Aaron St. Leger

Incorporating Temperature Variations Into Transmission-Line Models

This paper discusses a transmission-line modeling approach that incorporates available ambient temperature information. Several proposed line modeling techniques are studied and include distributed and lumped parameter models. In order to capture the nonuniformity of line parameters caused by temperature gradients, a model with multiple nonuniform segments is also proposed. An automated tool has been developed to obtain appropriate line model segmentation and parameter values of each segment, given a set of temperature measurements and their locations along the line.

Power system on a chip (PSoC): analog emulation for power system applications

This contribution addresses VLSI-based hardware analog emulators of power systems. The goal is to develop a computational tool we refer to as a power system on a chip (PSoC). We review various problems and proposed solutions encountered from the design stage to the PC-board hardware implementation stage and finally to the anticipated VLSI implementation stage. In addition to various characteristic features, it has already been noted that using analog emulation for power system analysis allows for reduction in computation time, without significant loss in accuracy, compared to numerical methods. We further validate this through observations obtained from comparative runs between software and analog hardware environments

Stand alone photovoltaic solar power generation system: A case study for a remote location in Tunisia

The climate of Tunisia, located in North Africa, is favorable to the use of solar energy. This location exhibits some of the highest insolation levels on earth making it an attractive location for photovoltaic (PV) power applications. In comparison to grid power, PV power is still not competitive. However, there are many small, remote locations in Tunisia which rely on diesel generators for electric power. The cost of running these generators can be quite expensive when factoring in fuel availability and transportation costs. It is currently not economically feasible to extend the grid to such locations. The power must be generated locally. The purpose of this work was to analyze the feasibility of PV power generation for such a remote setting. It is shown that the PV generation system can be competitive compared to current diesel powered installations.

Effect of Size on Analog Circuit Based Emulation of Steady-State Power System Behavior

This paper further examines the use of analog circuit based emulation to study the behavior of multi-bus power systems, specifically the effect of power system size on the hardware design and performance. The goal is to demonstrate that these effects are minimal and analysis of large power systems through emulation methods is not only a viable but favorable alternative to popular simulation methods.

Insight into demand response and photovoltaic source with Time of Day pricing

Many utilities are offering or plan to offer customers an option between standard and “Time-of-Day” (ToD) rates for electricity. Standard rates provide a flat rate for energy while the ToD rates are tiered. ToD rates are typically less than the standard rate during off-peak times and higher than the standard rate at peak times. This pricing structure can incentivize demand response (DR) and integration of photovoltaic (PV) generation. DR can shift energy consumption to off-peak times and PV generation typically coincides with peak rates. ToD pricing has the potential to reduce energy costs with DR and facilitate integration of PV energy sources. This paper presents results of a study on integrating a form of demand response and photovoltaic generation with ToD pricing. An example is presented on a residential home located in New York City Suburbs. Our findings for this example show that ToD pricing can be beneficial for customers that engage in Demand Response, however, nominal benefits are seen in conjunction with Photovoltaic energy sources.

Demand response with photovoltaic energy source and Time-of-Use pricing

Several utilities are offering, or plan to offer, customers the choice between standard and “Time-of-Use” (ToU) rates for electricity. ToU rates for energy are based on a tiered pricing structure as opposed to standard flat rates. ToU rates are typically less than the standard rate during off-peak times and higher than the standard rate at peak times. This pricing structure can incentivize combining demand response (DR) with photovoltaic (PV) generation which can shift a customers net demand from peak to off-peak times. This paper presents a demand response scheme designed for implementation with photovoltaic generation within a ToU pricing environment. The DR algorithm is designed to require minimal sensors, does not require forecasting, and is suitable for automation. Simulation results validating the DR algorithm and quantifying potential savings based on the level of DR are presented based on PV generation data and residential load consumption data in New York.

Smart grid testbed for Wide-Area Monitoring and Control systems

Wide Area Monitoring and Control (WAMC) of power grids is one application from emerging smart grid technologies. WAMC systems require distributed measurement and control devices, for example Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), a centralized control center(s), WAMC application(s), and two-way digital communication between IEDs, system operators and controllers. Both the performance and security of this system is critical for WAMC applications. A smart grid testbed for the study and development of WAMC systems has been developed. The test-bed consists of a physical emulation of a power system, ten IEDs with integrated Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), a Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) and user interface for data acquisition and control connected via a local area network. Additionally, emulation of more complex communication networks is achieved using SITL (System-in-the-Loop) communication network simulations to interface the IEDs and other physical hardware. The testbed has the capability of testing and analyzing the performance and the security, both physical and cyber, of WAMC applications. This paper presents an overview of the testbed and discusses the methodology of each system component: power system emulation, communication hardware/emulation, and measurement and control system. Some preliminary results are presented which showcase operation of the testbed.

Automated demand response of thermal load with a photovoltaic source for military microgrids

Energy consumption by deployed United States Army troops has become an important issue. There is significant fiscal cost and risk of providing diesel fuel for generators due to precautions needed to defend fuel convoys. Photovoltaics can effectively reduce fuel requirements, but without battery storage introduce additional variability in demand due to their intermittent nature. A structurally insulated panel (SIP) housing prototype, or SIP-Hut, has been developed with the potential to greatly reduce thermal load compared to existing structures. This work investigates automated demand response of the SIPHut Environmental Control Unit (ECU), which leverages the increased elasticity of the SIP-Hut thermal demand, with a photovoltaic source. The objectives are to minimize the frequency of generator operation and mitigate variability of the intermittent PV source to reduce diesel fuel consumption. A detailed thermal model of the SIP-Hut is presented and validated, and simulation results of an ECU demand response controller are presented.

Leveraging MapReduce and Synchrophasors for Real-Time Anomaly Detection in the Smart Grid

The rapid detection of anomalous behavior in SCADA systems such as the U.S. power grid is critical for system resiliency and operator response in cases of power fluctuations due to hazardous weather conditions or other events. Phasor measurement units are time synchronized devices that provide accurate synchrophasor measurements in power grids. The rapid deployment of PMUs enable improved real-time situational awareness to grid operators through wide area measurement systems. However, the quantity and rate of measurements obtained from PMUs is significantly higher than traditional devices, and continues to grow as more are deployed. Efficient algorithms for processing large-scale PMU data and notifying operators of anomalies is critical for real-time system monitoring. In this paper, we propose a novel, two-step anomaly detection approach that processes raw PMU data using the MapReduce paradigm. We implement our approach on a multicore system to process a dataset derived from real PMUs containing 4,500 PMUs (

Communications network emulation for smart grid test-bed

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