A continuidade no fornecimento de energia elétrica a clientes é um objetivo constante das distribuidoras de energia, as quais estão constantemente buscando desenvolver soluções tecnológicas a fim de melhorar o desempenho das redes de distribuição. Com o crescimento das cargas eletrônicas e o expressivo aumento dos dispositivos automáticos nas redes, surge uma nova forma de analisar a rede de distribuição sob o aspecto da filosofia da proteção, considerando interrupções sustentadas e momentâneas, sob dois aspectos distintos, o primeiro considera o custo da energia não fornecida sob o período de contingência, enquanto que o segundo refere-se ao impacto do custo social para diferentes classes de clientes, durante o período das interrupções. Desta forma este trabalho propõe o desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de minimização de custos dessas interrupções considerando as características das cargas, bem como o tempo necessário para reinicialização da carga. Para este fim, é aplicado um modelo de programação não-linear, que emprega variáveis binárias para definir a habilitação ou não de curvas rápidas nos religadores e uma abordagem de otimização clássica. Os algoritmos foram desenvolvidos no software Matlab e posteriormente convertido para linguagem GAMS (Generic Algebraic Modeling System). A metodologia foi testada e validada em um alimentador de distribuição real urbano, localizado na região metropolitana de Porto Alegre (RS, Brasil). / Uninterrupted power delivery is a permanent goal of power utilities. One way of attaining this objective is constantly investing in technological solutions to improve the performance of distribution networks. With increasing loads, mainly electronic ones, as well as growing insertion of automatic reclosers, the protection philosophy of distribution systems has to be rethought taking into account temporary and permanent interruptions. In this work, we propose a strategy to minimize the cost of interruptions taking into account the load characteristics and the time required to restart the load. This is achieved by deriving a mixed integer nonlinear programming model. The proposed model uses binary variables to define if the instantaneous characteristic of the recloser should be enabled and a classical explicit mathematical optimization approach. The algorithms were developed with Matlab software and the conversion was made to a General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The applicability of the proposed methodology is tested in an actual feeder from Porto Alegre.

This thesis makes contributions to provide the microeconomic evidence on the effects of electricity provision and on the feasibility of electricity provision via renewable energy in developing countries. Three selected topics are presented. First, we discuss how the impact of national electricity grid provision affects household welfare and individual labor activities in Vietnam. To overcome the endogeneity problem of infrastructure provision, the slope of the terrain is used as the instrumental variable. We present both first-difference regression and pooled regression results using household survey data and geographic datasets. The effect of electrification on female labor supply is negative, contrary to the evidence suggested in the previous literature. Second, we measure willingness to pay for solar lanterns among the poor rural households in India using the Becker-DeGrook-Marschak method. We conduct field surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of providing a trial period and postponed payment scheme to promote sales. Results show that willingness to pay for the solar product among the consumers is low. Lastly, we report patterns of awareness and interest in solar home systems (SHS) among the poor rural households in India. Results show that willingness to pay for SHS is low, even if the national subsidy is taken into account. Moreover, households that have experience using grid electricity have greater willingness to pay for SHS.

This dissertation focuses on two specific problems related to the reliability of the modern power grid. The first part investigates the economic dispatch problem with uncertain power sources. The classic economic dispatch problem seeks generator power output levels that meet demand most efficiently; we add risk-awareness to this by explicitly modeling the uncertainty of intermittent power sources using chance-constrained optimization and incorporating the chance constraints into the standard optimal power flow framework. The result is a dispatch of power which is substantially more robust to random fluctuations with only a small increase in economic cost. Furthermore, it uses an algorithm which is only moderately slower than the conventional practice. The second part investigates “the power grid attack problem”: aiming to maximize disruption to the grid, how should an attacker distribute a budget of “damage” across the power lines? We formulate it as a continuous problem, which bypasses the combinatorial explosion of a discrete formulation and allows for interesting attacks containing lines that are only partially damaged rather than completely removed. The result of our solution to the attack problem can provide helpful information to grid planners seeking to improve the resilience of the power grid to outages and disturbances. Both parts of this dissertation include extensive experimental results on a number of cases, including many realistic large-scale instances.

