Sistema para localización de faltas en líneas subterráneas de distribución eléctrica de media tensión, mediante una red distribuida de sensores de corriente

Uno de los elementos más importantes de una red eléctrica es su sistema de distribución y transporte. Sin embargo, este sistema puede verse afectado por agentes externos o por el propio deterioro de sus elementos. Estos eventos indeseables suelen denominarse “faltas” y se traducen habitualmente en una interrupción del suministro eléctrico. En este sentido, antes de poder emprender las acciones paliativas el operador de la red debe localizar el punto donde ésta se ha originado. A esta tarea se la conoce con el nombre de “localización de faltas”. Tradicionalmente, la localización de faltas ha consistido en distintos métodos de campo que mediante inspección visual recorrían el trazado de la línea en busca del origen de la falta. Con el tiempo, esta disciplina ha ido mejorando mediante el desarrollo de métodos más avanzados, capaces de estimar la distancia existente hasta el punto de falta. No obstante, estos desarrollos estaban más orientados a resolver el problema sobre redes de transporte, más instrumentalizadas y simples que las redes de distribución. Es más, esta problemática se ve agravada por la importante evolución que están sufriendo en los últimos años las redes eléctricas, persiguiendo el paradigma de “red inteligente” o Smart Grid, y donde una de sus características principales es una fuerte presencia de generación distribuida. Esta nueva filosofía de red, donde los flujos energéticos dejan de ser unidireccionales, haciendo inviable la aplicación de soluciones clásicas de localización, y plantea en este sentido, una activa línea de investigación, impulsada en gran medida por las propias compañías distribuidoras, cuyo interés estratégico confluye con su necesidad de mejorar los mecanismos de localización ante estos nuevos escenarios de operación. En este sentido el presente trabajo de tesis se enmarca en esa línea de investigación abordando temas como la definición y causa de las faltas, los procedimientos típicos ante un evento de falta, el marco normativo legal, así como los nuevos retos a los que se enfrentan los sistemas de distribución en una Smart Grids. Así pues, este análisis ha sido completado con un profundo examen de estado del arte en el ámbito de la localización de falta, estudiándose exhaustivamente algunos de los métodos de localización más importantes. Finalmente, como aportación principal del presente trabajo se proponen dos novedosos métodos de localización de faltas, orientados a resolver este problema en redes de distribución eléctrica subterránea de media tensión, y cuya principal característica es que únicamente requieren medidas de fasores corriente, a diferencia de los métodos tradicionales estudiados en la literatura que requieren medidas tanto de corriente como de tensión (no siendo fácil acceder a esta última en este tipo de redes). Por un lado, el primero de los métodos plantea explotar las características típicas de este tipo de redes, y mediante un análisis de las corrientes de malla, determinar la posición de la falta. Por otro lado, el segundo de los métodos, plantea una filosofía completamente distinta, que implica desplegar sobre el sistema una red distribuida de sensores de corriente, que de forma colaborativa es capaz de estimar los puntos donde se origine una fuga de corriente. En ambos casos, los resultados de ambos métodos han sido respaldados por un estudio comparativo con otros métodos de localización ya aceptados por la comunidad científica, poniendo dichos resultados de manifiesto la bondad de los métodos propuestos y por consiguiente, la calidad del presente trabajo de investigación

Industrial Fieldbus Improvements in Power Distribution and Conducted Noise Immunity With No Extra Costs

Industrial distributed control continues the move toward networks at all levels. At lower levels, control networks provide flexibility, reliability, and low cost, although perhaps the simplest but most important advantage is the reduced volume of wiring. Powered fieldbuses offer particular notable benefits in system wiring simplification. Nevertheless, very few papers are dealing with the potentials and limitations in power distribution through the bus cable. Only a few of the existent fieldbus standards consider this possibility but often simply as an option without enough technical specifications. In fact, nobody talks about it, but power distribution through the bus and conducted noise disturbances are strongly related. This paper points out and analyzes these limitations and proposes a new low-cost fieldbus physical layer that enlarges power distribution capability of the bus and improves system robustness. We show an industrial application on water desalination plants and the very good results obtained owing to the fieldbus. Finally, we present electromagnetic compatibility test results that verify improvements against electrical fast transients on the sensor/actuator connection side as disturbances usually encountered in harsh-environment industrial applications

Líneas de investigación del TIC-150: Proyecto SIIAM

En este documento se describen las diferentes líneas de investigación en las que actualmente trabaja el grupo TIC 150: Tecnología Electrónica e Informática Industrial del Departamento de Tecnología Electrónica (DTE) de la Universidad de Sevilla. Este grupo cuenta con una dilatada experiencia en proyectos de investigación, tanto de convocatorias competitivas públicas, como en proyectos de investigación en colaboración con empresas. El TIC150 destaca por su elevada trasferencia tecnológica, así como por su producción científica. En este sentido, y a modo de ejemplo, en este trabajo se describen brevemente dentro de cada línea algunos de los proyectos más representativos que reflejan el trabajo realizado. Así pues, se hará especial hincapié en el proyecto SIIAM, proyecto del plan estatal actualmente activo, ya que aúna las distintas líneas de investigación del grupo de investigación y, por tanto, supone un buen ejemplo de aplicación.This document describes the different lines in which currently works the TIC150 research group: Electronic Technology and Industrial Computer Science, joined to the Department of Electronics Technology (DTE) of the University of Seville. This group has extensive experience in research projects, both competitive public calls and collaborative research projects with companies. The TIC150 stands out for its high technology transfer, as well as its scientific production. In this sense, as an example, this paper briefly describes some of the most representative projects (of different lines) which reflect the performed work. Thus, it will place special emphasis on the SIIAM project (funding through a governmental call). It is currently active and combines several lines research of the group, being a great example of application

