No / Due to high penetration of single-phase Photovoltaic (PV) cells into low voltage (LV) distribution networks, several impacts such as voltage unbalance, voltage rise, power losses, reverse power flow arise which leads to operational constraints violation in the network. In this paper, a time series Three Phase Optimal Power Flow (TPOPF) method is proposed to minimize the voltage unbalance in LV distribution networks with high penetration of residential PVs. TPOPF problem is formulated using the current injection method in which the PVs are modelled via a time-varying PV power profile with active and reactive power control. The proposed method is validated on a real LV distribution feeder. The results show that the reactive power management of the PVs helps mitigate the voltage unbalance significantly. Moreover, the voltage unbalance index reduced significantly compared to the case without voltage unbalance minimisation. / Innovate UK GCRF Energy Catalyst Pi-CREST project under Grant number 41358; British Academy GCRF COMPENSE project under Grant GCRFNGR3\1541; Mut’ah University, Jordan

Modeling and Implementation of a Hardware Efficient Low-Voltage-To-Cell Battery Balancing Circuit for Electric Vehicle Range Extension / One disadvantage of electric vehicles is their limited driving range when compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. Battery packs are also a significant cost to electric vehicle manufacturers, and lithium-ion battery cells must remain within controlled voltage limits. Thus, the requirements for the electric system are to be cost effective, perform battery management, and make it as efficient as possible to increase its range. Battery packs are typically constructed from around 100 battery cells in a series connection. During use of an electric vehicle, the battery cells become mismatched due to small differences in capacity. This effect is further amplified as the electric vehicle ages. Diverging cells cause issues during driving, since weak cells can limit the useable capacity of the vehicle. In order to use the whole capacity of the battery pack, and thus the entire range of the electric vehicle, the cells should be balanced. Strong cells should distribute their excess capacity to weaker cells during driving. The thesis presents the design, modeling and implementation of a novel hardware-efficient battery balancing circuit. First, the theory behind battery balancing is presented. Next, existing battery balancing circuits are compared. Finally, the proposed battery balancing circuit is discussed. The design of the proposed topology is examined in detail. Simulations show that the circuit transfers energy between non-adjacent cells throughout the entire pack. Experimental work is performed on two custom printed circuit boards, a 12 cell lithium-ion module, and a 12V lead acid battery. The results confirm the function of the prototype. The effect of the battery balancing circuit on driving range is examined with vehicle modeling simulations. A 2018 Chevrolet Bolt model is produced and capacity differences are given to each cell. The proposed topology balances the cells while driving, extending driving range on UDDS and HWFET drive cycles. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / One disadvantage of electric vehicles is their limited driving range when compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. Thus, there is a requirement to make the electric system as efficient as possible in order to increase its range. A large piece of the electric system includes the battery pack. Battery packs are typically constructed from around 100 battery cells in a series connection. During use of an electric vehicle, the battery cells become mismatched. This effect is also amplified as the electric vehicle ages. In order to use the whole capacity of the battery pack, and thus the entire range of the electric vehicle, the cells should be balanced. The thesis presents the design, modeling and implementation of a novel hardware efficient battery balancing circuit. The effect of the battery balancing circuit on driving range is examined.

Yes / The low voltage (LV) distribution network is the last stage of the power network, which is connected directly to the end user customers and supplies many dispersed small-scale loads. In order to achieve environmental targets and to address the energy shortage issue, governments worldwide increase the renewable energy sources (RES) into the electricity grid. In addition, different types of low carbon technologies (LCTs) such as electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming widely used. A significant portion of RES and LCTs is penetrated into the LV distribution network, which poses a wide range of challenges. In order to address these challenges, there is a persistent need to develop traditional planning and operation frameworks to cope with these new technologies. In this context, this paper provides a comprehensive review about planning, operation, and management of LV distribution networks. The characteristics, types, and topologies of LV distribution networks plus different aspects of operation and planning are investigated. An insightful investigation of the reasons impacts and mitigation of voltage and current unbalanced in LV networks is provided. Moreover, the main three-phase power flow techniques used to analyze the LV networks are analyzed.

