DISTRIBUTION AUTOMATION MODELING IN POWER NETWORKS: A FIRST APPROACH

D.D.DAJAB
Electrical Engineering Department Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria dddajab@abu.edu.ng
Abstract The distribution networks in developing countries are characterized by overloaded transformers and hence, severe voltage drops on the feeders. These and other electrical power events always lead to either damaged equipment or low quality of power supply. This paper discusses the protective devices in the existing distribution networks and their limitations with respect to the stability, availability and control of power supply to customers. Advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and wireless communications technology are however increasingly deployed in the automation of distribution networks. Distribution Automation (DA) implemented in the form of sensor networks are therefore gaining penetration in utilities across the globe in order to support fault-tolerant, fine-grained monitoring and tracking of power quality delivery. This paper focuses on the distribution network with fault detection and reporting as critical factors through the deployment of wireless sensor networks designed as an event dissemination tree for a set of randomly placed distribution transformers and reclosers.

Introduction The distribution system is one of the three components of an electric power system, that is, generation, transmission and distribution. A distribution network connects all loads in a particular area to the transmission line (or network). The distribution network design, planning and operation are of great importance in the quest towards the provision to customers of a continuously stable electric power. Notwithstanding the protective measures in distribution networks, faults do occur that cause serious damages to equipment and safety hazards to personnel. Generally the effect of these faults manifest in so-called power events like (Karen Y,2003): i. Sags (or brown outs) - Which are short term decreases in voltage levels. This is the most common power problem and it reduces the efficiency and lifespan of electrical equipment particularly motors. ii. Blackout - This is total loss of utility power and may result from excessive demand on the power grid, lightening storms, and trees falling on power lines.

- Is an instantaneous dramatic increase in voltage (sometimes referred to as an impulse). iv. Surge - A short term increase in voltage typically lasting 11120 of a second. v. Noise - This could be intermittent or chronic and disrupts the smooth sine wave expected from utility power, more technically it is referred to as electromagnetic interference (EM!) and radio frequency interference (RFI). Causes of this include load switching, radio transmitters and industrial equipment. All of these are annoying as they affect not only the availability but the reliability of the continuing operation of equipment in homes, businesses and industry. With the rapid growth of the Nigerian Power System coupled with the extreme complexity associated with control of large systems, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria ( PHCN) has since began to introduce a computer-based Supervisory Control Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Energy Management Systems (EMS) at the transmission network level. The paper introduces first, automation into the distribution hierarchy and secondly identifies

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and specifies factors and accessories prerequisite to modeling the distribution network. Towards this goal advances in power distribution automation is discussed in section two while the concept of the distribution automation solution is summarized in section three. Finally in our conclusion a new modeling method based on geostatistics is proffered. Advances in Power Distribution Automation In recent times, we have seen major advances in the area of electric distribution automation and which has become a challenge for every electric utility. Fast detection and restoration of power failures and power quality problems are extremely important to both customers and utilities. The Distribution Transformers (DT) are the backbone of a modem day power distribution network. They are where the energy generated and transmitted are brought to distribution voltage levels of 230KV, llKV, 6.6KV, 400Volts phase to phase and 230 Volts phase to neutral for customer operations. Adequate protection of the transformer from failure has become very important in achieving minimal disruption of power in the distribution networks (Eken J.C, et. aI, 2005). It is identified that fault detection in a distribution network may be effected at the protective equipment location. These basically are the lightening arrestors, fuse gears, relays, circuit breakers etc. Faults which lead to burnt conductors, blown fuses and damaged apparatus occur largely due to inadequate sensitivity of these protective devices which rely on the mechanical separation of moving contacts and poor maintenance. The spread of the effect of faults are minimized by locating the protective device at the tapping point of each branch on the feeder. Protection of a distribution system consists of a circuit breaker with protective relays and automatic reclosing relay at the substation, and a number of protective devices with various characteristics on the main feeder and laterals. Most common protection devices used are line reclosers, interrupters, sectionalisers and fuses. (James A.M, and Robert A.S, 2002) Automation systems enable utilities to monitor, coordinate and operate electricity systems in real-time and at maximum efficiency and safety ." The serving mechanical autoreclosures though useful, have limitations in terms of response speed and service life. Autoreclosures cushion transient effects and improve stability of the networks. Electronic autoreclosures are however

beginning to replace the mechanical types, making them amenable to digital control. (Manny A and Tom F.U, 2005) Switching functions in transmission and distribution networks remain reliant on the mechanical separation of moving contacts whether switching normal currents or in the case of circuit -breakers interrupting fault currents, the fundamental principles are unchanged. The two most favoured options for radical development in this field are power semiconductors, highvoltage, high-current, solid state power switches are already being deployed in the transmission and distribution networks. The prospects for high-temperature superconductors are promising if not in a true "switching" role. Superconducting devices for electrical power applications are emerging. Of these, the high-temperature superconducting fault-current limiter (FCL) is unique in being one of the applications closest to wide scale commercial exploitation. The FCL has the capacity to reduce the initial peak of the fault current, necessitating a transition from the superconducting to the normal conducting state within 5-7ms of the onset of the fault. The transition known as "quenching" occurs when the critical current density for the material is exceeded (peter M and Klans N, 2004). It is not always possible to prevent these faults from occurring, however, when they do occur, it is desirable to restore service within the shortest time possible. Now utilities are looking for enhancements in efficiency as well as reliability and quality of power distribution, thereby leading to renewed interest in distribution automation. Over the entire geographical area of the distribution network, it is desirable to deploy telemetric (or sensor) equipment that will track and convey network status reports to the maintenance centre (or control centre). The emergence of new technologies, specifically new measuring devices and sensors, more powerful electronics equipment and new control and protection ideas are making the implementation of Advanced Distribution Automation (ADA) achievable (Anil Pahwa, 2005). The recent advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and wireless communication technology make it a pragmatic vision to deploy large-scale, and inexpensive sensor networks (Ning Xu, 2005). Due to their increasingly favorable form and cost factors, it is feasible to link together a large number of such sensors in order to support fault-tolerant, fine-grained
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D.D. Dajab: Distribution Automation Motkling In Power Networks: A First Approach

