Study of microturbine impacts on a distribution system

Abstract

Distributed generation systems have become the new focus of the world and microturbine generation system is one of the systems. The connection of a microturbine generator to a distribution system requires the use of an alternating current/ direct current/ alternating current, AC/DC/AC power converter which in turn creates a harmonic problem to the distribution system. A modelling of a microturbine generation system using Power System Computer Aided Design, PSCAD sof tware is presented and the harmonic impact of the microturbine generation system on the distribution system is investigated. The necessity of reducing the harmonics injected by the microturbine generation system into the grid is solved by introducing three different types of filters in the system which is a passive filter, an active filter and a hybrid filter. The simulations of the microturbine generation system for each type of filter are done and the waveforms of total harmonic distortion, THD and harmonic spectrum of the grid current with the use of each filter in the system are studied. The study shows that the hybrid filter provides the largest harmonic reduction in the grid current compared to the passive and active filter.