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This paper proposes an inductively active filtering (IAF) method to comprehensively improve the power quality (PQ) for not only the distribution network (public grid) but also the power-supply system (nonlinear load) connected to the network. At first, a new main-circuit topology for implementing the IAF method is presented, which consists of an inductively filtered transformer and a fully tuned branch controlled by an inverter. Its operating principle and technical features are introduced by comparing with the traditional active filtering method. Based on this, the equivalent circuit is established and by means of mathematical modeling, the unique filtering mechanism of the IAF method is revealed in theory. Further, the control strategy of the FT branch and the impedance coordination for the inductively filtered transformer are designed based on theoretical analysis. A case study is investigated in detail to illustrate the operating characteristics of the IAF method. Both the theoretical and the case studies show that the IAF method can effectively prevent harmonic components from flowing into the primary (grid) winding of the transformer. Since the harmonic components are suppressed near the harmonic source, it is good for the power-supply system and especially good for the converter transformer. Besides, since the harmonic flow is limited to near the harmonic source, the PQ of the public network can be guaranteed completely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new control scheme for the enhancement of the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability of doubly fed induction generators. The LVRT capability is provided by extending the range of operation of the controlled system to include typical postfault conditions. Controllers are designed simultaneously for both the rotor- and grid-side converters using a linear quadratic output-feedback decentralized control strategy. The nonlinear terms in the power system model are represented in this paper by an uncertain term derived from the Cauchy remainder of the Taylor series expansion. A genetic algorithm is used to calculate the bound on the uncertainty. The robust controller resulting from this design provides acceptable performances to enhance voltage and transient stability margins and thereby to limit the oscillations, the peak value of the rotor current, and the dc-link voltage fluctuations. The performance of the designed controller is demonstrated under different operating conditions by large-disturbance simulations on a test system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In distribution power systems line transposition is not a common practice and phase loading levels are always changing. Therefore, perfect balance is never achieved at a distribution level. Non-transposed lines can cause unequal voltage drops between phases and this may be further exacerbated by uneven loads in each phase. Consequently, the voltage magnitude of a certain phase may suffer a severe decrease, breaching the lower voltage limit or unbalanced three-phase voltages at a remote bus may violate the percentage voltage imbalance accepted in the standards. This paper examines the mechanism of causing uneven voltage drops and investigates the impacts of unbalanced line configurations with different phase loading levels on network voltage imbalance. Methodologies are proposed to analyze voltage drops affected by line and load imbalance. Based on these methods, general guidelines are recommended to mitigate the voltage problems, which are useful for network analysis, planning and reconfiguration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents the development and application of an analytical method for formalizing the dependence of the behavior of a large power system under fault conditions on the equivalent impedance presented by a single generator. After selecting an appropriate generator model, it is demonstrated that network-wide fault behavior can be expressed as a rational function of the equivalent impedance presented by a single generator under fault conditions. This representation simplifies the identification and depiction of constraints imposed by system configuration on the ability of a generator replacement or augmentation to affect fault behavior. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by considering the three-phase fault currents produced in a six-bus test system. In addition, the new analytical method is extended to obtain a numerical estimate of the maximum possible change in fault behavior that could result from a generator replacement or augmentation. Overall, the new approach aids in the evaluation of the suitability of generator modification or augmentation schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of the time-domain polarization measurement techniques for the condition assessment of aged transformer insulation. The polarization process is first described with appropriate dielectric response theories and then commonly used polarization methods are described with special emphasis on the most widely used "return voltage" (rv) measurement. Most recent emphasis has been directed to techniques of determining moisture content of insulation indirectly by measuring rv parameters. The major difficulty still lies with the accurate interpretation of return voltage results. This paper investigates different thoughts regarding the interpretation of rv results for different moisture and ageing conditions. Other time domain polarization measurement techniques and their results are also presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides an overview of a dynamic analysis carried out on a modified Nordic test system to determine the impact of the Powerformer on voltage stability. Simulation tools; Purpose of overexcitation limiters; Transformer tap changers and load dynamics; Overexcitation limiter model comparison; Conclusions.

Presents a method to determine the coherent bus groups of a power system with similar reactive reserve basins. Background theory; Assessment methods; Results; Conclusions.

This paper describes the investigation of the insulation condition of a number of power and distribution type transformers of different manufacturing dates and with different operating histories. Return voltage measurements were conducted for these transformers. Effects of moisture and aging on the oilpaper insulation of these transformers were investigated and results are presented in this paper. Moisture in oil samples at known temperature was measured for these transformers. Previously accelerated aging experiments were performed on paper wrapped insulated conductors in different environments over a temperature range of 115 to 145°C. Results from the measurements on transformers are compared with those of the accelerated aged samples and are described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a new approach for classification and localization of voltage sags triggered by symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults in electricity networks. The proposed method utilizes five unique parameters of three-dimensional (3-D) polarization ellipse (PE) obtained from the mapping of three-phase voltage signals in 3-D coordinates. The decision boundaries, which are set by the parametric equations exploiting the five ellipse parameters, namely, elevation, azimuth, tilt angles, semi-major axis, and semi-minor axis, are used to classify the fault-initiated sags. The localization of faults is conducted from the parametric equations demonstrating the variation of ellipse parameters with respect to distance from the fault-location. These parametric equations would be helpful to make decision faster and thereby, eliminate the uncertainty in decision-making process. The applicability of the proposed method is tested and validated using real data measured by DOE/EPRI, the recorded waveforms of IEEE 1159.2 Working Group, and the data extracted from the simulation of faults at several feeders of IEEE 14-bus test system using RSCAD and Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronous generators are operating for less time than before or being decommissioned in the National Electricity Market (NEM) of Australia, due to the proliferation of asynchronous wind and solar generation. Sub-networks of the NEM will face inertia shortages in the near future. This paper develops a formulation of zonal inertia constrained generator dispatch for power systems with a diversified generator portfolio including synchronous generators, synchronous condensers, inverter-interfaced generators and energy storages. Zonal inertia constraints are formulated in unit commitment and optimal power flow to limit the rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) in the event of network separation. Load frequency relief is also considered to reduce the ramp rate requirement of primary reserve. The proposed formulation can reduce the average cost of primary reserve and maintain zonal inertia adequacy to constrain RoCoF in case of the trip of the interconnector(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of water inside a transformer is essential to maintain its reliable operation, as the water content can increase as the transformer ages. This measurement is frequently performed by a utility as a part of its periodic maintenance activities. In this paper, the application of optical fiber sensors as an online method to measure water content of paper inside an operating transformer is presented. There are several advantages of using these sensors, including their size, lightweight, flexibility, multiplexing, no-electromagnetic interference, etc. A unique benefit of fiber optic technology is that sensors can be embedded into the winding structure and operate in areas of high electric field strength. For this work, fiber optic water and temperature sensors are investigated by comparing their measurements to a commercial water activity probe immersed in oil. The study found that the determination of water content by fiber optic sensors compared closely with other techniques, which lead to the conclusion that they can be an effective technology for water measurement in an operational transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power transformer is a key element in a power system and its condition needs to be monitored and evaluated. However, subject to electrical, thermal, and mechanical stresses, the condition of a power transformer can eventually deteriorate causing the loss of the transformer's useful life. Utilizing various condition monitoring data of the transformer, this paper applies a state-space model method to the transformer's remaining useful life estimation. In the state-space model, a state dynamic equation considering the transformer aging mechanism is developed. Three measurement equations using different types of condition monitoring data are established. To solve the nonlinear state-space model, a particle filtering approach is applied. The posterior probability density function of the state variable obtained from the particle filtering is used to determine the transformer's remaining useful life. A number of case studies are carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibro-acoustic measurement on a transformer's on-load tap changer (OLTC) can provide indications on its mechanical condition. Recently, a joint vibro-acoustic and arcing measurement system has been proposed, which can correlate the vibro-acoustic signal to mechanical events of OLTC's operation. However, there are still considerable difficulties in extracting useful information from both vibro-acoustic signal and arcing signal in a synchronized manner without any distortions in the extracted signals. In this paper, Savitzky–Golay filter is introduced to process the signals acquired from a joint vibro-acoustic and arcing measurement system installed on in-service OLTCs. It proves that the Savitzky–Golay filter can process both vibro-acoustic and arcing signals induced by OLTC, extract essential information without any time delay from both types of signals, and retrieve voltage phase information from the arcing signal. The methodologies developed in this paper can improve the visibility of OLTC's mechanical operation for an effective online condition monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the rapid development of photovoltaic (PV) technology, more utility-scale PV systems are being integrated into rural areas where abundant and low-cost land is available. In these areas, step-voltage regulators (SVRs) with an open-delta configuration are widely used for voltage regulation. However, since SVRs were initially designed for tackling slow and smooth load variations, frequent PV output fluctuations can cause excessive tap changes. Moreover, rural communication facilities are normally expensive and underdeveloped, so only limited parameters are recorded with low resolution and reliability. Thus, much needed tap information cannot be properly monitored in a cost-effective way. In contrast, a downstream load center or utility-scale PV site is commonly well equipped with modern sensors and data acquisition systems, which provide the possibility for tap evaluation. Therefore, this paper proposes a new remote tap position estimation approach to accurately assess the upstream tap positions of open-delta SVRs from downstream measurements. Furthermore, the proposed approach is firmly validated through field testing under the support of the local utility and PV plant owner. This novel method not only enables reliable tap position monitoring with high precision for utilities to research PV–SVR interaction, but also provides valuable information to PV owners for correctly analyzing downstream voltage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The installed capacity of wind generation and photovoltaics (PV) in many countries is going to dominate generation fleets in a bid to meet growing renewable energy targets. Synchronous inertia has never been problematic as there was more available than needed, but it is being significantly reduced due to the increasing integration of nonsynchronous renewable generation. When the low bidding priced generation of wind and PV becomes considerably large, conventional economic dispatch algorithms can result in less online synchronous inertia and put power system security at risk. However, the compromise of power system security due to synchronous inertia shortage is not well studied in the literature. This paper develops a synchronous inertia constrained economic dispatch algorithm to satisfy the minimum required synchronous inertia of frequency control. Synchronous condensers and wind reserve are economically allocated to alleviate any shortage of synchronous inertia and frequency control ancillary services (FCAS). A Gaussian particle swarm optimization algorithm is introduced to simultaneously co-optimize the dispatch of synchronous generators and their FCAS, wind reserve, and synchronous condensers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any mismatch between load and generation (due to a generator or an interconnection trip) is intended to be balanced and stabilized by contingency reserve, which is also known as contingency Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) requirement. Load Frequency Relief (LFR), which represents the effect of frequency dependent loads on power system frequency excursion, is crucial for correctly evaluating contingency reserve requirement during generation dispatch to ensure an adequate frequency response. Over estimation of LFR can be accountable for less planned reserve during an economic dispatch that may cause undesirable frequency performance. On the other hand, under estimation of LFR can result in an excessive reserve and hence could unnecessarily increase system operational cost. Conventionally, LFR is considered as a fixed quantity during the evaluation of FCAS requirement. However, recent experience in the Australian power grid suggests that such an assumption may lead to an inaccurate outcome. To explore the above issue, this research investigates the LFR using field measurement data, which were captured at different locations of the southern states of Australia (e.g., Tasmania and Victoria). An approach is developed to identify the predominating factors affecting the LFR and subsequently a technique is proposed to appropriately determine contingency FCAS requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Short circuit (SC) strength of a power transformer is influenced by its winding clamping pressure. The required level of clamping pressure is selected at the design stage based on the maximum allowable SC current level of the transformer. Progressive loss of clamping pressure is a common problem in power transformers. Shrinkage and fading of the stiffness of solid insulation due to thermal degradation are the most common causes of this problem. It has also been identified that changes in the moisture content and repetitive compression cycles on pressboard during high current faults tend to change the winding clamping pressure. This study aims to investigate the effects of moisture and compression cycles on winding clamping pressure through a set of laboratory experiments and finite element analyses. Thickness change and compressive stress-strain curves of pressboard were measured under different moisture conditions. The results were then used to calculate changes in winding geometry and clamping pressure of a 100 kVA three phase, disc type transformer winding. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Vibration measurement has been adopted in some utilities in Australia, Canada, and several European countries for online condition monitoring of the power transformer's onload tap changer (OLTC). By comparing measured vibration signals at different stages, it might be possible to assess changes of OLTC's condition. However, there are still considerable difficulties in correlating vibration signals to the events of OLTC operation, which may impair the capability of vibration measurement for OLTC condition monitoring. Therefore, arcing measurement is proposed in this paper to complement the vibration measurement. Arcing is provoked when the OLTC switching contact closes at a fixed tap position and can lead to electromagnetic signals flowing through transformer windings, finally reaching earth. The arcing measurement is achieved by using a high-frequency current transducer (HFCT) clamping on the transformer's grounding cable. The joint vibration and arcing measurement can provide a better means for interpreting events involved in OLTC operation and facilitating improved OLTC condition monitoring. Since HFCT measured arcing signals can be coupled with noise, a probabilistic wavelet transform is thus employed in this paper to extract arcing signals from noise. Field measurements on two different types of OLTCs are performed using the joint vibration and arcing measurement system to validate the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Though synthetic test methods are widely used for testing high-power circuit breakers (CBs), synthetic testing has not been reported in the literature as being extended to the testing of medium-voltage (MV) load break switches (LBS). This paper investigates the possibility of type testing of MV LBS using synthetic test procedures. The transient recovery voltage (TRV) required is calculated from both IEC and IEEE standards and it is shown that the IEC TRV specification results in a more severe TRV. It is found that testing with a basic Weil circuit requires two-part testing. In one test, a low-amplitude TRV with a fast rate of rise stresses the early region associated with thermal failure. In the other test, a higher-amplitude slowly rising TRV stresses the later dielectric region. However, the two-part test using the unmodified Weil circuit is shown to cause significant TRV overstressing. Insertion of a precharged capacitor and additional damping resistors into the Weil circuit at critical times using triggered spark gaps are found to be effective to reduce overstressing. Simulation results show that it is possible to use a modified synthetic test circuit to test LBS with voltage ratings of up to 38 kV and load currents of 800 A. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the influence of moisture, temperature and diverse oil properties on the frequency domain response of pressboard insulation samples, which are impregnated with four different insulating liquids including two commercially available natural esters, one synthetic ester and mineral oil. Measurements are performed over a wide frequency range from 0.1 mHz to 1 kHz at variable moisture contents and temperatures (35, 55 and 75°C). It has been found that dielectric response is extremely sensitive to moisture content regardless of the type of impregnated liquid. Furthermore, dielectric response behaviour of ester impregnated pressboard insulation is qualitatively resembles to that of mineral oil impregnated pressboard which contains two distinct relaxation processes including Quasi-DC (q-dc) conduction features at low frequencies, and loss peak behaviour at mid frequency range. This paper proposes that the loss peak arises due to cooperative microscopic motion in water cellulose mixed phase dipole clusters together with the microscopic level interfacial polarization occurring at the interface of oil filled cavities. It is also discussed the q-dc process in pressboard insulation due to the charge transport between water and oil cavity based charge clusters through a percolation network of water molecules and hydroxyl groups along the cellulose fiber wall. In order to provide better understanding on charge transport and polarization phenomena in oil impregnated pressboard insulation, this paper also proposes an equivalent circuit, which is mainly derived based on Dissado- Hill (DH) cluster framework theory. Furthermore, this study has used activation energy to characterize the temperature dependent dielectric response of pressboard impregnated in mineral oil, natural esters and synthetic esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) at different frequencies is of great interest for PD tests conducted at nonpower frequency. However, in the existing literature, there is no agreement on PDIV characteristics with respect to frequency. There is a lack of comprehensive analysis of frequency-dependent PDIV characteristics either. In this article, the PDIV of a cylindrical void at different frequencies (from 0.5 to 300 Hz) is investigated from the perspective of the first PD time lag. First, an appropriate time interval between consecutive measurements is experimentally determined. Then, PDIV measurements at different frequencies are conducted by increasing voltage at a fixed ramp rate. Furthermore, the PDIVs defined by peak voltage and instantaneous voltage are compared. After that, a bipolar square wave is applied to measure the first PD time lag. Finally, based on the first PD time-lag distribution with respect to voltage at different frequencies, the cumulative probability of the first PD under sinusoidal voltage is computed and analyzed. The results suggest that the first PD time lag has a significant influence on the measured PDIV at frequencies above 10 Hz. This is because the mean time lag is nearly half the time period of half voltage cycle at low voltages. Thus, high voltages (HVs) are needed to obtain a high probability of the first PD, i.e., a large measured PDIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose based insulation materials and mineral oils have widely been used in liquid filled transformers. Environmental and fire-safety concerns have accelerated the use of Natural Esters (NE) as a sustainable alternative to mineral oil. There is a rapid growth of their application for distribution level transformers. To ensure a safe and long-term operation of the vegetable oil filled transformers, it is necessary to clarify the knowledge gaps with respect to the ageing of vegetable oil impregnated cellulose and insulation diagnostic methods. The condition monitoring of mineral oil filled transformers has been well characterised, due to the numerous laboratory and field studies conducted during the past several decades. The application of these available condition monitoring techniques for NE filled transformers is yet to be validated as the use of NE for power transformers is in the evaluation stage. In this paper the performance of NE as insulation in transformers by evaluating the ageing of NE impregnated cellulose pressboard is presented. For this purpose, an accelerated ageing experiment has been carried out in sealed tubes at 120 °C. The ageing of oil impregnated pressboard has been characterised by decrease in the degree of polymerisation (DP) of pressboard, and the formation of both 2-furfuraldehyde and dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in the oil. The structural changes of cellulose have been supported by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. Moreover, the results have been compared with cellulose insulation samples aged under similar conditions in conventional mineral oil. Acidity value, dissipation factor and viscosity measurements have been used to compare the stability of NE in a transformer operating environment to mineral oil. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a novel data driven framework for detecting topology transitions in a distribution network. The framework analyzes data from phasor measurement units (PMUs) and relies on the fact that changes in network topology results in changes in the structure and admittance of the network. Using voltage and current phasors recorded by PMUs, the proposed method approximates network parameters using an ensemble-based deep learning model and thus, it does not require any knowledge of network parameters and load models. Using the prediction error of the proposed model, a connectivity matrix which shows the status of switches is constructed. In contrast to other methods, this proposed framework does not require a library of voltage and current transients associated with possible network transitions. It can also detect simultaneous switching actions and is robust to noise and load variations. The model yields a lower error detection rate, and its performance is validated using a modified version of the IEEE 33 bus network and a real feeder located in Queensland, Australia, under full and partial observability conditions. The proposed model has also been compared with another data driven method in terms of inference time and error detection rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver sulphide corrosion is a recently identified failure mechanism of transformer onload tap changers (OLTC). The corrosive sulphur in transformer oil reacts with the silver coated components of OLTC tap selector and forms silver sulphide films. During OLTC operation, the silver sulphide flakes can be detached from the tap selector and mix with the transformer oil. The silver sulphide is a semi conductive material. As a result, the dielectric strength in the transformer oil around the OLTC silver coated contacts or elsewhere in the transformer, wherever the semi conductive particles travel, will be reduced. Eventually, due to either high electric field stress or aged oil with a low dielectric strength, oil breakdown can occur between adjacent contacts. This can cause a catastrophic failure of the OLTC and quite often the tapping winding as well. Since such failures affect the transformer reliability, utilities are interested in methods of detecting and mitigating silver sulphide corrosion on OLTCs. This paper presents a risk assessment criterion to identify the degree of significance of silver sulphide corrosion in transformers using existing diagnostic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial discharge (PD) signals acquired from on-line measurements of power transformers are easily overwhelmed by various interference and noise. This paper proposes an automatic blind equalization (BE) and morphological thresholding method for PD signal de-noising. Firstly, BE automatically selects an equalized signal that reveals PD impulses from an acquired noise-corrupted signal. Then, automatic morphological thresholding (AMT) is adopted for determining thresholds on the equalized signal. After de-noising with BE and AMT, phase-resolved pulse sequence (PRPS) is constructed and used for analyzing the types of insulation defects that cause discharges. To verify the proposed method, PD measurements on experimental PD models and a distribution transformer have been conducted. The results show that PD impulses can be extracted from severely noise-corrupted signals by using the proposed method. Also, PRPS constructed from de-noised signals can achieve consistency in revealing the types of insulation defects even different types of PD sensors and measurement systems are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inverter transformers are one of the key components in a PV plant and their operating patterns are considerably different from that of transformers in a substation. Moreover, these transformers experience higher level of harmonics generated by the inverters. Therefore, investigating the ageing profile of the inverter transformer is a timely requirement. In this paper, the ageing of inverter transformers in a medium-scale solar PV plant is studied by utilizing various real-time measurements including load current, top-oil temperature (TOT), ambient temperature, moisture in top oil, solar irradiance and individual current harmonics. An updated moisture-dependent thermal model (MDTMH), with consideration of current harmonics is developed to estimate the hot-spot temperature (HST). The influence of weather conditions, which directly determine the load current of inverter transformers on the loss of life (LOL) of an inverter transformer is also investigated. Furthermore, the effect of current harmonics levels on the inverter transformer's HST and LOL is explored. Finally, comparisons of HST and LOL of inverter transformers connected to PV arrays with three different tracking technologies, i.e., fixed-tilt, single-axis and Dual-axis PV arrays are performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel algorithm employing space vector ellipse (SVE) in a complex plane to classify and visualize power quality disturbance-events (PQDEs). In the proposed method, at first, the time-domain signal and a reference signal, which are separated by 90°, are mapped in a complex 2D coordinates. Thus, the tip of resultant rotating vector traces an ellipse, from which three parameters, namely, semi-major axis, semi-minor axis and inclination angle, are obtained. Then, the ellipse parameters are exploited to classify and visualize nine types of PQDEs, namely, voltage sag, swell, interruption, harmonic, sag-harmonic, swell-harmonic, notch, flicker and transient. To validate the practicability of the proposed approach, an extensive real-time simulation study is carried out on RTDS platform using a test microgrid network to generate a large number of PQDEs. The test events were successfully classified and visualized in complex plane. Moreover, the noisy and practical signals, recorded by IEEE 1159.2 Working Group, were successfully classified to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband responses under random excitations can reflect the modal characteristics of a structure. This paper investigates the applicability of operational modal analysis (OMA) to extract modal parameters of transformer windings under random excitations. Firstly, random vibration signals are extracted from measured vibration signals by estimating an accurate power frequency and eliminating vibration harmonics. Then, modal characteristics are obtained by applying OMA to the extracted random vibration signals. The numeric study on a winding axial vibration model demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method in obtaining its modal characteristics. Laboratory experiments show that the natural frequencies calculated by OMA are a subset of the actual natural frequencies of windings and the tank. The field test results of a 110 kV power transformer show that the number of natural frequencies increase when winding deformation occurs. OMA of transformer windings may pave a way for online winding condition monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are more large-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants being established in rural areas due to availability of low-priced land. However, distribution grids in such areas traditionally have feeders with low X/R ratios, which makes the independent reactive power compensation method less effective on voltage regulation. Consequently, upstream step voltage regulator (SVR) may suffer from excessive tap operations with PV-induced fast voltage fluctuations. Although a battery energy storage system (BESS) can successfully smooth PV generation, frequent charge/discharge will substantially affect its cost effectiveness. In this paper, a real-time method is designed to coordinate PV inverters and BESS for voltage regulation. To keep up with fast fluctuations of PV power, this method will be executed in each 5 s control cycle. In addition, charging/discharging power of BESS is adaptively retuned by an active adjustment method in order to avoid BESS premature energy exhaustion in a long run. Finally, through a voltage margin control scheme, the upstream SVR and downstream PV inverters and BESS are coordinated for voltage regulation without any communication. This research is validated via a real-time digital simulator MatLab cosimulation platform, and it will provide valuable insights and applicable strategies to both utilities and PV owners for large-scale PV farm integration into rural networks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]