Mauro Bosetti

Short-Term Scheduling and Control of Active Distribution Systems With High Penetration of Renewable Resources

Among the innovative contributions to electric distribution systems, one of the most promising and qualified is the possibility to manage and control distributed generation. Therefore, the latest distribution management systems tend to incorporate optimization functions for the short-term scheduling of the various energy and control resources available in the network (e.g., embedded generators, reactive power compensators and transformers equipped with on-load tap changers). The short-term scheduling procedure adopted in the paper is composed by two stages: a day-ahead scheduler for the optimization of distributed resources production during the following day, an intra-day scheduler that every 15 min adjusts the scheduling in order to take into account the operation requirements and constraints of the distribution network. The intra-day scheduler solves a non-linear multi-objective optimization problem by iteratively applying a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) algorithm. The linearization of the optimization function and the constraints is achieved by the use of sensitivity coefficients obtained from the results of a three-phase power flow calculation. The paper shows the application of the proposed approach to a medium-voltage 120 buses network with five wind plants, one photovoltaic field, ten dispatchable generators, and two transformers equipped with on-load tap changers.

Continuous-Wavelet Transform for Fault Location in Distribution Power Networks: Definition of Mother Wavelets Inferred From Fault Originated Transients

The paper presents a fault location procedure for distribution networks based on the wavelet analysis of the fault-generated traveling waves. In particular, the proposed procedure implements the continuous wavelet analysis applied to the voltage waveforms recorded during the fault in correspondence of a network bus. In order to improve the wavelet analysis, an algorithm is proposed to build specific mother wavelets inferred from the fault-originated transient waveforms. The performance of the proposed algorithm are analyzed for the case of the IEEE 34-bus test distribution network and compared with those achieved by using the more traditional Morlet mother wavelet.

Integrated Use of Time-Frequency Wavelet Decompositions for Fault Location in Distribution Networks: Theory and Experimental Validation

The paper presents a procedure for fault location in distribution networks, based on the use of the integrated time-frequency wavelet decompositions of the voltage transients associated with the fault-originated travelling waves. The proposed analysis of time-frequency wavelet decompositions has been found to improve the identification accuracy of the frequencies associated to the characteristic patterns of a fault location with respect to a sole frequency-domain wavelet analysis. Several laboratory fault tests, carried out by means of a reduced-scale model of a distribution feeder, are used to illustrate the characteristics and assess the performances of the proposed improved procedure. The paper also illustrates the application of the proposed procedure to a transient, originated by a permanent phase-to-phase fault, measured in a real distribution network in which a post-test analysis has identified the faulted branch.

An Energy Resource Scheduler Implemented in the Automatic Management System of a Microgrid Test Facility

The paper deals with a microgrid test facility, settled at the CESI RICERCA laboratories, equipped with various distributed energy resources (DERs) and connected to a LV network. The operation of such a microgrid is supervised by a central automatic microgrid management system (MMS). The paper first reports and discusses some experimental results carried out for the assessment of DERs performance and for the implementation of specific MMS functions. Then, it describes the functions of the energy resources scheduler (ERS) implemented in the MMS. The scheduler periodically updates the set points of DERs regulators in order to achieve economic, reliability and power quality objectives, starting form the load and renewable production forecasts and from the results of the system state estimation. The ERS is composed by two main parts, namely: a day-ahead economic scheduler of active power set points during the following day for the minimization of the overall costs, and an intra-day scheduler that every 15 minutes settles the set points of the DERs regulators to optimize the voltage profile at the grid buses, taking into account both technical constraints and the day-ahead economic schedules.

A Two-Stage Scheduler of Distributed Energy Resources

The paper presents a two-stage scheduler for the optimal scheduling of distributed energy resources (DER) connected to a distribution network. The proposed approach integrates a centralized day-ahead scheduler with an intra-day one. On the one hand, the day-ahead scheduler calculates the active power set points during the following day taking into account both technical and economic objectives and constraints. On the other hand, the intra-day scheduler takes into account the results of the day-ahead one and updates every 15 minutes the DERs set points for the optimization of the network voltage profiles. The paper describes the implementation of the proposed two-stage scheduler algorithm into a computer code based on a JavaScript link between Matlab and EMTP-RV simulation environments and presents the results obtained for the case of a network configuration adapted from the IEEE 34-node test distribution feeder.

Short-term scheduling of active distribution systems

The latest distribution management systems tend to incorporate optimization functions for the short-term scheduling of the various energy and control resources available in the network (e.g., embedded generators, reactive power compensators and transformers equipped with on-load tap changers). The short-term scheduling procedure adopted in the paper is composed by two stages: a day-ahead scheduler for the optimization of distributed resources production during the following day, an intra-day scheduler that every 15 minutes adjusts the scheduling in order to take into account the operation requirements and constraints of the distribution network. The intra-day scheduler solves a non-linear multi-objective optimization problem by iteratively applying a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) algorithm. The linearization of the optimization function and the constraints is achieved by the use of sensitivity coefficients obtained from the results of a three-phase power flow calculation. The paper shows the application of the proposed approach to a medium-voltage 120 buses network with 10 dispatchable generators and 2 transformers equipped with on-load tap changers.

Optimal Operating Point Calculation for Medium Voltage Distribution Systems

The paper deals with the calculation of the optimal working point of a distribution system, equipped with several distributed generators, able to operate also autonomously, i.e. disconnected from the main grid. When connected to the main grid, it appears in general convenient to assign the slack bus role to the bus that represents such a connection. The problem becomes more complex when maximum power transfer constraints through the connection must be taken into account. The adequate slack bus treatment is even more important when the optimal operating condition must refer to the condition subsequent to an intentional or unintentional disconnection from the main grid. The paper presents an analysis of different approaches and their comparison with the help of the computation results relevant to a typical test distribution network.

Analysis of black-startup and islanding capabilities of a combined cycle power plant

The paper presents the analysis of black-startup and islanding capabilities of an 80 MW combined cycle power plant. The analysis is carried out by means of a computer dynamic simulator suitably developed in the EMTP-RV simulation environment in order to represent both the power plant and the local network with the relevant loads. The paper describes the main characteristics of the implemented models and presents the analysis of transients due to both energization and islanding manoeuvres. The former simulations aim at verifying the feasibility of the energization of the path from a turbo gas unit, with autonomous black-start capabilities, to the local distribution network loads. The latter simulations allow the analysis of different islanding strategies for rather large levels of power exported to the external transmission network.