With the increasing share of renewable energy in power systems, the instability of the power systems is becoming increasingly significant. Consequently, power system stability has become a critical issue, and non-transmission alternatives have been examined as potential solutions. Among non-transmission alternatives, the synchronous condenser can enhance power system stability by providing inertia support and reactive power compensation, especially in systems with a high share of renewable energy. The placement and voltage settings of synchronous condensers significantly impact system stability. This paper proposes a methodology for determining the optimal placement and optimal voltage setting of synchronous condensers for enhancing their voltage stability and transient stability; the improved voltage stability index and synchronizing torque coefficient are used for enhancing the voltage stability and transient stability, respectively. A case study with a focus on specific stability aspects and involving scenarios where the size and number of synchronous capacitors are varied while maintaining a constant inertia energy is presented. The results of the case study show that strategically optimizing the placement and voltage setting of synchronous condensers can enhance the stability of a power system significantly.
Lee et al. (Wed,) studied this question.