High-impedance faults (HIFs) on distribution feeders are abnormal electrical conditions that cannot be detected by conventional protection schemes. These faults pose a threat on human lives when neighboring objects become in contact with the line's bare and energized conductors. An accurate electrical model for a HIF is implemented to investigate typical patterns in the line's current that allow for the detection of these faults. The occurrence of HIFs is detected with harmonic-current phase analysis and localized with recloser-sectionalizer technology as presented in this work. A sectionalizer algorithm is then presented showing the decision criteria for HIF declaration and shown to discriminate against nominal behavior in distribution feeders of similar harmonic content. Finally, it is shown that the algorithm will not produce a misreading when a current transformer enters saturation. / Master of Science

Hurricanes have caused severe damage to the electric power system throughout the Gulf coast region of the U.S., and electric power is critical to post-hurricane disaster response as well as to long-term recovery for impacted areas. Managing hurricane risks and properly preparing for post-storm recovery efforts requires rigorous methods for estimating the number and location of power outages, customers without power, and damage to power distribution systems. This dissertation presents a statistical power outage prediction model, a statistical model for predicting the number of customers without power, statistical damage estimation models, and a physical damage estimation model for the gulf coast region of the U.S. The statistical models use negative binomial generalized additive regression models as well as negative binomial generalized linear regression models for estimating the number of power outages, customers without power, damaged poles and damaged transformers in each area of a utility company’s service area. The statistical models developed based on transformed data replace hurricane indicator variables, dummy variables, with physically measurable variables, enabling future predictions to be based on only well-understood characteristics of hurricanes. The physical damage estimation model provides reliable predictions of the number of damaged poles for future hurricanes by integrating fragility curves based on structural reliability analysis with observed data through a Bayesian approach. The models were developed using data about power outages during nine hurricanes in three states served by a large, investor-owned utility company in the Gulf Coast region.

The planning of distribution systems consists in determining the optimum site and size of new substations and feeders in order to satisfy the future power demand with minimum investment and operational costs and an acceptable level of reliability. This problem is a combinatorial, non-linear and constrained optimization problem. Several solution methods based on genetic algorithms have been reported in the literature; however, some of these methods have been reported with applications to small systems while others have long solution time. In addition, the vast majority of the developed methods handle planning problems simplifying them as single-objective problems but, there are some planning aspects that can not be combined into a single scalar objective; therefore, they require to be treated separately. The cause of these shortcomings is the poor representation of the potential solutions and their genetic operators This thesis presents the design of a genetic algorithm using a direct representation technique and specialized genetic operators for power distribution system expansion planning problems. These operators effectively preserve and exploit critical configurations that contribute to the optimization of the objective function. The constraints of the problems are efficiently handle with new strategies. The genetic algorithm was tested on several theoretical and real large-scale power distribution systems. Problems of network reconfiguration for loss reduction were also included in order to show the potential of the algorithm to resolve operational problems. Both single-objective and multi-objective formulations were considered in the tests. The results were compared with results from other heuristic methods such as ant colony system algorithms, evolutionary programming, differential evolution and other genetic algorithms reported in the literature. From these comparisons it was concluded that the proposed genetic algorithm is suitable to resolve problems of largescale power distribution system planning. Moreover, the algorithm proved to be effective, efficient and robust with better performance than other previous methods.

This work presents a software framework for power system analysis, PowerFrame. It is composed of four layers. This four-layer architecture is designed for extensibility and reusability so that more complex power system problems can be tackled within the architecture. In the context of PowerFrame, this work explores complex power system problems. Included in these problems are parallel-placed cables with multiple conductors, and distributed resources operating in unbalanced power distribution systems. Mathematical models are derived. Errors between more exact models and conventional approaches are presented. PowerFrame is also designed to handle distributed computation for intensive power system calculations on multiple, networked computers. Distributed power flow algorithms are presented. Tests on Ethernet LANs show the feasibility of distributed computation under current computer network bandwidth. / Ph. D.

