Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Electric distribution feeders'

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This work investigated the influence of photo-voltaic generators on the voltage control of distribution feeders and the methods that can be used to increase the maximum penetration levels of these feeders. Initially, a brief overview of the reasons why it is necessary to increase the generation penetration levels on distribution feeders was provided. A review of various issues associated with connecting generation to the distribution network; methods and technologies that can be used to increase penetration levels; and ways to improve voltage regulation on MV feeders was given. The grid code for renewable power plants and the voltage apportionment standard were reviewed to determine what limits penetration levels and what can be done to increase them. The operation and control of a typical distribution network, without any connected generation, was initially investigated. A control strategy was implemented that provided suitable voltage regulation on the feeder during both high and low load. The influence of connecting generation to this typical distribution network, without making any modifications to the control of the feeder, was investigated. Base penetration levels, for various generation connection cases, were found. It was shown that the penetration is limited by the rapid voltage change or voltage rise. The base penetration levels were compared to the optimal amount of generation that provides the lowest losses. It was shown that the penetration needs to be increased by between 100% and 200% for the feeder’s losses to be minimised. Voltage regulator and capacitor control was influenced by the generation and they could not function as expected. It was shown that flicker will not be an issue, even with penetration limits well above the current allowable limits. Various methods that can be used to increase the amount of generation that is connected to the typical network were investigated. On-load tap changer setpoint reduction, reactive power control and electronic voltage regulators are some of the methods or technologies that can be used to increase penetration levels. It was shown that each of the technologies can assist, depending on the circumstance, in increasing penetration. The individual modifications can increase penetration up to 100% at the cost of increased tap changes and in some cases losses. Two proposed control strategies were assessed, that combine the investigated technologies. The results showed that it is possible to increase penetration levels by 50-80%, while improving power quality and reducing losses when compared to the base generation connection case.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie werk ondersoek die invloed van die foto- voltaïes kragopwekkers op die spanning beheer van die verspreiding voerder asook die metodes wat gebruik kan word om die maksimum penetrasie vlakke van hierdie voerders te verhoog. Aanvanklik is 'n kort oorsig van die redes waarom dit nodig is om die opwekking penetrasie vlakke op die verspreiding voerders, te verhoog voorsien . Eerstens word 'n hersiening van verskeie kwessies wat verband hou met die koppeling van generasie na die verspreidingsnetwerk gegee. Tweedens word metodes en tegnologie wat gebruik kan word om penetrasie te verhoog gegee en laastens word maniere om spanning regulasie op medium spanning voerders te verbeter, gegee. Die rooster kode "grid code => probeer liewer netwerk regulasies" vir hernubare krag aanlegte en die spanning toedeling standaard is hersien om te bepaal wat beperk die penetrasie vlakke en wat gedoen kan word om dit te verhoog. Die werking en beheer van 'n tipiese verspreiding netwerk, sonder enige verbonde generasie, is aanvanklik ondersoek. 'n Beheer-strategie is toe geïmplementeer wat geskikte spanning regulasie op die voerder tydens beide hoë en lae belasting verskaf. Die invloed van die koppeling van opwekking tot hierdie tipiese verspreiding netwerk, sonder om enige veranderinge aan die beheer van die voerder, is ondersoek. Basis penetrasie vlakke, vir verskeie generasie verband gevalle, is gevind. Daar is bewys dat die penetrasie word beperk deur die vinnige spanning verandering of spanning styging. Die basis penetrasie vlakke word vergelyking met die optimale aantal generasie wat die laagste verliese bied. Daar is bewys dat die penetrasie moet met tussen 100% en 200% verhoog word sodat die voerder se verliese beperk kan word. Die spanning reguleerder en kapasitor beheer is beïnvloed deur die opwekking en hulle kon nie reageer soos verwag nie. Daar is getoon dat flikker nie 'n probleem sal wees nie; selfs al is die penetrasie vlakke ver bo die huidige toelaatbare grense. Verskillende metodes wat gebruik kan word om die aantal generasie wat gekoppel is aan die tipiese netwerk te verhoog is ondersoek. Aan-las tap wisselaar vermindering, reaktiewe krag beheer en elektroniese spanning reguleerders is 'n paar van die tegnieke wat gebruik kan word om penetrasie te verhoog. Daar is bewys dat elkeen van die tegnologieë kan help, afhangende van die omstandighede, vir toenemende penetrasie. Die individuele veranderinge kan penetrasie verhoog tot 100% by die koste van 'n verhoogde tap veranderinge en in sommige gevalle verliese. Twee voorgestelde beheer strategieë is beoordeel, wat die ondersoek tegnologie kombineer. Die resultate het getoon dat dit moontlik is om penetrasie te verhoog met 50% tot 80%, terwyl die verbetering van gehalte en die vermindering van krag verliese in vergelyking met die basis generasie verband hou.