Orientador: André Nunes de Souza / Banca: Helio Eiji Sueta / Banca: Pedro da Costa Junior / Resumo: Com a modernização da sociedade e o grande crescimento tecnológico visto nos últimos anos, é difícil de imaginar a ausência da energia elétrica nos dias atuais, pois tudo depende da energia para funcionar. A energia elétrica é fundamental para todos os setores da sociedade: residencial, comercial e industrial. A qualidade de seu fornecimento também é muito importante, pois é a qualidade que garante o correto funcionamento de todos os processos realizados no dia-a-dia. No entanto, nenhum sistema, por melhor que seja, é imune à ocorrências de falhas. Assim sendo, uma boa monitoração destas falhas é necessária para realização de manobras de correção mais eficientes. Além disso, a crescente preocupação ambiental faz com que as concessionárias busquem melhores formas de levar a energia à energia à população, com redes mais seguras, mais confiáveis e também mais baratas. Os sistemas subterrâneos têm demonstrado ser uma boa solução no que diz respeito à segurança, confiabilidade e preocupação ambiental, porém a sua instalação ainda é muito cara em comparação com as redes aéreas convencionais. Como todos os sistemas, as redes subterrâneas também estão sujeitas a defeitos. A correta localização a falta (defeito) em cabos subterrâneos de distribuição de energia elétrica não é uma tarefa trivial. Além da dificuldade de acesso ao sistema, existe o alto custo das medições dos parâmetros e a necessidade de uma análise de um especialista dos sinais medidos, ocasionando erros que têm se mostrado custosos. A proposta desta dissertação consiste em estudar os sistemas subterrâneos através de ferramentas computacionais e desenvolver um sistema inteligente que auxilie com a precisão de localização de faltas subterrâneos de distribuição de energia elétrica / Abstract: With the modernization of society and the great technological growth in the last years, it is hard to imagine the absence of electric power nowadays, because everything depends on energy to work. Electricity is fundamental to all sectors of society: residential, commercial and industrial. The quality supply is also very important, since quality guarantees the correct functioning of all processes performed in a daily basis. However, no system is immune to the occurrence of faults. Therefore, a good monitoring of these faults is necessary for more efficient correction adjustments. In addition, the growing environmental concerns make the power utilities to find better ways to take energy to the population, through safer more reliable and also cheaper networks. The underground system has be found to be a good approach to improve safety, reliability and environmental features, but its installation is still very expensive when compared to conventional overhead systems. Like any system, the underground networks are subjects to defects. The correct fault localization (defect) in eletricity distribution underground networks is not a trivial task, it is not just due to a difficult system acess, the high cost of measurements of the parameters and the required expert analysis of the measured signals. These factors are source of errors that have proven costly. The purpose of this dissertation is to study underground system using computational tools and develop an intelligent system to accurately assist to locating of faults in underground cables of power distribution networks / Mestre

