Development and Evaluation of an Algorithm for the Automated Reconfiguration of Low-Voltage Grids

Today’s trends, like the increasing use of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) with and without battery storage in combination with heat pumps (HPs) and air conditioning systems, pose new challenges to low-voltage grids (LV grids) and their operation. These can occur, for example, in the form of significant load flow and short-circuit problems in their traditional, mostly radial structures or topologies. An important example is the overloading of line segments through loads with significant simultaneity (EVCSs, HPs, air conditioning systems, etc.). In addition, high local feed-ins from decentralized power generators (e.g., photovoltaic systems, small hydropower plants, battery energy storage systems) can lead to power quality problems (e.g., violation of voltage limits, voltage drop, rapid voltage changes). The project “Power System Cognification” (PoSyCo) develops solutions to tackle these challenges. It aims to implement a “SOFTprotection” system that helps avoid system-critical states of the low-voltage grid or faults and is intended to supplement conventional “HARDprotection” (e.g., fuses, circuit breakers). In the course of this paper, one of the methods developed for this purpose is described in more detail in the form of an algorithm for automated grid reconfiguration at the low-voltage (LV) level. The following figure shows the block diagram of the development environment designed for this purpose, together with the algorithm embedded in it, consisting of the five submodules Evaluation, Prioritisation, Selection, Confirmation and Execution.

The algorithm evaluates the best configuration of an existing grid topology based on six calculated key performance indicators (KPIs) and suggests a potential reconfiguration. More information can be found in the linked full paper.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00502-021-00939-5

Download Paper: https://rdcu.be/cyRli

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