Operating strategies to preserve the adequacy of power systems circuit breakers

The objective of the proposed research is to quantify the limits of overstressed and aging circuit breakers in terms of probability of failure and to provide guidelines to determine network reconfigurations, generator commitment, and economic dispatch strategies that account for these limits. The proposed temporary power system operating strategies address circuit breaker adequacy issues and allow overstressed breakers to be operated longer and more reliably until they are replaced with adequate equipment. The expansion of electric networks with new power sources (nuclear plants, distributed generation) results in increased short-circuit or fault currents levels. As fault currents increase, they will eventually exceed circuit breaker ratings. Circuit breakers exposed to fault currents in excess of their ratings are said to be overstressed, underrated, or inadequate. Insufficient ratings expose overstressed breakers to increased failure probabilities. Extensive common-mode outages caused by circuit breaker failures reduce the reliability of power systems. To durably avoid outages and system unreliability, overstressed breakers must eventually be replaced. Large-scale replacements of overstressed breakers cannot be completed in a short time because of budgetary limits, capital improvement schedules, and manufacturer-imposed constraints. Meanwhile, to preserve the ability of old and overstressed breakers to safely interrupt faults, short-circuit currents must be kept within the limits imposed by the ratings and the age of these breakers by using the substation reconfiguration and generator commitment strategies described in this study. The immediate benefit of the above-mentioned operating strategies is a reduction of the failure probability of overstressed breakers obtained by avoiding the interruption of currents in excess of breaker ratings. Other benefits include (i) increased network reliability, (ii) restored operating margins with respect to existing equipment, and (iii) prioritized equipment upgrades that enhance the long-term planning of power systems.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Meliopoulos, A. P. Sakis; Committee Member: Divan, Deepakraj M.; Committee Member: Harley, Ronald G.; Committee Member: Johnson, Ellis L.; Committee Member: Taylor, David G

Long-Range Building Program, 2002-2003 Biennium

The University of Montana Long-Range Building Program, 2002-2003, issued by the Office of the President.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/planning_assessment/1014/thumbnail.jp

Value-based planning methodology for the restructuring and expansion of an electric utility sub-transmission network

The main objective of this study is to develop a methodology to assist in the reconfiguration and expansion of an electrical sub-transmission network within the framework of Value-based planning. This methodology applies to typical municipal networks found in South Africa. A literature study indicates that most of the fundamental concepts for power system reliability is well established with extensive research done in North America, and other parts of the world. Reliability worth assessment of sub-transmission networks in South Africa, which include composite networks and substation reliability, is however not well developed. From a Value-¬based point of view the literature further does not provide much linkage to the evaluation of alternative long-term network options. This is especially true in terms of the life cycle cost assessment of network alternatives, which include the prediction of customer damages as a function of network performance. In this dissertation a methodology is proposed which utilises the basic network reliability concepts to assess the performance of existing and future alternative network options. The load point Expected Unserved Energy is used to quantify network performance and is obtained through a contingency enumeration process. An existing Geographical Load Forecasting technique defines all customers connected to a load point, on a homogeneous level. This information along with Sector Customer Damage Functions is used to predict existing and future Composite Customer Damage Functions at the associated load point in the sub-transmission network. To arrive at the total minimum cost, which is the objective of Value-based planning, the present worth for each alternative is obtained from the annual utility and customer cost over the life cycle of the alternative. The alternative that result in the lowest present worth is identified as the preferred alternative. A case study is conducted on the sub-transmission network of the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council (GPMC) in order to prove the methodology. The entire network is analysed in order to identify the sub-system with the worst performance from a reliability point of view. Alternative network options are identified and the methodology is used for the evaluation of these alternatives. The application of this methodology provides the network planner with the ability to make better decisions with regard to the allocation of reliability. Through the calculation of reliability indices, tangible guidelines can be provided to quantitatively assess the impact of different network alternatives. These guidelines assess contingency probabilities explicitly and along with reliability worth evaluation provide a fundamental tool to conduct Value-based planning. The application of this methodology can lead to significant savings in capital investment while maintaining an acceptable level of reliability.Dissertation (M Eng (Electrical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineeringunrestricte

Impact of intergrating teebus hydro power on the unbalanced distribution MV network

