Reactive power control for improving voltage profiles: A comparison between two decentralized approaches

Abstract This paper is concerned with a local regulation of the voltage profiles at buses where wind power distributed generators are connected. In particular, the aim of the work is to compare two voltage control methods: the first based on a sensitivity analysis and the second on the designing of a fuzzy control system. The two methods are tested by means of simulations on a real distribution system and the results indicate that both methods allow the voltage profiles to be regulated at the wind generator connection bus within voltage standard limits, by taking into account the capability curves of the wind generators. Nevertheless, the fuzzy method presents more advantage in comparison with the sensitivity method. In fact, (i) it provides a gentler action control with a lower reactive power consumption during control operations as the reactive power profile follows better the voltage variations; (ii) the design of the fuzzy controller is independent from the knowledge of network parameters and its topology.