| Abstract: |
Voltage stability enhancement in transmission grids has emerged as a critical challenge due to increasing power demand, renewable energy integration, and operational constraints. This study investigates the efficacy of Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) controllers including Static Var Compensator (SVC), Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), Thyristor Controlled Series Compensator (TCSC), and Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) in reinforcing voltage stability margins in transmission networks. The research employs continuation power flow analysis and voltage stability indices on IEEE 14-bus test system to evaluate performance metrics. Four FACTS devices were systematically analyzed under varying load conditions from 100% to 160% loading scenarios. Results demonstrate that UPFC provides maximum loadability improvement of 28.5%, followed by STATCOM (23.8%), TCSC (19.2%), and SVC (16.4%). The study reveals STATCOM offers superior dynamic voltage response with recovery time of 0.42 seconds compared to SVC's 0.68 seconds. Voltage stability margins increased by 32-48% across different FACTS configurations. These findings establish quantitative benchmarks for optimal FACTS deployment strategies in modern transmission infrastructure facing renewable integration challenges and load growth pressures. |
