Application of FACTS Devices for Transient Stability Enhancement in the Adama II Grid-Connected Wind Farm

The fluctuating wind speed affects the power output of WECS (Wind Energy Conversion Systems), which might lead to problems with power quality when it is integrated into the grid network. Numerous difficulties have emerged as a result of the tremendous proliferation of interconnected power systems. These include oscillations, power swings, blackouts, and outages caused by natural disasters, and system flaws at transmission lines, load centers, and generation sites. This can lead to power system instability, which makes it difficult to plan for and schedule maintenance. FACTS (flexible alternating current transmission system) contribute to the enhancement of transient stability as well as the damping of oscillations, in addition to the control of active and reactive power. It must, however, be placed in a specific power network, be appropriately sized, and use the best FACTS device. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of integrating FACTS into the 153 MW Adama II wind farm with the national grid of Ethiopia. The proposed wind farm is modeled using primary data while the grid side is represented by an IEEE 14-bus test system. Using the MATLAB/PSAT software tool, the ideal type of FACTS and their corresponding locations are determined by simulating the power flow in the combined WECS-IEEE 14 bus network. The IPFC (interline power flow controller) and UPFC (unified power flow controller) are added, together with the system response without FACTS, to compare performance. These devices’ effects on improving transient stability, reducing loss, damping power system oscillation, and supporting the voltage profile from the WECS to the distribution system have all been studied including under fault scenarios. The addition of IPFC and UPFC to the overall test systems significantly improves transient stability, dampens the multi-machine oscillations, and shortens the oscillation transient period. For this case study, FACTS devices decrease power losses in underperforming networks by 0.2485 p.u. with IPFC, and 0.1337 p.u. with UPFC.