SMART Power Flow Controller for Smart Grid Applications by Kalyan Sen

Increasing transmission capacity is essential to meet an increased demand of electricity, integration of renewable generation and so on. The power industry?s pressing need for the most economical ways to transfer bulk power along a desired path may be met by building new transmission lines, which is a long and costly process. Alternately, it may be quicker and cheaper to increase the available transfer capacity of the existing transmission lines with a power flow controller. Power flow control techniques have been practiced, from using inductors, capacitors, transformers and load tap changers in the earlier days of electrical engineering to power electronics-based solutions in recent years. Even though the costs and complexities of the available solutions vary widely, the basic underlying theory of power flow control is still the same as it always has been. To recommend proper solutions, SMART Power Flow Controllers are designed based on functional requirements and cost-effective solutions.