No description available.

No description available.

This master thesis deals with possibilities of using nanoparticles of different metals as markers for immune labeling in the low voltage electron microscope. It presents the low voltage elektron microscope LVEM 5 (Delong Instruments, Brno, Czech Republic) as a new type of a table-size microscope specially designed for observation of specimens composed from elements with low atomic numbers.

Existing low-voltage networks may not accommodate high penetrations of low-carbon technologies. The topic of this thesis is unbalance, which if minimised can delay or avoid the constraining of these technologies or the replacing of still-useful network assets. Most of the discussion on unbalance, as seen in the standards and the literature, centres on the effects of voltage unbalance on consumer equipment. Its effects on the network are not equally reported. This thesis recognises fundamental differences between the consumer and network perspectives. It can inform distribution network operators on the interpretation of measurements taken on low-voltage networks and guide research on unbalance due to high penetrations of low-carbon technologies. Much of the work involved simulations of LV networks. Initially, existing 3 x 3 or 5 x 5 approaches to the forward-backward sweep method were thought suitable. After a review of these approaches however, there were doubts as to how accurately they accounted for the shared neutral-earth return path on which the out-of-balance current flows. This led to the derivation of a new 5 x 5 approach using only Kirchhoff s voltage (KVL) and current laws (KCL). Its results are validated thoroughly in the thesis. In addition to satisfying KVL and KCL, they match Matlab SimPowerSystems exactly and are in close agreement with measurements taken on a very unbalanced rural feeder. This thesis also investigates the mitigation of unbalance using the static balancer. This is a transformer with a single interconnected-star winding. It was used in 1930-1950s to correct unbalance. Contributions are made for its possible re-introduction as a retrofit option. They include a model for use in the forward-backward sweep method, validated by laboratory and field measurements, and the quantification of the static balancer s strengths and weaknesses as this can help identify when it should be used.

Time-series power flow simulations are consecutive power flow calculations on each time step of a set of load and generation profiles that represent the time horizon under which a network needs to be analyzed. These simulations are one of the fundamental tools to carry out cost-benefit analyses of grid planing and operation strategies in the presence of distributed energy resources, unfortunately, their execution time is quite substantial. In the specific case of cost-benefit analyses the execution time of time-series power flow simulations can easily become excessive, as typical time horizons are in the order of a year and different scenarios need to be compared, which results in time-series simulations that require a rather large number of individual power flow calculations. It is often the case that only a set of aggregated simulation outputs is required for assessing grid operation costs, examples of which are total network losses, power exchange through MV/LV substation transformers, and total power provision from PV generators. Exploring alternatives to running time-series power flow simulations with complete input data that can produce approximations of the required results with a level of accuracy that is suitable for cost-benefit analyses but that require less time to compute can thus be beneficial. This thesis explores and compares different methods for shortening time-series power flow simulations based on reducing the amount of input data and thus the required number of individual power flow calculations, and focuses its attention on two of them: one consists in reducing the time resolution of the input profiles through downsampling while the other consists in finding similar time steps in the input profiles through vector quantization and simulating them only once. The results show that considerable execution time reductions and sufficiently accurate results can be obtained with both methods, but vector quantization requires much less data to produce the same level of accuracy as downsampling. Vector quantization delivers a far superior trade-off between data reduction, time savings, and accuracy when the simulations consider voltage control or when more than one simulation with the same input data is required, as in such cases the data reduction process can be carried out only once. One disadvantage of this method is that it does not reproduce peak values in the result profiles with accuracy, which is due to the way downsampling disregards certain time steps in the input profiles and to the averaging effect vector quantization has on the them. This disadvantage makes the simulations shortened through these methods less precise, for example, for detecting voltage violations.

Som en del av Elsäkerhetsverkets klimatanpassningsarbete undersöktes i detta examensarbete vilken kunskap som finns kring personsäkerhet vid översvämning av lågspänningsanläggningar, samt huruvida vanligt förekommande elapparater och elcentraler läcker ut ström när de nedsänks i vatten. Informationsinhämtning skedde genom sökning i artikeldatabaser. Sökningarna resulterade främst i artiklar om person-säkerhet i andra typer av vattenmiljöer med elanläggningar, i huvudsak båt- och hamnmiljöer. Mätningar på ett urval av eluttag, kopplingsdosor och elcentraler nedsänkta i vatten respresenativt för dagvatten visade att samtliga läckte ut ström till en jordelektrod på 1,2 m avstånd, förutom en elcentral av metall med jordat hölje och stängd dörr. De flesta läckströmmar var större än gränsvärden för farlig strömstyrka. Säkringar på 16 A och 25 A löste ut först vid vattenkonduktivitet representativt för havsvatten. Vid mätningarna uppmättes farliga potentialer i vattnet kring apparaterna och centralerna. Simuleringar med dataprogram visade att det elektriska fältets utbredning kunde påverkas stort av den specifika geometrin i rummet, med främmande ledande delar och olika konduktivitet i väggar och golv. Det bekräftar att strömfördelning och det elektriska fältets utbredning i reella översvämningsmiljöer  är svårförutsägbart. / As a part of the work by the Swedish Electrical Safety Authority to adapt rules and regulations to future climate changes, this thesis investigate the present knowledge about personal safety during flooding of low voltage distribution systems and private electrical utilities. It also investigate if common electrical equipment and distribution boxes leak current when immersed in water. Information seeking was done by searches in article databases. The search results mainly concerned personal safety in other types of  environments with water and electric facilities, mostly boats and marinas. Measurements on a selection of electric equipment and distrbution boxes immersed in water, representative of surface water, showed that all but one produced leak current in the water to a ground electrode at a distance of 1,2 m. Only a metal distribution box with grounded casing and closed door did not produce leak current in the water. Most of the leak currents exceeded limits for dangerous current levels. Dangerous potenatials where recorded in the water surrounding the equipment. Simulations with computer programs showed that the distribution of the electrical field could be greatly affected by the particular environment, consisting of different metal structures common in buildings and different conductivity in walls and floor. It confirms that current split and distribution of electric fields i real flooded environments are hard to predict.

O trabalho apresenta uma metodologia aplicável à coordenação de dispositivos de proteção contra surtos em sistemas de corrente alternada de baixa tensão. Esta tem como base a adequação dos níveis de isolamento e imunidade dos equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos e de energia absorvida pelos dispositivos de proteção. A principal motivação está relacionada aos critérios de segurança e confiabilidade requeridos por instalações nucleares, em que a coordenação da proteção contra surtos assume um importante papel. Uma metodologia interativa é implementada visando otimizar o processo de análise e especificação dos dispositivos de proteção, considerando a adoção de métodos analíticos e numéricos. Modelos de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos, quando submetidos a surtos de tensão e corrente, além dos dispositivos de proteção contra surtos, são implementados no simulador de transitórios eletromagnéticos - ATP. Destacam-se nestes estudos, as análises de configurações e arranjos do sistema elétrico, assim como seus parâmetros, a influência destes na configuração ou arranjo ótimo dos dispositivos de proteção, além do atendimento aos requisitos das normas aplicáveis. / The work presents a methodology regarding to low-voltage surge protective device coordination. This is based on adequacy of the isolation and immunity level of electrical and electronic equipment and the energy absorbed by the protective devices. The main motivation is related to the required nuclear plant reliability and safety criteria, in whose the surge protection coordination can assume an important role. An interactive methodology is carried out to optimize the analysis and the protection device specification, considering the adoption of analytical and numerical methods. Electrical and electronic equipment models, when submitted to voltage and current surges, in addition to surge protective devices, are implemented in the electromagnetic transient simulator - ATP. In these studies, the analysis of electrical system configurations and arrangements, as well as their parameters, and their influence on the configuration or optimum protective device arrangement, besides compliance with the requirements of applicable standards are highlighted.