What are the applications of STATCOMs?

STATCOMs deploy their versatility in a wide range of scenarios, being particularly beneficial in both transmission lines and industrial environments. Let's examine the advantages they offer, segmented according to their field of application.

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Industrial Users Application

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1. Power Quality Improvement: Industrial facilities, such as steel mills, often face loads that introduce significant voltage fluctuations and generate harmonics. STATCOMs can effectively mitigate these disturbances by providing or absorbing reactive power quickly, which substantially improves power quality and decreases harmonics, benefiting from their inherent filtering capability.

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2. Unbalance Correction: With a delta connection configuration, STATCOMs are particularly effective in correcting phase-to-phase unbalance, a common challenge in environments with asymmetrical loads. This is crucial to prevent abnormal operating conditions and protect sensitive equipment.

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3. Flicker Reduction: The operation of electric arc furnaces and energy-demanding machinery can cause rapid and severe load fluctuations. STATCOMs intervene to counteract these effects, stabilizing the voltage and thereby improving the visual stability and performance of sensitive equipment.

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4. Power Factor Improvement: In the industrial context of a steel mill, optimizing the power factor is not only a matter of energy efficiency, but also a matter of economics. By improving the power factor, penalties imposed by the utility company can be minimized and the efficiency of electrical energy utilization can be maximized.

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Transmission Line Application

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1. Real-Time Voltage Control: STATCOMs are essential for dynamic voltage control in transmission systems, which is crucial for maintaining operation within the limits of safety and efficiency.

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2. Grid stability: They help maintain system stability in the face of transient events, such as line outages or system failures, by providing immediate voltage support.

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3. Transfer Capacity Expansion: They allow greater load transfer over existing lines by improving the voltage profile, which can delay or eliminate the need to build new transmission lines.

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4. Transmission Loss Reduction: By optimizing reactive power flow, STATCOMs can help reduce transmission line losses.

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Other applications

Power factor control and voltage regulation are fundamental requirements to comply with the standards and requirements established by the Grid Code 2.0. In a current context where loads demand fast and efficient solutions to avoid interruptions in production, as well as to optimize the performance and extend the life of the equipment used in the different voltage levels of the electrical system.

The STATCOM offers a number of functions that allow it to contribute to improving the reliability and stability of the power grid. These functions include harmonic mitigation, voltage stabilization, system balancing, transient stability and damping of system oscillations. These capabilities are critical to ensure optimal operation in the power system by helping to reduce the risk of faults and improve power quality.

This  equipment represents an integral solution for the large industry of our country, covering a wide range of sectors such as: renewable energy parks, transmission and distribution systems, steel industry, mining, automotive and manufacturing industry. By integrating this equipment into electrical systems, we achieve compliance with the country's regulations and standards, improve the stability of electrical systems, integrate the equipment with the electrical grid, reduce losses and operating costs in the processes, and help increase the useful life of the equipment, allowing greater efficiency and profitability for the industries.

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In Diram we have STATCOM, suitable for applications where a dynamic voltage control and stability in the power quality of the network is required. Contact our consultants to review the needs of your plant and recommend the best option for you.

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