In recent years, Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) wind turbines connected to rural distribution feeders represents an emerging trend that has experienced growth. Higher penetration levels of embedded wind generation has interesting benefits (i.e. peak-shaving, congestion alleviation, reduction of losses, etc.) but raises important issues concerning the quality of power delivered to utility consumers. This thesis investigates the technical limitations involved with integrating large DFIG based wind farms into existing distribution feeders with regard to voltage flicker. This dissertation includes an overview of firstly, the applicable Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standards related to the measurement and assessment of flicker emissions produced by distribution-connected wind farms. Secondly, aerodynamic, turbine and feeder characteristics which influence voltage flicker. Thirdly, the level of modeling required to conduct a pre-connection flicker study. Based on these three aspects, flicker emissions produced by a DFIG are quantified and a rule of thumb and a set of guidelines are presented for the acceptance of a 10 MW to 14 MW distributed wind farm, compliant to the allocated flicker emission quota. If the rule of thumb does indeed reveal a problem, both passive and active flicker mitigation techniques are proposed such that EMC of the power system is preserved.
Au cours des dernières années, les éoliennes à base de génératrice asynchrone à double alimentation (DFIG) connectées à des réseaux de distribution rurale représentent une tendance émergente en croissance. Le niveau de pénétration plus élevé d'énergie éolienne présente des avantages intéressants (i.e. écrêtement des pointes, la réduction de la congestion, la réduction des pertes, etc.) mais il soulève d'importantes questions liées à la qualité de l'énergie livrée aux consommateurs. Cette thèse étudie les limites techniques liées à l'intégration des grands parcs éoliens dans les réseaux de distribution existants au niveau du scintillement. Cette thèse comprend, premièrement, une vue d'ensemble des normes applicables sur la compatibilité électromagnétique concernant la mesure et l'évaluation des émissions produites par des parcs éoliens connectés à des réseaux de distribution. Deuxièmement, l'aérodynamisme, la turbine et les caractéristiques du réseau de distribution sont étudiés pour leurs influences sur le scintillement. Troisièmement, le niveau de la modélisation requis pour mener une étude de pré-connexion sur le scintillement est évalué. Sur la base de ces trois aspects, les émissions de scintillements induites par les éoliennes DFIG sont quantifiées. Une méthode empirique et un ensemble de directives sont présentés pour l'intégration d'un parc éolien de 10 MW à 14 MW afin d'assurer une conformité au quota alloué pour l'émission de scintillement. Si la méthode empirique révèle un problème, des techniques passives et actives d'atténuation de scintillement sont proposées afin que la compatibilité électromagnétique du réseau électrique soit préservée.

Electric power systems today are undergoing a paradigm shift in operational and market philosophy through technologies like distributed generation and the "smart grid." Decentralizing the power system and allowing users to inject power into the grid, however, introduces a wide array of problems, and much research has gone towards implementing a growing number of small generation sources throughout the existing electric power network infrastructure. This thesis describes the issues involved in reducing a typical rural distribution feeder to a model that can be used for distributed generation interconnection studies, particularly for islanding studies.
Nos systèmes de puissance électrique procèdent présentement à un changement de paradigme autant dans leurs philosophies opérationnelles que dans celles du marché grâce à des technologies telles que la génération distribuée et la plateforme «smart grid». Décentraliser le système d'énergie et permettre aux usagers d'injecter de l'énergie dans le réseau présente néanmoins de nombreux problèmes, et beaucoup de nouvelles études cherchent à établir un nombre croissant de petites sources de génération dans le cadre du réseau d'infrastructure d'énergie électrique existant présentement. Cette thèse décrit les questions liées à la réduction d'une artère de distribution rurale typique d'un modèle qui peut être utilisé pour des études d'interconnexion distribués génération, en particulier pour les études îlotage.

