Hospital power system with voltage sag mitigation mechanism

Abstract

Continuous and stable electrical power is important in healthcare facilities, where critical medical equipment relies on a dependable voltage supply. Temporary reductions in voltage, commonly referred to as voltage sags, may affect the performance of sensitive medical devices. Such as ventilators, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, computed tomography (CT) scanners, and patient monitoring systems. Although uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and standby generators are commonly employed to enhance supply reliability, their effectiveness may be constrained by response delays and maintenance requirements. This study presents the design and simulation of a hospital power system incorporating a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) for voltage sag mitigation. The system was modelled in MATLAB/Simulink using the Simscape Electrical toolbox, and voltage sag conditions were introduced through fault simulations to assess network performance with and without compensation. The simulation results indicate that, in the absence of STATCOM support, the system voltage decreased to approximately 0.5 p.u., accompanied by poor voltage stability and a recovery time exceeding 0.2 s. Following the integration of the STATCOM, the voltage profile improved to about 0.95 p.u., the sag duration decreased from 0.1 s to 0.05 s, and the recovery time was reduced to less than 0.05s, sag reduction percentage increases from 50% to 5. These findings demonstrate the capability of the STATCOM to enhance voltage regulation, reduce the severity of voltage sag, and improve the operational reliability of hospital electrical systems. The study highlights the potential application of STATCOM technology in hospitals and other facilities containing voltage-sensitive equipment.