An Analysis of the Effect of Fault Location on the Transient Stability of a PV-Integrated IEEE 30 Bus System with FACTS Devices

Abstract

The increasing penetration of PhotoVoltaic (PV) generation in power systems has become a serious concern regarding transient stability under severe fault conditions. In this study, the effect of fault location on the transient stability of a PV-integrated IEEE 30-bus system was analyzed using the Critical Clearing Time (CCT) as a stability index. A 50 MW PV unit was connected to the selected bus, and several three-phase fault scenarios were simulated using MATLAB/Power System Analysis Toolbox (PSAT). To improve system stability, three Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices, namely, Static Var Compensator (SVC), Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), and Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC), were implemented and compared. The obtained results show that transient stability is highly sensitive to fault location, even in the absence of PV integration. The presence of PV generation decreases the CCT and incurs high sensitivity to fault clearing time, especially at a weak bus. The application of FACTS devices enhanced the transient stability and increased the CCT for all considered cases. UPFC is the most effective and reliable device for enhancing system stability, followed by STATCOM, whereas SVC has a limited effect, depending on the fault location.