Oregon utilities are replacing their portfolios of traditional fossil fuel generation with renewable generating sources. Stepping away from carbon-producing energy will leave a deficit of on-demand power, resulting in decreased reliability. To overcome these technical challenges, utilities must maximize the use of their present dispatchable resources. One such resource is the Portland General Electric (PGE) Dispatchable Standby Generation Program (DSG), which is an aggregated 105 MWs of distributed generation (DG). These resources are brought on-line when there is a critical need for power. Resources are added to the program if a transfer trip scheme is in place or a modeling study reveals that the feeder load is at least three times the generator capacity. If the load-to-capacity ratio were lower, more assets could be added to the DSG program. To investigate the impacts of lowering the DG load-to-capacity ratio on existing distribution feeders, we use Open-Source Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS). We modeled the Oxford Rural feeder by converting a utility CYME database to instantiation files using several MATLAB programs. A MATLAB control program varies the load-to-capacity ratio of the OpenDSS feeder model and monitors the generator behavior immediately following a fault. We analyzed the results to determine the ideal load-to-capacity ratio that prevents unintentional islanding. The results show that the instantaneous (50) relay element settings dictate both the minimum load-to-capacity ratio and the maximum DG capacity. The present three-to-one ratio is very conservative and can be reduced. Additional dispatchable resources include a five MW battery-inverter system currently used as grid-back up. The battery is grid-tied to a 12.4 kV feeder making it an ideal candidate for conservation voltage reduction (CVR). Using the same feeder model, we investigated the effects of lowering the system voltage to the allowable minimum using injections of reactive power. A lower system voltage reduces the load at peak times. Conversely, increasing the voltage prevents generation conflicts. To determine the benefit of CVR by VAr-injection on the Oxford Rural feeder, we created a MATLAB optimization program to output the optimal feeder voltage for reduced system power. We use a Simulink feedback model to determine the appropriate reactive power needed to achieve the voltage change. We analyze the system model to reveal that the feeder is ideal for CVR but the system capacity must be increased to achieve the maximum power reduction.

Master of Science
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sanjoy Das
Anil Pahwa
Outage management describes system utilized by electric distribution utilities to help restore power in event of an outage. The complexity of outage management system employed by different utilities to determine the location of fault could differ. First step of outage management is to know where the problem is. Utilities typically depend on customers to call and inform them of the problem by entering their addresses. After sufficient calls are received, the utility is able to pinpoint the location of the outage. This part of outage management is called trouble call analysis. In event of fault in a feeder of a radial distribution system, the upstream device or the device that serves to protect that particular zone activates and opens the circuit. This particular device is considered as the operated protective device. The knowledge of the activated protective device can help locate the fault. Repair crews could be sent to that particular location to carry out power restoration efforts. The main objective of this work is to study model of distribution system that could utilize the network topology and customer calls to predict the location of the operated protective device. Such prediction would be based on the knowledge of the least amount of variables i.e. network topology and customer calls. Radial distribution systems are modeled using the immune system algorithm and test cases with trouble calls are simulated in MATLAB to test the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Also, the proposed technique is tested on an actual feeder circuit with real call scenarios to verify against the known fault locations.

How to evaluate the performance of an electric power distribution system unambiguously and quantitatively is not easy. How to accurately measure the efficiency of it for a whole year, using real time hour-by-hour Locational Marginal Price data, is difficult. How to utilize distributed computing technology to accomplish these tasks with a timely fashion is challenging. This thesis addresses the issues mentioned above, by investigating feeder performance analysis of electric power distribution systems with distributed algorithm. Feeder performance analysis computes a modeled circuitâ s performance over an entire year, listing key circuit performance parameters such as efficiency, loading, losses, cost impact, power factor, three phase imbalance, capacity usage and others, providing detailed operating information for the system, and an overview of the performance of every circuit in the system. A diakoptics tearing method and Graph Trace Analysis based distributed computing technology is utilized to speed up the calculation. A general distributed computing architecture is established and a distributed computing algorithm is described. To the best of the authorâ s knowledge, it is the first time that this detailed performance analysis is researched, developed and tested, using a diakoptics based tearing method and Graph Trace Analysis to split the system so that it can be analyzed with distributed computing technology.
Master of Science

Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-201).
There is an optimum conductor size that minimises the lifetime cost of domestic electrification networks. The lifetime cost consists of the initial capital cost and ongoing running cost. Technical load losses are an important running cost and consideration for conductor size optimisation. Traditional conductor size optimisation methods base technical load loss costs on upstream generation and network costs. These loss costing methods assume that consumers behave as constant power loads. The impact of conductor voltage drops on changes in consumer energy consumption and demand and hence changes in utility bulk purchase cost and sales revenue are ignored. Traditional load loss calculation methods do not adequately describe the stochastic nature of individual consumer loads. In low-voltage domestic networks traditional methods may account for less than 25% of the actual lifetime running cost due to load losses and conductor voltage drop. It is shown that the results of traditional conductor size optimisation methods are severely compromised.

Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sanjoy Das and Anil Pahwa
Because a majority of day-to-day activities rely on electricity, it plays an important role in daily life. In this digital world, most of the people’s life depends on electricity. Without electricity, the flip of a switch would no longer produce instant light, television or refrigerators would be nonexistent, and hundreds of conveniences often taken for granted would be impossible. Electricity has become a basic necessity, and so any interruption in service due to disturbances in power lines causes a great inconvenience to customers. Customers and utility commissions expect a high level of reliability. Power distribution systems are geographically dispersed and exposure to environment makes them highly vulnerable part of power systems with respect to failures and interruption of service to customers. Following the restructuring and increased competition in the electric utility industry, distribution system reliability has acquired larger significance. Better understanding of causes and consequences of distribution interruptions is helpful in maintaining distribution systems, designing reliable systems, installing protection devices, and environmental issues. Various events, such as equipment failure, animal activity, tree fall, wind, and lightning, can negatively affect power distribution systems. Weather is one of the primary causes affecting distribution system reliability. Unfortunately, as weather-related outages are highly random, predicting their occurrence is an arduous task. To study the impact of weather on overhead distribution system several models, such as linear and exponential regression models, neural network model, and ensemble methods are presented in this dissertation. The models were extended to study the impact of animal activity on outages in overhead distribution system. Outage, lightning, and weather data for four different cities in Kansas of various sizes from 2005 to 2011 were provided by Westar Energy, Topeka, and state climate office at Kansas State University weather services. Models developed are applied to estimate daily outages. Performance tests shows that regression and neural network models are able to estimate outages well but failed to estimate well in lower and upper range of observed values. The introduction of committee machines inspired by the ‘divide & conquer” principle overcomes this problem. Simulation results shows that mixture of experts model is more effective followed by AdaBoost model in estimating daily outages. Similar results on performance of these models were found for animal-caused outages.

Electricity is a perishable commodity; once it is generated it needs to be consumed or stored. Electric energy storage provides both power and energy capacity. Power capacity applications reduce the need for generation, while energy capacity allows for energy consumption to be decoupled from generation. Previous research was done to develop an algorithm for determining the power (MW) and energy (MWh) capacities of a battery energy storage system (BESS) to mitigate the adverse impacts of high levels of photovoltaic (PV) generation. The algorithm used a flat feeder profile, and its performance was demonstrated on the equinoxes and solstices. Managing feeder power leads to fewer voltage fluctuations along the length of the feeder, potentially mitigating load management issues caused by variability of renewable generation and load profile. These issues include lighting flicker, compressor seizing, equipment shut-off, loss of motor torque, frequent transformer tap changes and even voltage collapse due to loss of reactive power support. The research described in this thesis builds on this algorithm by incorporating a smoothed feeder profile and testing it over an entire year. Incorporating a smoothing function reduces the requisite BESS energy capacity necessary to provide firming and shaping to accommodate the stochastic nature of PV. Specifically, this method is used to conduct a year-long study on a per second basis, as well as a one-minute basis, for a distribution feeder. Statistical analytical methods were performed to develop recommendations for appropriately sizing the BESS. This method may be used to determine the amount of PV generation that could be installed on a distribution feeder with a minimal investment in the BESS power and energy capacities that would be required to manage the distribution feeder power. Results are presented for PV penetration levels of 10%-50% of the distribution feeder capacity and show that the use of a smooth feeder profile reduces the required energy capacity by a minimum factor of 10 when compared to a flat feeder profile. Results indicated that it is sufficient to have a one-minute sampling rate, as it provides the necessary granularity to model cloud-induced fluctuations. This method can be applied to any distribution feeder where a load profile and a PV profile are available.