monitoring and tracking applications (U gur C. et al,2003). Adding remote monitoring and control to the distribution network provides full control over the network including all the field elements. Remote Terminal Units (RTU) are designed to interface with any existing or any new industry standard field device, including all types of reclosers and sectionalizing switches. Intelligent RTUs can be used to monitor the power quality (Orihie C.N, et aI, 2002). The RTUs functions include: automatic fault isolation and service restoration routines; power quality analysis including Voltage, Current, Phase Angle, Watts, Volt Amperes Reactive (V ARs), Power factor and harmonic distortion etc. Concept of the Distribution Automation Solution Distribution networks in developing countries are more or less like spiders web with substandard conductors and most distribution transformers are characterized by overloading, which more often than not leads to very low voltage (or brownouts) and the voltage fluctuates by a wide margin with change in load. Maintaining proper voltage at the customer-end is a big challenge for utilities in the developing countries. Ensuring good supply qualityimplying that the voltage does not deviate beyond certain limits from a sinusoid of given magnitude and frequency, requires that the system is tolerant to badly behaved loads and to faults. Fortunately these faults which cause immediate and serious damage are generally detectable by an unbalance of current, voltage or impedance on the distribution network as well as the presence of high temperature on the protective devices. Strategically placed sensors/transducers to track either fault current level, changes in network impedance or high temperatures and communicating same to maintenance personnel in real-time have lots of potential in the quick restoration of power and hence improvement of the general quality of power distribution. This however, poses a number of conceptual and optimization problems which include: i. Sensors/Transducers constraints:- must ensure sufficient sensing coverage over the region of interest, that is, every point of some distribution area must be sensed by a certain number of sensors. These require the sensors/probes to mimic or detect multiple or single parameters

and can be expressed by event detection probability. The sensor hardware must be robust to withstand errors and failures, automated (maintenance free) and non intrusive to minimize environmental disturbance and unobtrusive (miniaturized) . ii. Communication constraints: - The minimum constraint is that the data fusion among multiple sensors or a subset composed of active nodes must guarantee connectivity whenever they need to communicate. Furthermore, end - to - end communication delay are often important to mission-critical applications and imposes certain demands including (Kirk Martinez et al, 2004) Omnidirectional high power for the probes/sensors, - Long-range communication between base stations and the reference station, - Low data rates etc. - Publishing software for visualization and services iii. Geolocation of faulty sections in the distribution area to assist maintenance team. Presently, very little information beyond the substation is available to utilities (Anil Pahwa, 2005; Dabiji I.K, et al, 2002). Therefore, most of the decisions of the utilities are based on trial and error which often results in overloading and damage to equipment and severe voltage drop on the feeders. With real-time information on the distribution network such as voltage, current, real power and reactive power (that is on each feeder) at strategic locations, utilities can do a much better job. This consequently leads to better understanding and capture of the so-called power events and also to improved power quality. The Distribution Automation Modeling A new power event-based communication model for the improvement of stability, availability and control in the distribution networks will be evolved with a focus on fault detection and reporting. For this purpose, existing fault detection and location algorithms will be extended within the context of a multi-hop wireless sensor network designed as an event dissemination tree, with nodes subscribing to the event types. Fault coverage in the distribution network will rely on geolocation information and for this purpose the Voronoi diagram is a fundamental construct defined by a discrete set of points. In two-dimensions, the Voronoi diagram of a set of discrete sites (points) partitions the plane into a set of convex polygons

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such that all points inside a polygon are closest to only one site (Seaphan M. et al, 2004). Fig 1 shows an example of a Voronoi diagram for a set of randomly placed Distribution Transformers (DT). A sensor network typically consists of a large number of discrete sites (points) with a dense distribution. The network activity is mostly low and random and many sensor nodes are designed to be stationary at strategic points/locations within a site. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the network graph is generally well connected as shown in fig. 2 The model will be derived assuming a set of sensors dispersed on a rectangular field (Voronoi diagram). We would also assume (Martins K, et al, 2003) the following properties about the network: i. The sensors (probe in the network are stationary) ii. The sensors location-aware, i.e. equipped with Geolocation and Positioning Systems (GPS) capable antennae iii. All sensors have equal capabilities and significance (whether located at transformer, reclosers etc.)

Based on the real configuration of the distribution network, we then design a coverage maintenance protocol that adopts a distributed detection model with an appropriate geographic routing algorithm for dissemination of network status reports. Conclusion Fault management is the prevention, detection and reaction against failures. Failures are defined as the interruption of the normal functioning of a network and comprise electrical power events such as sags, blackout, spike, surge and noise etc. smooth and uninterrupted operation of a power system requires very efficient fault protection schemes for electrical apparatus and components in the network. A distribution performance modeling and distribution automation methodology has been proposed in this paper. Here we want to point out that the automation which will greatly impact on stability and control in the distribution network will be of immense significance to fault management tasks and responsibilities in utilities. The role of fault management is to detect, isolate, diagnose and correct the possible faults during network operations. Therefore, it is primarily fault management that helps to keep the normal operations and ensure the networks reliability and availability.

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