing is shown in Fig.9 for power factor correction,
harmonics reduction, load balancing andd neutral current
  

phase at 0.73s. Results shows PCC voltagee and load current shown neutral current by source iss nearly zero whereas load
are in same phase. Also reactive power suppplied by source is neutral current is very high at the time
t of phase out as whole
negligible small as compared to power reqquired by the load neutral current is compensated by T-connected
T arrangement.
i.e., whole reactive power is supplied by D
DSTATCOM. It is

Fig.9. Performance of DSTATCOM in PFC mode for nonlinear load (a) supply voltage vS (V), (b) supply current iS (A), (c) lo oad current of phase a iLA (A), (d)
load current of phase b iLB (A), (e) load current of phasse c iLC (A), (f) compensator currents iC (A), (g) DC bus voltage VDC (V),, (h) source neutral current iSn (A),
(i) load neutral current iLn (A), (j) current supplied by ttransformer iTn (A), (k) transformer current for phase a iTa (A),(l) transfformer current for phase b iTb (A),
(m) transformer current for phase c iTc (A).

Fig.10. Waveform and THD spectrum of (a) PCC voltaage of phase c, (b) source current of phase c, (c) load current of phase c.

Waveform and total harmonic distortion (THD)
spectrum of PCC voltage, source current and load current is
shown in Fig.10. We can see that the THD of load current is
45.79% and waveform is spiky in nature. This load current
THD is compensated by the DSTATCOM to 2.77% to make
supply current sinusoidal. THD in PCC voltage is 3.22%.
Both the THDs for PCC voltage and supply current is well
below the maximum THD standard i.e., 5% as given by
IEEE. The magnitudes of the harmonics are very less and
averaged below 0.1% of fundamental values after
compensation by DSTATCOM.
VI. COMPARISON
In this work 3-leg VSC with T-connected transformer is
used as DSTATCOM because it is one of the best [8]
topology for power factor correction with neutral current
compensation, harmonics elimination and load balancing. As
we find from the results transformer has performed its task of
neutral current compensation accurately. In this method the
rating of the transformer used is less as compared to other
transformer based DSTATCOM [8]. Perfect harmonics
cancellation control algorithm is used in this work because it
was found in best methods of source current generation when
the load current THD is near to or less than the 50% [15]. In
[15] it is shown that performance of this theory is better than
the some other currently running theories. This is the reason
of using this theory in this paper.
VII. CONCLUSION
Performance of DSTATCOM consisting of 3-leg VSC
with T-connected transformer for the 3P4W distribution
system is simulated and the respective results has been
studied for power factor correction, load balancing, neutral
current compensation and harmonics reduction for various
linear, nonlinear and unbalanced load. T-connected
transformer has performed its task of mitigating source-
neutral current successfully. PCC voltage and load current
are in phase shows that power factor correction goal are
achieved. Problem of load unbalancing has also solved by
DSTATCOM. Whole reactive power is supplied by
DSTATCOM. This gives reactive power compensation.
THD results are shown. Results obtained have the THD
below 5%. Although THD level are well below the limits but
it can be more corrected with perfect tuning of PI controller
and by using perfectly tuned R-C filter. It can be observed
PHC theory is a good tool for reference current generation.
With the power factor correction this arrangement can also
be used for voltage regulation as well although this is not
given in this paper.
APPENDIX
Line voltage: 415 V, 50 Hz
Ripple filter: R = 15, C = 1 F
DC Bus voltage: 700 V
DC Bus Capacitor: 4700 F
Line impedance: Rs = 0.01, Ls = 1 mH
Loads: a) linear: 20 kVA, 415 V, 50 Hz, pf = 0.8 lag

b) Nonlinear load: 3 Single phase diode bridge rectifier load
with RL=8 and CL=300 F
PI controller: Kp = .19, Ki = 6.25
AC inductor: .1, 15 mH
T-connected transformer: Two single-phase transformers of
rating 5 kVA, 240/120/120 V and 5 kVA, 208/208 V.
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