Fault location is very important for distribution systems, and quickly identifying the fault and restoring the system can help reduce the outage time and make the system more reliable. In this thesis, a method for locating faults on distribution systems is introduced to quickly identify the faulted feeder sections by using the overcurrent information from the switches in the system. Fuzzy logic is utilized. The proposed method can quickly and accurately locate faulted sections with different fault locations, fault types and fault resistances. The method is applicable to cases with single-faults or multi-faults, and is applicable to networks with multi-sources. The case study has demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Voltage imbalance in low voltage (LV) networks is expected to deteriorate as low carbon technologies, e.g. electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps (HPs) are increasingly deployed. The new electrical demand attributable to EVs and HPs would increase the voltage magnitude variation, increasing the possibility of voltages moving outside the statutory LV magnitude limits. Moreover, the single-phase nature of EVs and HPs, which will be connected via a single-phase 'line & neutral' cable to a 3-phase four-wire LV mains cable buried beneath the street, further entangles this voltage management problem; the non-balanced voltage variations in the three phases boost the levels of voltage imbalance. Excessive voltage imbalance and magnitude variation need to be mitigated to limit their adverse effects on the electric network and connected plant. The voltage imbalance in LV networks is conventionally reduced by reinforcing the network, generally at a high cost. Some modern methods for voltage imbalance mitigation have been introduced in recent years. The power electronic converter based methods are inadequate due to the generation of harmonics, significant power losses and short lifetime. Besides, automatic supply phase selection and smart EV charging rely on an advanced smart communication system, which currently is not available. This project aims to develop alternative solutions that mitigate the voltage imbalance seen in LV networks. A voltage balancing method based on Scott transformer (ST) is proposed. This method does not generate harmonics and is independent of the smart communication system. Computer simulations demonstrated the proposed method is able to convert a non-balanced 3-phase voltage into a balanced 3-phase voltage at either a point on the LV feeder or a 3-phase load supply point with the predefined voltage magnitude. Besides, a physical voltage balancing system was created based on the proposed method and it was tested in an LV network in the laboratory. The test results show the balancing system is capable of maintaining a low level of voltage imbalance on the LV feeder by rapidly compensating for the voltage rises and sags caused by single-phase load variations. This voltage balancing method is a potential solution for the network utilities to accommodate the significant penetration of low carbon technologies without breaching the network voltage limits. The impact of EVs and HPs on the LV network voltages is investigated based on a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation platform, which comprises a statistical model of EV charging demand, profiles generators of residential and HP electrical demand, and a distribution network model. The MC simulation indicates the impact of EVs and HPs is related to their distribution; when more than 21EVs and 13HPs are non-evenly distributed on a 96-customer LV feeder, the voltage limits are likely to be violated. Moreover, the effectiveness of the ST based voltage balancing method and the demand response based TOU tariff, implemented either alone or together, in mitigating the impact of EVs and HPs is investigated based on the established MC simulation platform. The results indicate the ST based balancing method alone is able to completely mitigate the voltage limit violations regardless of the penetration levels of EVs and HPs. Moreover, using both of the two investigated methods further enhances the balancing effectiveness of the ST based voltage balancing method.

As structure and size of electric power distribution systems are getting more complex, distribution automation schemes become more attractive. One of the features that is desirable in an automated system is feeder reconfiguration for loss reduction. Loss reduction can make considerable savings for a utility and results in released system capacity. There is also improved voltage regulation in the system as a result of reduced feeder voltage drop. In this thesis, multi branch exchange algorithm is introduced to solve the network reconfiguration for loss reduction problem. The proposed technique is based on heuristic techniques applied to constraint satisfaction optimization problems. A critical review of earlier methods related with feeder reconfiguration is presented. A computer program was developed using Matlab to simulate this algorithm and results of simulations demonstrate its advantages over single branch exchange method. Moreover, the results show that the final configuration is independent of the initial configuration and give assurance that any solution offered will have a radial configuration with all loads connected.