Heterogeneous data source integration for smart grid ecosystems based on metadata mining

The arrival of new technologies related to smart grids and the resulting ecosystem of applications andmanagement systems pose many new problems. The databases of the traditional grid and the variousinitiatives related to new technologies have given rise to many different management systems with several formats and different architectures. A heterogeneous data source integration system is necessary toupdate these systems for the new smart grid reality. Additionally, it is necessary to take advantage of theinformation smart grids provide. In this paper, the authors propose a heterogeneous data source integration based on IEC standards and metadata mining. Additionally, an automatic data mining framework isapplied to model the integrated information.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2013-40767-

Estimation of the line-to-line voltage phases in MV distribution faults using transformer inrush currents

This paper proposes an innovative and comprehensive method using transformer measured inrush current during the first breaker re-close to add usefull information as fault location problem input. It is divided into the main following sections: Introduction, Magnetizing Inrush Current- A Brief Analysis, Voltage Phase Estimation Method and Conclusion. The authors insist on the importance and the availability of the fault data recorded by the line protection relay (oscillogram, COMTRADE file), with the transformer impedances knowledge, to accurately estimate voltage phases.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT) DPI2006-15467-C02-01Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT) DPI2006-15467-C02-0

Random Generation of Arbitrary Waveforms for Emulating Three-Phase Systems

This paper describes an apparatus for generating a signal representative of steady-state and transient disturbances in three-phase waveforms of an ac electrical system as described in IEEE Std 1159-09. It can be configured as a synthesizer of randomly distorted signals for different applications: for testing the effects of disturbed grid on equipment and to generate patterns of electrical disturbances for the training of artificial neural networks, which are used for measuring power quality tasks. For the first purpose, voltage and current amplifiers are added in the output stage, which allows the generation of disturbed signals at grid level.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2006-15467-C02-01Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2006-15467-C02-0

Automatic Lesser Kestrel’s Gender Identification using Video Processing

Traditionally, animal surveillance is a common task for biologists. However, this task is often accompanied by the inspection of huge amounts of video. In this sense, this paper proposes an automatic video processing algorithm to identify the gender of a kestrel species. It is based on optical flow and texture analysis. This algorithm makes it possible to identify the important information and therefore, minimizing the analysis time for biologists. Finally, to validate this algorithm, it has been tested against a set of videos, getting good classification results.Junta de Andalucía P10-TIC-570

Evaluation of the Processing Times in Anuran Sound Classification

Nowadays, sound classification applications are becoming more common in the Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN) scope. However, these architectures require special considerations, like looking for abalance between transmitted data and local processing.This article proposes an audio processing and classification scheme, focusing on WASN architectures.This article also analyzes in detail the time efficiency of the different stages involved (from acquisition to classification). This study provides useful information which makes it possible to choose the best tradeoff between processing time and classification result accuracy. This approach has been evaluated on a wide set of anurans songs registered in their own habitat. Among the conclusions of this work, there is an emphasis on the disparity in the classification and feature extraction and construction times for the different studied techniques,all of them notably depending on the over all feature number used.Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, Spain, through the Excellence Project eSAPIENS (Ref. TIC-5705

Forecasting Recharging Demand to Integrate Electric Vehicle Fleets in Smart Grids

Electric vehicle fleets and smart grids are two growing technologies. These technologies provided new possibilities to reduce pollution and increase energy efficiency. In this sense, electric vehicles are used as mobile loads in the power grid. A distributed charging prioritization methodology is proposed in this paper. The solution is based on the concept of virtual power plants and the usage of evolutionary computation algorithms. Additionally, the comparison of several evolutionary algorithms, genetic algorithm, genetic algorithm with evolution control, particle swarm optimization, and hybrid solution are shown in order to evaluate the proposed architecture. The proposed solution is presented to prevent the overload of the power grid

Challenges for citizens in energy management system of smart cities

Much has been written about the rapidly emerging, the disruptive impact being detected on every aspect of how machines and their operational technology communicate with one another, with the underlying information technology platforms. Within the smart city exists an infrastructure of interconnected objects, people, systems, and information resources together with intelligent services to allow them to process information on the physical and the virtual world. In this paper, the authors talk about the advantages and the uses of these technologies in the smart city and the new challenges of citizens to reduce energy consumption and global warming. This paper attempts to address these new approaches and the requirements involved and to articulate it in a concise and concrete way. The aim is to assist decision makers, architects, developers, and implementers in changing the character of the smart city initiatives from ones based on simple transformation to ones involving play shifts in the way that devices are identified, management and controlled.Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain TEC2013-40767-