Residential static VAR compensator apparatus and method

A power distribution system comprising:

• a feeder including a phase conductor and a neutral conductor;
• and
• one or more static volt-ampere reactive (VAR) compensator apparatuses positioned between the feeder and one or more respective gateways, each static VAR compensator apparatus comprising:
• a capacitor electrically coupled between the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;
• a first switch electrically coupled between the phase conductor and an intermediate node;
• an inductor electrically coupled between the intermediate node and the neutral conductor in series with the first switch;
• a second switch electrically coupled between the intermediate node and the neutral conductor in parallel with the inductor;
• and
• a controller configured to transmit signals to the first switch and the second switch that cause the VAR compensator apparatus to modulate between a first steady state, in which the first switch is open and the second switch is closed, and a second steady state, in which the first switch is closed and the second switch is open,
• wherein each static VAR compensator apparatus is configured to measure load characteristics associated with the respective gateways and to determine whether to modulate between the first steady state and the second steady state based on a minimum power-point tracker algorithm.

A method comprising:

• providing capacitance between a phase conductor and a neutral conductor;
• providing a first switch electrically coupled between the phase conductor and an intermediate node, the first switch comprising a first sub-switch and a second sub-switch;
• providing inductance between the intermediate node and the neutral conductor;
• providing a second switch electrically coupled between the intermediate node and the neutral node, the second switch comprising a third sub-switch and a fourth sub-switch;
• transmitting signals to the first switch and the second switch modulating the first switch and the second switch between a first steady state, in which the first sub-switch and the second sub-switch are open and the third sub-switch and the fourth sub-switch are closed, and a second steady state, in which the first sub-switch and the second sub-switch are closed and the third sub-switch and the fourth sub-switch are open, wherein modulating between the first steady state and the second steady state further comprises passing between the first steady state and the second steady state according to a first set of intermediate states when a voltage at the phase conductor is positive, and passing between the first steady state and the second steady state according to a second set of intermediate states when the voltage at the phase conductor is negative.