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Optimal STATCOM Placement for Enhanced Voltage Stability and Power Factor ImprovementAsiimwe Julius,Bwire Godfrey,Abdullahi Bala Kunya,Arinaitwe Robert,Katamba Rogers,Masereka Brain,Migisha Jim,Ndifuna Swalleh,Muhangi Ustus. Abstract | Download PDF | | Post | The diverse and rapidly varying reactive power requirements in power systems pose significant threats to system security and stability. To mitigate these challenges, the Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), a shunt device, is employed for rapid reactive power compensation. However, due to its high cost, deploying a STATCOM at every bus is impractical, necessitating an optimal strategy for its placement and sizing to maximize system performance. This study adopts the Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO) algorithm to determine the optimal size and location of multiple STATCOM units in a medium-voltage distribution network, focusing on enhancing voltage stability and overall power factor. The proposed method is validated on the IEEE 33-bus system, achieving a voltage deviation reduction of 32.60% (from 0.9413pu to 0.6344pu) and an improvement in the average power factor from 0.8147 to 0.9576, representing a 17.54% enhancement. Application of the technique to the Eastern Jinja DN in Uganda demonstrates significant improvements, with the average power factor increasing from 0.8505 to 0.9688 (a 13.91% improvement) and the voltage deviation reduced by 37.97% (from 1.7720pu to 1.0991pu). These results underscore the effectiveness of the proposed optimization approach in achieving improved voltage stability and power factor performance in real-world and analytical systems.
Key words: Distribution Network, Eastern Jinja DN, Invasive Weed Optimization, Power Factor Improvement, STATCOM, Voltage Profile Enhancement
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