FACTS Overview (TP 108)

The collective acronym FACTS has been adopted m recent years to describe a wide range of controllers, many of them incorporating large power electronic converters, which may, at present or in the future, be used to increase the flexibility of power systems and thus make them more controllable. Some of these controllers are already well established and some still in the research or development stage.
This document has been produced by CIGRE and the IEEE to give an overview of "Flexible AC Transmission Systems" (FACTS). FACTS has been defined by the IEEE as "alternating current transmission systems incorporating power electronic-based and other static controllers to enhance controllability and increase power transfer capability". Research institutions, utilities, and manufacturers throughout the world are pursuing programs with two main objectives:
� to increase the power transfer capability of transmission networks
� to provide direct control of power flow over designated transmission routes