Small hydro power sources have been identified as one of the renewable energy technologies that the South African government is focusing on in order to generate more electricity from renewable/independent resources. Due to the low carbon output of most renewable energy technologies and the carbon intensive power generation technologies that are currently being used in South Africa e.g. Hydro, coal, gas, and etc. further pressure is increasing to incorporate cleaner forms of generation. In 2002 a study focusing on the hydropower potential was compiled providing an assessment according to conventional and unconventional possibilities for all the provinces. Nowadays, the power electricity demand is growing fast and one of the main tasks for power engineers is to generate electricity from renewable energy sources to overcome this increase in the energy consumption and at the same time reduce environmental impact of power generation. Eskom Distribution Eastern Cape Operating Unit (ECOU) was requested to investigate the feasibility of connecting a small hydro power scheme located in the Teebus area in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape in particular, was identified as potentially the most productive area for small hydroelectric development in South Africa for both the grid connected and off grid applications. These network conditions are in contrast to the South African electricity network where long radial feeders with low X/R ratios and high resistance, spanning large geographic areas, give rise to low voltages on the network. Practical simulation networks have been used to test the conditions set out in the South African Grid Code/NERSA standard and to test the impact of connecting small hydro generation onto the unbalanced distribution network. These networks are representative of various real case scenarios of the South African distribution network. Most of the findings from the simulations were consistent with what was expected when comparing with other literatures. From the simulation results it was seen that the performance of the variable speed generators were superior to that of the fixed speed generators during transient conditions. It was also seen that the weakness of the network had a negative effect on the stability of the system. It is also noted that the stability studies are a necessity when connecting the generators to a network and that each case should be reviewed individually. The fundamental cause of voltage instability is identified as incapability of combined distribution and generation system to meet excessive load demand in either real power or reactive power form

Modular Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (MPHES): Relevance, concept design, economics and future prospect

This project gives an overview and literature review of Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) technology detailing the present context and future prospects with particular focus on Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). Discussion that addresses present challenges and requirements to move forward with sustainable hydro power development electricity supply is explored. An overview of the fundamental system components and a technical design base for a Modular PHES (MPHES) is presented. A cost base is given for the MPHES and subsequently compared with other technologies. A concept design is proposed for a deployable, scalable MPHES system and is applied to two Case Studies. Discussion is given with respect to the relevance of such a scheme in Australia and the potential scalability and costs. The MPHES was found the be technically feasible and economically comparable to recent solar developments

How to Think About Resilient Infrastructure Systems

abstract: Resilience is emerging as the preferred way to improve the protection of infrastructure systems beyond established risk management practices. Massive damages experienced during tragedies like Hurricane Katrina showed that risk analysis is incapable to prevent unforeseen infrastructure failures and shifted expert focus towards resilience to absorb and recover from adverse events. Recent, exponential growth in research is now producing consensus on how to think about infrastructure resilience centered on definitions and models from influential organizations like the US National Academy of Sciences. Despite widespread efforts, massive infrastructure failures in 2017 demonstrate that resilience is still not working, raising the question: Are the ways people think about resilience producing resilient infrastructure systems? This dissertation argues that established thinking harbors misconceptions about infrastructure systems that diminish attempts to improve their resilience. Widespread efforts based on the current canon focus on improving data analytics, establishing resilience goals, reducing failure probabilities, and measuring cascading losses. Unfortunately, none of these pursuits change the resilience of an infrastructure system, because none of them result in knowledge about how data is used, goals are set, or failures occur. Through the examination of each misconception, this dissertation results in practical, new approaches for infrastructure systems to respond to unforeseen failures via sensing, adapting, and anticipating processes. Specifically, infrastructure resilience is improved by sensing when data analytics include the modeler-in-the-loop, adapting to stress contexts by switching between multiple resilience strategies, and anticipating crisis coordination activities prior to experiencing a failure. Overall, results demonstrate that current resilience thinking needs to change because it does not differentiate resilience from risk. The majority of research thinks resilience is a property that a system has, like a noun, when resilience is really an action a system does, like a verb. Treating resilience as a noun only strengthens commitment to risk-based practices that do not protect infrastructure from unknown events. Instead, switching to thinking about resilience as a verb overcomes prevalent misconceptions about data, goals, systems, and failures, and may bring a necessary, radical change to the way infrastructure is protected in the future.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 201