Superconducting Generator Stability Enhancement Using a Facts Device

Abstract

Stability of the superconducting generator (SCG) is a key concern in developing this machine. The paper here presents a method for enhancing stability of a SCG connected to an infinite-bus system using one of FACTS devices. In this method, a static VAR compensator (SVC)-based stabilizer is designed in coordination with a governor controller (GC) to effectively damp the mechanical oscillations which arise in the system when subjected to a major disturbance. A time response-based objective function is defined and the design problem of an SVC-based stabilizer and GC is formulated into an optimization problem. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique is employed to find out an optimal set of parameters for the SVC-based stabilizer and GC. Simulation results and damping torque analysis show that the proposed PSO-based control scheme provides more damping to the SCG, and enhances its stability over a range of operating conditions.