Harmonic mitigation technique using active three-phase converters utilised in commercial or industrial distribution networks

Three-phase imbalance is a long-term issue existing in low-voltage distribution networks (LVDNs), which consequently has an inverse impact on the safe and optimal operation of LVDNs. Recently, the increasing integration of single-phase distributed generations (DGs) and flexible loads has increased the probability of imbalance occurrence in LVDNs. To overcome the above challenges, this paper proposes a novel methodology based on the concept of "Active Asymmetry Energy-Absorbing (AAEA)" utilizing loads with a back-to-back converter, denoted as “AAEA Unit” in this paper. AAEA Units are deployed and coordinated to actively absorb asymmetry power among three phases for imbalance mitigation in LVDNs based on the high-precision, high-accuracy, and real-time distribution-level phasor measurement unit (D-PMU) data acquisition system and the 5th generation mobile networks (5G) communication channels. Furthermore, the control scheme of the proposed method includes three control units. Specifically, the positive-sequence control unit is designed to maintain the voltage of the DC-capacitor of the back-to-back converter. Likewise, the negative-sequence and zero-sequence control units are expected to mitigate the imbalanced current components. A simple imbalanced LVDN is modeled and tested in Simulink/Matlab (MathWorks, US). The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

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Optimal Selection of Conductors in Three-Phase Distribution Networks Using a Discrete Version of the Vortex Search Algorithm

Computation ◽

10.3390/computation9070080 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 80

Author(s):

John Fernando Martínez-Gil ◽

Nicolas Alejandro Moyano-García ◽

Oscar Danilo Montoya ◽

Jorge Alexander Alarcon-Villamil

Keyword(s):

Objective Function ◽

Power Flow ◽

Phase Distribution ◽

Search Algorithm ◽

Distribution Networks ◽

Discrete Version ◽

Optimal Selection ◽

Flow Method ◽

Three Phase ◽

Selection Of

In this study, a new methodology is proposed to perform optimal selection of conductors in three-phase distribution networks through a discrete version of the metaheuristic method of vortex search. To represent the problem, a single-objective mathematical model with a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) structure is used. As an objective function, minimization of the investment costs in conductors together with the technical losses of the network for a study period of one year is considered. Additionally, the model will be implemented in balanced and unbalanced test systems and with variations in the connection of their loads, i.e., Δ− and Y−connections. To evaluate the costs of the energy losses, a classical backward/forward three-phase power-flow method is implemented. Two test systems used in the specialized literature were employed, which comprise 8 and 27 nodes with radial structures in medium voltage levels. All computational implementations were developed in the MATLAB programming environment, and all results were evaluated in DigSILENT software to verify the effectiveness and the proposed three-phase unbalanced power-flow method. Comparative analyses with classical and Chu & Beasley genetic algorithms, tabu search algorithm, and exact MINLP approaches demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed optimization approach regarding the final value of the objective function.

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Accurate and Efficient Derivative-Free Three-Phase Power Flow Method for Unbalanced Distribution Networks

Computation ◽

10.3390/computation9060061 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 61

Author(s):

Oscar Danilo Montoya ◽

Juan S. Giraldo ◽

Luis Fernando Grisales-Noreña ◽

Harold R. Chamorro ◽

Lazaro Alvarado-Barrios

Keyword(s):

Power Flow ◽

Triangular Matrix ◽

Distribution Networks ◽

Flow Method ◽

Processing Times ◽

Three Phase ◽

Derivative Free ◽

Upper Triangular Matrix ◽

Power Flow Problem ◽

Power Flow Method

The power flow problem in three-phase unbalanced distribution networks is addressed in this research using a derivative-free numerical method based on the upper-triangular matrix. The upper-triangular matrix is obtained from the topological connection among nodes of the network (i.e., through a graph-based method). The main advantage of the proposed three-phase power flow method is the possibility of working with single-, two-, and three-phase loads, including Δ- and Y-connections. The Banach fixed-point theorem for loads with Y-connection helps ensure the convergence of the upper-triangular power flow method based an impedance-like equivalent matrix. Numerical results in three-phase systems with 8, 25, and 37 nodes demonstrate the effectiveness and computational efficiency of the proposed three-phase power flow formulation compared to the classical three-phase backward/forward method and the implementation of the power flow problem in the DigSILENT software. Comparisons with the backward/forward method demonstrate that the proposed approach is 47.01%, 47.98%, and 36.96% faster in terms of processing times by employing the same number of iterations as when evaluated in the 8-, 25-, and 37-bus systems, respectively. An application of the Chu-Beasley genetic algorithm using a leader–follower optimization approach is applied to the phase-balancing problem utilizing the proposed power flow in the follower stage. Numerical results present optimal solutions with processing times lower than 5 s, which confirms its applicability in large-scale optimization problems employing embedding master–slave optimization structures.

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