Cultivating Power using GIS in Electricity Distribution System

ArbindAnand

Abstract
Geographic Information System (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows us to view, query, and understand data in many ways. We see relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of GISbased maps, globes, reports, and charts. GIS helps us answer questions and solve problems. When viewed in the context of geography, our data is quickly understood and easily shared. GIS technology can be integrated into any enterprise information system framework. GIS has been applied in Power Distribution to improve distribution management. The application and development of GIS in Power Distribution management not only improve the work efficiency and save the workforce strength of workers, but also bring the important meaningful instructions to the main productivity and competition. This paper firstly introduces the condition of the Power Distribution, basic conceptions and main functions of GIS and the requirements of GIS in term of the construction feature of power distribution. Then, the paper introduces the important applications of GIS combining the features of Power Distribution in detail. Finally, the paper analyses the main technical questions and puts forward relevant solutions.

1. Introduction Electricity is universally accepted as an essential commodity for human beings. It plays an important role in overall growth and development of a nation. In the case of the developing countries like India the energy sector assumes a critical importance in view of the ever-increasing energy needs requiring huge investments to meet them. To meet the demand of future energy requirement, not only growth of power sector is required but optimum utilization of existing energy is more important and energy losses is the main problem in the way of optimization the use of existing power. Distribution Sector considered as the weakest link in the entire power sector. Transmission Losses is approximate 17% while Distribution Losses is approximate 50%. Lack of proper administration & power theft are some common reasons for the high losses. Thus the present distribution system requires to be upgraded to minimize the loss and by the uses of GIS we can do it. GIS is a competent and effective tool for managing transmission and distribution activities. GIS can be effectively used for transmission line route alignment and managing electricity distribution facilities. It has the ability to improve upon traditional practices.

2. GIS in Power Distribution: Geographical Information System (GIS) is a digital representation of consumers, network elements & important landmarks on a geo-referenced area map, with their attributes stored in a database for efficient technical and commercial management of a power distribution utility. GIS based consumer indexing and electrical network mapping provides a tool for consumer, asset and load management for effective decision making. GIS database applications can improve the utilitys productivity if properly integrated with other business processes. Effective GIS can be a handy tool for enhancing operational efficiency and transparency.

GIS application helps in maintaining indexed consumer database and electrical assets database. The indexed consumers are mapped to their respective source of supply. This is essential for performing energy accounting Distribution Transformer-wise and Feeder-wise. GIS application integrated with Network Analysis module helps in various calculations like technical losses, load flow analysis, energy audit, network optimization and "what-if" analyses. Energy Audit Energy audit has always been high on the priority among all utility applications. Energy audit module has to be seamlessly integrated with metering, billing and collection with minimal manual intervention. The module has to capture electrical distribution network and energy parameters for feeder-wise and DT-wise loss analysis and identification of sections of revenue leakages. Therefore, 100% metering of consumers, substation feeders and distribution transformers is an essential requirements for total energy accounting.

Network Analysis Energy Audit module has to work closely with Network Analysis. There are special tools available to provide graphical analysis of distribution network with schematics highlighting attribute data for every substation, connected feeders, DTs, circuit breakers, sectionalizers and auto-reclosures. The network analysis tool uses advance algorithms for calculating phase imbalances, identifying low-voltage or overloaded sections, calculating section-wise loss levels and taking decisions on system optimization through network reconfiguration, capacitor placements and other system improvements measures as per energy audit requirements. GIS is being leveraged in power utilities for energy audit and network analysis, and emerging as a powerful tool for load planning and management with the aim to improve the quality of electricity supply and related services. The geo-referenced electrical network overlaid on area base map is handy for the utility in not only managing assets and their maintenance, but also for mapping the electrical consumers to its source of supply for energy audit applications. By integrating electrical GIS with network analysis application, various analytical studies are possible for load flow analysis, short circuit analysis, efficiency calculations and optimization.

3. Methodology
A successful GIS implementation seamlessly integrates the spatial data with various utility applications - Customer Information System, Assets Management, Outage Management and Utility Billing System and provides interfaces for cross-application data portability.

Data Acquisition:
To start developing a GIS for power distribution network, a GPS survey becomes necessary for geo-referencing and mapping the relevant electrical assets and consumers to the corresponding electricity network on the digital base map. The purpose of such application is to index all the Pole,Transformer, Feeder, Sub-stations and consumers to establish electrical relationships.

The survey requires a GPS Base Station at a pre-determined location, aided by adequate number of GPS Rovers/ Receivers. Surveyors walkalong the HT and LT feeders and capture the spatial position of the Pole,Transformer, Feeder, Sub-stations and consumers. The attribute data of the distribution network is also collected in the process.

Database Design and Creation After data acquisition Georefrencing of base map is done and then the electrical connectivity with reference to the Pole, Transformer, Feeder and Substation is plotted on the base map. After that creation of customer database linked to DT (for LT customers) and linked to feeder (for HT customers) is done. All consumers are given a unique CIN (Consumer Index No.). Consumer database is linked to the network database for the purpose of defining electrical connectivity. All network elements are identified and their technical attributes are recorded in a GIS database. The GIS software uses GUI tool where all network components are graphically depicted. For network reconfiguration, the child components can be dragged and dropped to the new parent component to show new electrical connectivity.

Data Processing and Analysis A Database management system integrated with Geographical Information System can help find solutions like identification of each and every consumer and their locations with their connectivity in the area. This GIS based system helps in not only identification of each and every plot location but also provides complete information about the consumer. This enables to go for carrying out analysis of each and every consumer bills payment and to find the average annual distributed power and utilized power. The GIS based system thus helps to perform different types of analysis such as Load analysis, location analysis, network analysis, problem identification analysis etc. The GIS based system help the company to find the shortest route from the office to problem location. This is found very much helpful to the lineman of the department in carrying out their surveillance work by identifying and reaching their place very easily and even in less time even though they are not familiar with the place.

4. Conclusions and Recommendation GIS provides a wide range of solutions encompassing the entire business value chain in the power distribution sector from setting up distribution network and load management to customer information, assets management, billing and customer services. However, the interfaces between GIS and other utility software applications should be well-defined. Continuous updation and monitoring of data is critical in any GIS application. Therefore, it is important to have in-built process control checks,audit trail and exception reporting facility to ensure reliability and accuracy of data. 5. References http://www.indiacoreevents.in/bulletin/papers-it08/Dr-Tripta-Thakur-MANIT-GIS-Based-PowerDistribution-System-A-Case-Study-for-the-Bhopal-City-Paper.pdf http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/utility/power/utilityp0015pf.htm http://www.ukm.my/geografia/images/upload/7.geografia-jan%202012-furkunde-pakistanenglish-%20edited%20finalbaru.pdf http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/utility/power/utilityp0013pf.htm http://www.waset.org/journals/waset/v36/v36-60.pdf