Tools and algorithms are proposed that are useful for planning, designing, and operating a distribution network with a significant penetration of distributed generation (DG). In Task 1, a PV system simulation program is developed, which incorporates the most rigorous models for the calculation of insolation, module temperature, and DC and AC power output of a PV system. The effect of random inverter failures is incorporated in the model of a PV system, and a novel performance-derating coefficient is introduced. Furthermore, a novel inverter control algorithm is presented for systems with multiple inverters. The algorithm is designed to increase overall DC/AC conversion efficiency by selectively shutting down some of the inverters during periods of low insolation, thus forcing the remaining inverters to operate at higher efficiency. In Task 2, a procedure is developed to incorporate the uncertainties imposed by stochastic, renewable DG into the conventional tools for analysis of distribution systems. A clustering algorithm is proposed to reduce large input data sets that result from the interaction of stochastic processes that drive DG output with field measurements of feeder load profiles. In addition, a procedure is proposed to determine the boundary points of the original data set, which yield feeder extreme operating conditions. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis using a reduced data set is presented, to determine the effects of deploying a large number of renewable DG systems on a distribution feeder. In Task 3, the reliability model of an asymmetric, three--phase, non-radial distribution feeder equipped with capacity-constrained DGs is developed and used to quantify the potential reliability improvements due to the intentional islanded operation of parts of the feeder. A procedure for finding optimal positions for DG and protection devices is presented using a custom-tailored adaptive genetic algorithm.

碩士
國立中山大學
電機工程學系研究所
100
In the next decade, electric vehicles (EV) will be heading to the road in a fast speed. Utility company would have no control over the future EV charging points or stations, and no direct control over periods and frequency of EV charging that could cause great effects to the existing distribution network operations if not well planned. Distribution system operation and expansion planning would become more complicated due to the high degree of uncertainty of the EV charging demand. Markov model is used in this study to calculate the probabilities and locations of EV charging. To mitigate the loading and voltage quality problem, feeder reconfiguration is proposed. The problem is formulated as an stochastic programming program with an objective function of minimizing total switching and system loss costs, and subject to radial structure of the distribution network and security constraints. The problem is solved by a binary particle swarm optimization technique. Test results indicate that feeder reconfiguration can be exercised to match loading patterns of different types of feeders (residential, commercial and industrial) with various stochastic charging scenarios, and consequently, reduce the impacts of EV charging and optimize the use of the existing network.

AGL Electricity (AGLE) is one of the four privately owned electricity distribution companies in the Australian State of Victoria. Due to its operations in a regulated environment, AGLE's objective is to meet the distribution network performance standards set by the Victorian government's Essential Services Commission (ESC). Two performance measures are of major importance: average minutes off supply per customer and average number of intermptions per customer. These performance measures are adversely impacted by unplanned outages caused by faults occurring mainly on overhead distribution feeders. To improve these two performance measures, there has been a need to implement a scheme on AGLE's overhead distribution network that would contain long term effects of a fault within the feeder section that directly experienced the fault, leaving the remaining feeder sections and their customers on supply. To achieve this goal a means of fault detection and location, augmented by automatic isolation of the faulty feeder section, is required. To that extent, AGLE was faced with a dilemma presented by typical fault detection and location scheme applications on complex distribution networks, i.e. reliable fault location resolution versus affordable implementation and maintenance costs. This dilemma was resolved through the extensive feasibility study carried out by the author of this thesis.

Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) electric distribution feeders are used extensively in remote parts of Queensland and other states, as an economic means to deliver electrical energy to small customer loads, scattered sparsely over vast areas. These SWER systems are normally supplied from very long three-phase distribution feeders. Due to recent strong load growth, voltage quality issues have arisen in these systems. The main SWER feeder problem is poor voltage regulation caused by increasing loads. Three-phase feeder problems include voltage unbalance and phase angle unbalance caused by increasing loads and uneven load distribution. High system network losses are also experienced, as a result of increasing loads. There are several available methods to combat these issues, however, most have not been applied to rural distribution previously. Developing simple, economic solutions to these problems is likely to dramatically improve customer power quality, resulting in reduced customer complaints, whilst improving distribution capacity and reducing losses. The emphasis of this research project is the power system modelling required to develop detailed equipment models that can be used to assess potential solutions identified in the literature. Ergon Energy Corporation in Central Queensland is supporting the project with field data and other information. This thesis has developed detailed models to study voltage regulation of SWER feeders and capacity enhancement of three-phase feeders.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
電機工程系
99
This thesis investigates an EV battery charger model and charging station daily load demand model. Both three-phase and single-phase charger models are proposed and studied in this thesis. In the proposed charger model, the constant current/constant voltage (CC-CV) charging method is used. Daily load demand model for public charging stations using rapid charging is also discussed in this thesis. The impact of such fasting charging of EVs on the distribution feeder voltage variation is investigated. For the charger model, the discussions in this thesis include charger modeling aspects, THD levels, factors which influence THD and input power requirements for both the passive rectifier component and the active rectifier component chargers. The inclusion of the power factor controller in the active rectifier component charger is beneficial in terms of THD generated. In fact, the current total harmonic distortion is below 5% even during the CV mode when the THD is expected to be worst. In order to accurately model the EV load demand at public charging stations, a daily load demand model capable of considering the distribution of battery state of charge at the beginning of the charge cycle, the time of starting to charge and the period for which a vehicle is being charged is presented in this thesis. Finally, the impact of simultaneous charging of EVs on the distribution feeder voltage variation is studied.

M. Tech. Electrical Engineering
Investigates the growing consensus that significant advantages can be achieved through the automation of distribution feeder switches In order to ensure quality and reliability of supply to single phase consumers by electrical utilities, a need arose to minimize unbalance. it is then postulated the unbalance due to uneven distribution of single-phase loads at the secondary side of the distribution network can be minimized using automatic and remote sensing technology.

碩士
國立清華大學
工業工程與工程管理學系
87
The Bayesian network is a probabilistic graphical model in which a problem is structured as a set of variables (parameters) and probabilistic relationships among them. The Bayesian network has been effectively used to incorporate expert knowledge and historical data for revising the prior belief in the light of new evidence in many fields. However, little research has been done to apply Bayesian network for fault location in power delivery system. We construct a Bayesian network on the basis of expert knowledge and historical data for fault diagnosis on distribution feeder in Taiwan. The experimental results validate the practical viability of the proposed approach.

abstract: An increase in the number of inverter-interfaced photovoltaic (PV) generators on existing distribution feeders affects the design, operation, and control of the distri- bution systems. Existing distribution system analysis tools are capable of supporting only snapshot and quasi-static analyses. Capturing the dynamic effects of the PV generators during the variation in the distribution system states is necessary when studying the effects of controller bandwidths, multiple voltage correction devices, and anti-islanding. This work explores the use of dynamic phasors and differential algebraic equations (DAE) for impact analysis of the PV generators on the existing distribution feeders. The voltage unbalance induced by PV generators can aggravate the existing unbalance due to load mismatch. An increased phase unbalance significantly adds to the neutral currents, excessive neutral to ground voltages and violate the standards for unbalance factor. The objective of this study is to analyze and quantify the impacts of unbalanced PV installations on a distribution feeder. Additionally, a power electronic converter solution is proposed to mitigate the identified impacts and validate the solution's effectiveness through detailed simulations in OpenDSS. The benefits associated with the use of energy storage systems for electric- utility-related applications are also studied. This research provides a generalized framework for strategic deployment of a lithium-ion based energy storage system to increase their benefits in a distribution feeder. A significant amount of work has been performed for a detailed characterization of the life cycle costs of an energy storage system. The objectives include - reduction of the substation transformer losses, reduction of the life cycle cost for an energy storage system, and accommodate the PV variability. The distribution feeder laterals in the distribution feeder with relatively high PV generation as compared to the load can be operated as microgrids to achieve reliability, power quality and economic benefits. However, the renewable resources are intermittent and stochastic in nature. A novel approach for sizing and scheduling the energy storage system and microtrubine is proposed for reliable operation of microgrids. The size and schedule of the energy storage system and microturbine are determined using Benders' decomposition, considering the PV generation as a stochastic resource.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2015