How to evaluate the performance of an electric power distribution system unambiguously and quantitatively is not easy. How to accurately measure the efficiency of it for a whole year, using real time hour-by-hour Locational Marginal Price data, is difficult. How to utilize distributed computing technology to accomplish these tasks with a timely fashion is challenging. This thesis addresses the issues mentioned above, by investigating feeder performance analysis of electric power distribution systems with distributed algorithm. Feeder performance analysis computes a modeled circuit's performance over an entire year, listing key circuit performance parameters such as efficiency, loading, losses, cost impact, power factor, three phase imbalance, capacity usage and others, providing detailed operating information for the system, and an overview of the performance of every circuit in the system. A diakoptics tearing method and Graph Trace Analysis based distributed computing technology is utilized to speed up the calculation. A general distributed computing architecture is established and a distributed computing algorithm is described. To the best of the author's knowledge, it is the first time that this detailed performance analysis is researched, developed and tested, using a diakoptics based tearing method and Graph Trace Analysis to split the system so that it can be analyzed with distributed computing technology. / Master of Science

Power distribution systems continue to evolve to accommodate the advancements in the field of microgrids and renewable energy resources. The future grids will be highly connected and will require increased reliability of the network. To this effect, low-voltage distribution systems with meshed or networked topology can be utilized. Currently, the use of low-voltage heavily-meshed distribution systems is restricted to urban areas with high load density that require increased reliability of power. A reason for this is the high cost of construction of such systems and complex topology which creates additional challenges. The direction of power flow in such systems is not unidirectional, which makes the power flow analysis difficult. Complicated network analysis techniques are required to determine the fault currents and protection settings in the network. Due to the aforementioned reasons, there is limited work analyzing the effectiveness of existing power flow algorithms to solve complex meshed systems. In this thesis, the robustness of two power flow algorithms is compared using an index called static stability breakdown margin parameter of circuit elements. For this study, a low-voltage heavily-meshed distribution test system is also proposed. Additionally, a study is conducted to show how reliable the meshed test system is against any fault in the system. The steady-state voltage stability of the test system is observed during the event of a fault. The stability margin parameter is then used to determine the vulnerable components in the system which need to be strengthened to increase the stability and voltage profile of the system. / Master of Science / Distribution systems carry electricity from the transmission system and deliver it to the customers. Distribution systems mainly operate using two topologies for their feeders: Radial and Meshed. The majority of customers are served using radial distribution systems, as in the radial feeders power flows in one direction (i.e. from substation to the end-user). They are simple in design and operation and are constructed at a moderate cost. However, if there is a fault along the main feeder, there will be an interruption of power to the end-use customer. On the other hand, meshed distribution systems involve multiple paths of power flow between all the points in the network. If a fault occurs along the feeder, the power flow is rerouted to the other available paths. Thus, Heavily Due to their complex topology, meshed systems are expensive to construct and deploy. The power flow analysis of these systems poses many challenges. Because of these reasons, their use is mainly restricted to urban areas with high load density which require very high reliability. The future grid is becoming increasingly complex and evolving to a meshed distribution topology has its own advantages. However, as presently the use of meshed systems is sparse, the work done on evaluating the stability of these systems is minimal. As a result of which, this thesis focuses on determining the optimal power flow solvers for these complex systems, analyzing their stability under abnormal operating conditions, and suggesting methods to reinforce the vulnerabilities in the system.

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Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia para alocação eficiente de dispositivos indicadores de faltas em sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica. São avaliadas como as principais variáveis que influenciam na quantificação da potencialidade para instalação de dispositivos indicadores de faltas se comportam ao longo do tronco principal dos alimentadores de distribuição de energia elétrica. Como metodologia, empregou-se sistemas de inferência fuzzy para quantificar a referida potencialidade a partir das variáveis avaliadas. Resultados com dados reais destacam também a eficiência da metodologia proposta para quantificar e avaliar a rede de dispositivos indicadores já existentes em alimentadores. / This work presents a methodology for efficient allocation of fault indicator devices in electric power distribution systems. The behavior of the main variables that influence in the quantification of the potentiality for installation of fault indicator devices were analyzed taking into account the feeder length. In methodology terms, fuzzy inference systems were used to quantify this potentiality from the analyzed variables. Results with real data have also highlighted the efficiency of the proposed methodology to quantify and to evaluate the fault indicator device network already existent in power distribution feeders.

