Impact of EV charging Station Penetration on Harmonic Distortion Level in Utility Distribution Network: A Case Study of Qatar

Abstract

The penetration of electric vehicles (EV) into the public distribution grid can create various technical issues related to the services' power quality and reliability. These impacts range from thermal limits violation of system components, harmonic distortion to the increase in demand, particularly during peak time. Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is considered one of the leading causes of equipment failure due to the voltage waveform's distortion. In this paper, the public distribution network has been examined in terms of harmonic distortion percentage increase due to EV charging station penetration. The voltage profile is examined as the EV load increases to determine buses' capacity at certain THD levels. MATLAB/Simulink is utilized to obtain results where the THD from both medium and low voltage sides have been compared for a case of distribution network branch of Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC).