Distributed Generation Planning and Optimization for Active Distribution Networks

Abstract

Throughout the world, interest is growing in transforming current power networks into smarter networks to accommodate high penetration levels of distributed generation (DG) deployment. Active network management (ANM) schemes are new control strategies that could be economically beneficial to facilitate DG integration. ANM schemes could maximize DG capacity that can be connected in distribution networks through effective utilization of network assets. This thesis investigates the potential of different ANM schemes for maximizing DG capacity in distribution networks. The ANM schemes include coordinated voltage control (CVC), compensator reactive power control (CRPC), energy curtailment (EC) and power factor control (PFC). Several sensitivity analyses are carried out to evaluate and compare DG capacity under different DG types, number and locations. It is found that the potentials of ANM schemes on maximizing DG capacity are critically affected by DG configurations in the networks (e.g., types, numbers, sizes and locations). As a consequence, DG operating at certain locations could have significant impact, due to DG interaction, in increasing or decreasing DG capacity at other locations. In this thesis, an optimal power flow (OPF)-base technique is proposed to overcome the aforementioned problem by incorporating multi-DG configurations and multiiii period scenarios of demand and renewable generations. The proposed multiconfiguration multi-period OPF (MMOPF) technique caters for the uncertainty associated with the intermittency and availability of renewable-type DGs. Moreover, it is found that for different DG types (wind and PV) there is no DG interaction, especially if there is no PV generation during maximum wind generation. This problem is tackled by proposing a new ANM scheme of PV inverter control (PVIC). The PVIC could maximize DG capacity of wind power in the network by utilizing reactive power capability of PV inverter. In PVIC, inverters could operate at various control modes, such as nighttime, daytime, full time and full utilization. The MMOPF technique and PVIC scheme are formulated as nonlinear programming problems (NLP) and tested on a 33kV 16-bus UK Generic Distribution System (UKGDS) using profiles data of domestic demand and renewable generations of wind and PV systems.

Date of Award	Jun 2013
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Hatem Zein El Din (Supervisor)