Neste trabalho é proposta uma modelagem matemática para a otimização do problema de corte de carga em sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica radiais. O problema de corte de carga consiste em uma estratégia de reconfiguração topológica da rede elétrica para interrupção do fornecimento de energia elétrica. O objetivo principal é desligar a quantidade mínima de carga do sistema, de forma a manter restrições físicas e operacionais dentro dos limites da rede elétrica. Um segundo objetivo é alterar o mínimo possível a estrutura topológica inicial do sistema. Para isso, é feita a minimização de chaveamentos. Inicialmente foi modelado como uma programação não-linear inteira mista, e transformado em uma programação cônica de segunda ordem inteira mista, que pode ser resolvida de forma eficiente usando vários solver comerciais. O modelo matemático foi implementado dentro do ambiente de programação matemática GAMS e resolvido utilizando o solver comercial CPLEX. Testes foram realizados no sistema de distribuição de 53 barras. Os resultados encontrados evidenciam a consistência e a eficiência da modelagem proposta neste trabalho. / This research proposed a mathematical model to optimize the load shedding problem in radial distribution power systems. The load shedding problem consists in a topological reconfiguration strategy of the power grid in order to interrupt the power supply. The main goal is to disconnect the minimum amount of system loads while respecting the physical and operational restrictions of the grid. The second goal of this research was to modify as little as possible the initial topological structure of the system. To achieve this, a switching minimization was performed. First, the problem was modeled as a mixed integer nonlinear programming, and then it was transformed into a mixed integer second order cone programming using various commercial solvers. The mathematical model was implemented in the mathematical programming environment GAMS and solved using the CPLEX commercial solver. Tests were performed at the 53 nodes distribution system. The test results showed the consistency and efficiency of the model proposed in this dissertation.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar uma metodologia para localização e proposição de reforços no sistema de distribuição de energia elétrica através de programação linear, PL, e algoritmo genético, AG. A técnica de PL utilizada para a localização de pontos de reforços e, principalmente, novas subestações de distribuição, é baseada no algoritmo de ?out-of-kilter?, um conhecido algoritmo de transporte. A seleção de melhores alternativas é solucionada através do AG, que permite a modelagem de redes com proporções reais e possibilita a obtenção de resultados em tempos de execução compatíveis para aplicação de atividades em planejamento de sistemas de distribuição de energia. O modelo de algoritmo proposto aloca automaticamente novos reforços, como o recondutoramento de trechos da rede e a expansão de subestações existentes, complementando os reforços candidatos, novas subestações e novos alimentadores, propostos previamente pelo modelo de PL. A metodologia proposta é aplicada à resolução de uma rede de distribuição real, possibilitando a análise da potencialidade que esta modelagem pode oferecer. / This dissertation presents a methodology for the allocation and proposal of new reinforcements in electric distribution systems through linear programming (LP) and genetic algorithm (GA). The linear programming technique used for the allocation of new reinforcements, namely new distribution substation locations, is based on the ?out-of-kilter? algorithm, a well known transport algorithm. The selection of alternatives, determined by technical and economical criteria, is carried out through a genetic algorithm that allows the modeling of real sized distribution networks and makes possible the attainment of results in compatible execution times for distribution network planning. The proposed model places new reinforcements automatically, as it is the case of cable resizing in distribution lines and the expansion of existing substations, complementing the new substations and new feeders proposed by the linear programming model. The proposed methodology is applied to the solution of a real distribution network, showing the potential applications of the models.