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The increasing penetration level of photovoltaic (PV) systems in low-voltage networks causes voltage regulation issues. This brief proposes a new voltage regulation strategy utilizing distributed battery energy storage systems (BESSs) while incorporating the inevitable communication delays. The proposed strategy ensures that the voltage regulation burden is appropriately shared among all involved BESSs in the network. The effects of communication delays on the performance of the proposed strategy are analyzed and an admissible delay bound is established. Case studies are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of inverter interfaced rooftop photovoltaic and battery systems are changing suburban distribution systems. The potential of reactive power support from this equipment is attracting attention as a way of addressing the systems’ voltage magnitude problems. However, if the voltage is controlled by a conventional droop-based strategy, common radial configuration at suburban feeders can cause an uneven allocation of the reactive power compensation among the inverters. A droop control strategy is developed in this paper using two parameters of the steady-state Thévenin equivalent model of the system seen by each inverter. The Thévenin based droop control permits even allocation of the reactive power compensation. A sufficiently invisible low-level probing is utilized by each inverter to robustly identify Thévenin reactance and Thévenin source in steady state. The inverter's output power is adjusted by the two identified parameters. Demand changes are addressed. Interference by the neighbor inverters’ simultaneous probing and compensation is also considered. Simulations results on the IEEE 33-bus and a large-scale system show the efficacy of the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Load sharing between feeder stations has the ability to significantly improve the performance of ac electric railways by reducing the number of traction power network grid connections and minimizing losses and plant size. In this paper, the existing rail power conditioner technology, traditionally used for load balancing, is investigated from the new perspective of providing reactive voltage support and active power sharing between stations. The concept is validated through a feasibility study conducted for a heavy haul ac railway network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-voltage (LV) feeder voltage magnitude and unbalance are often the constraining factors on a feeder's capacity to absorb rooftop photovoltaic (PV) generation. This paper presents a new probabilistic method for voltage management in distribution networks through the placement of distribution static compensators (dSTATCOMs) and on-load tap changers (OLTCs) considering the reactive capability of PV inverters in multiple LV and medium-voltage distribution networks. The method uses a modified particle swarm optimization. In this paper, several scenarios for the placements of multiple dSTATCOMs with and without embedded energy storage systems using both reactive and real power compensation are investigated in combination with an OLTC equipped with independent per-phase tap-changing control. The voltage constraints in the proposed method are statistically defined using three duration curves. These are the voltage unbalance, maximum voltage, and minimum voltage duration curves. The method is comprehensively tested for varying load and PV generation based on data from a real Australian distribution network with considerable unbalance and distributed PV generation. The results show that PV hosting capacity increases where the proposed approach is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an efficient noniterative method for distribution state estimation using conditional multivariate complex Gaussian distribution (CMCGD). In the proposed method, the mean and standard deviation (SD) of the state variables is obtained in one step considering load uncertainties, measurement errors, and load correlations. In this method, first the bus voltages, branch currents, and injection currents are represented by MCGD using direct load flow and a linear transformation. Then, the mean and SD of bus voltages, or other states, are calculated using CMCGD and estimation of variance method. The mean and SD of pseudo measurements, as well as spatial correlations between pseudo measurements, are modeled based on the historical data for different levels of load duration curve. The proposed method can handle load uncertainties without using time-consuming approaches such as Monte Carlo. Simulation results of two case studies, six-bus, and a realistic 747-bus distribution network show the effectiveness of the proposed method in terms of speed, accuracy, and quality against the conventional approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Integration of small-scale electricity generators, known as distributed generation (DG), into the distribution networks has become increasingly popular at the present. This tendency together with the falling price of the synchronous-type generator has potential to give DG a better chance at participating in the voltage regulation process together with other devices already available in the system. The voltage control issue turns out to be a very challenging problem for the distribution engineers since existing control coordination schemes would need to be reconsidered to take into account the DG operation. In this paper, we propose a control coordination technique, which is able to utilize the ability of DG as a voltage regulator and, at the same time, minimize interaction with other active devices, such as an on-load tap changing transformer and a voltage regulator. The technique has been developed based on the concept of control zone, line drop compensation, dead band, as well as the choice of controllers' parameters. Simulations carried out on an Australian system show that the technique is suitable and flexible for any system with multiple regulating devices including DG. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the progressive exhaustion of fossil energy and the enhanced awareness of environmental protection, more attention is being paid to electric vehicles (EVs). Inappropriate siting and sizing of EV charging stations could have negative effects on the development of EVs, the layout of the city traffic network, and the convenience of EVs' drivers, and lead to an increase in network losses and a degradation in voltage profiles at some nodes. Given this background, the optimal sites of EV charging stations are first identified by a two-step screening method with environmental factors and service radius of EV charging stations considered. Then, a mathematical model for the optimal sizing of EV charging stations is developed with the minimization of total cost associated with EV charging stations to be planned as the objective function and solved by a modified primal-dual interior point algorithm (MPDIPA). Finally, simulation results of the IEEE 123-node test feeder have demonstrated that the developed model and method cannot only attain the reasonable planning scheme of EV charging stations, but also reduce the network loss and improve the voltage profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes new droop control methods for load sharing in a rural area with distributed generation. Highly resistive lines, typical of rural low voltage networks, always create a big challenge for conventional droop control. To overcome the conflict between higher feedback gain for better power sharing and system stability in angle droop, two control methods have been proposed. The first method considers no communication among the distributed generators (DGs) and regulates the converter output voltage and angle ensuring proper sharing of load in a system having strong coupling between real and reactive power due to high line resistance. The second method, based on a smattering of communication, modifies the reference output voltage angle of the DGs depending on the active and reactive power flow in the lines connected to point of common coupling (PCC). It is shown that with the second proposed control method, an economical and minimum communication system can achieve significant improvement in load sharing. The difference in error margin between proposed control schemes and a more costly high bandwidth communication system is small and the later may not be justified considering the increase in cost. The proposed control shows stable operation of the system for a range of operating conditions while ensuring satisfactory load sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper discusses the stability of an autonomous microgrid in which, load sharing by a gain scheduled angle droop controller with derivative feedback is proposed. It is assumed that all the DGs are connected through Voltage Source Converter (VSC). The VSCs are controlled by state feedback controller to achieve desired voltage and current outputs that are decided by a droop controller. First a load sharing strategy is derived in terms of droop controller gain and converter output inductance, combining angle droop controller and DC load flow analysis. Then state space models of converters with its associated feedback controller are derived to investigate system stability as a function of the droop controller gain and converter output inductance through eigen value analysis. It is shown that with proposed angle droop controllers, where the droop gains are scheduled based on the output power along with derivative feedback it is possible to achieve a higher stability margin with better load sharing. These observations are then verified through simulation studies using PSCAD/EMTDC. It will be shown that the simulation results closely agree with stability behavior predicted by the eigenvalue analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper discusses the control and protection of a microgrid that is connected to utility through back-to-back converters. The back-to-back converter connection facilitates bidirectional power flow between the utility and the microgrid. These converters can operate in two different modes–one in which a fixed amount of power is drawn from the utility and the other in which the microgrid power shortfall is supplied by the utility. In the case of a fault in the utility or microgrid side, the protection system should act not only to clear the fault but also to block the back-to-back converters such that its dc bus voltage does not fall during fault. Furthermore, a converter internal mechanism prevents it from supplying high current during a fault and this complicates the operation of a protection system. To overcome this, an admittance based relay scheme is proposed, which has an inverse time characteristic based on measured admittance of the line. The proposed protection and control schemes are able to ensure reliable operation of the microgrid. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]