Banca: Silvio Ikuyo Nabeta / Banca: José Aquiles Baesso Grimoni / Banca: Edson da Costa Bortoni / Banca: Oscar Armando Maldonado Astorga / Banca: Guilherme Eugênio Filippo Fernandes Filho / Resumo:Em um ambiente cada vez mais competitivo, as empresas de distribuição de energia elétrica devem satisfazer dois objetivos conflitantes: minimizar os custos de investimento e atender as metas de continuidade. A reconfiguração de sistemas de distribuição é uma técnica que se adapta a esse novo ambiente, pois permite a melhora de índices de confiabilidade apenas com a abertura e o fechamento de chaves, sem o ônus da aquisição de novos equipamentos. Devido à natureza de explosão combinatória do problema, na solução são empregados métodos metaheurísticos, que convergem para soluções ótimas ou quase ótimas, mas com um elevado esforço computacional. Como o objetivo principal deste trabalho é encontrar a(s) melhor(es) configuração(ões) do sistema de distribuição que apresentem os melhores índices de confiabilidade, a função objetivo utilizada para as metaheurísticas é minimizar o LOLC - Loss Of Load Cost (Custo da Perda de Carga), que está associado tanto com o número quanto a duração das interrupções de energia. Várias técnicas metaheurísticas são testadas, sendo que a Busca Tabu se mostrou a mais adequada para resolver o problema proposto. Para caracterizar computacionalmente o problema da reconfiguração das chaves foi desenvolvido um modelo vetorial (com números inteiros) da representação das chaves, onde cada chave normalmente aberta está associada a um grupo de chaves normalmente fechadas. Neste modelo foram introduzidas simplificações, para reduzir o tempo computacional, e restrições, para excluir soluções que não fornecem energia para algum ponto do sistema. Para verificar se existe violação nos critérios de tensão e carregamento é realizado um estudo de fluxo de potência para as dez melhores soluções encontradas ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In an ever more competitive environment, power distribution companies must satisfy two conflicting objectives: minimizing investment costs and the satisfaction of reliability targets. The network reconfiguration of a distribution system is a technique that well adapts to this new deregulated environment for it allows improvement of reliability indices only opening and closing switches, without the onus involved in acquiring new equipment. Due to combinatorial explosion problem characteristic, in the solution are employed metaheuristics methods, which converge to optimal or quasi-optimal solutions, but with a high computational effort. As the main objective of this work is to find the best configuration(s) of the distribution system with the best levels of reliability, the objective function used in the metaheuristics is to minimize the LOLC - Loss Of Load Cost, which is associated with both, number and duration of electric power interruptions. Several metaheuristics techniques are tested, and the tabu search has proven to be most appropriate to solve the proposed problem. To characterize computationally the problem of the switches reconfiguring was developed a vector model (with integers) of the representation of the switches, where each normally open switch is associated with a group of normally closed switches. In this model simplifications have been introduced to reduce computational time and restrictions were made to exclude solutions that do not supply energy to any load point of the system. To check violation of the voltage and loading criteria a study of power flow for the ten best solutions is performed. Also for the ten best solutions a reliability evaluation using Monte Carlo sequential simulation is performed, where it is possible to obtain the probability distributions of the indices and thus calculate the risk of ... (Complete abstract click eletronic access below)

Este presente trabalho visa fornecer novas ferramentas para a análise de índices de qualidade no âmbito do planejamento agregado de investimentos em sistemas de distribuição primária. O planejamento agregado de investimentos representa uma metodologia de previsão de investimentos em Sistemas de Distribuição de uma empresa, que utiliza a análise estatística e classificação de rede em famílias para representação da rede, considera aspectos de incertezas e critérios de priorização de obras, em função dos recursos disponíveis, e informa o tipo de obra a ser realizada e o montante de investimentos necessário por tipo de obra. Este trabalho procura complementar o modelo através da análise técnica dos índices de qualidade, quantificando-se os benefícios obtidos ao longo do horizonte de estudo, através de um sistema computacional que, baseado nos resultados dos representantes dos grupos de redes, determina os índices técnicos para tais representantes, para as regionais definidas e para todo o sistema, possibilitando a análise gerencial da evolução da rede elétrica. Também foi desenvolvida ferramenta que permite a determinação do Custo Incremental Médio de Longo Prazo (CIMLP) e do Custo Marginal do sistema de média tensão, englobando subestações de distribuição e circuitos primários do sistema elétrico. O trabalho é finalizado com o estudo de um caso de planejamento de uma área de concessão de uma empresa fictícia, onde são executados os processamentos e analisados os resultados técnicos, de custos e de qualidade. / This work aims at developing new tools for the analysis of quality of supply indices regarding long term investment planning of primary electric power distribution systems. Investment planning in aggregated basis represents a established methodology for estimating future investments in all distribution systems of a utility, by using statistic and clustering analysis to represent the overall network through groups of elementary distribution systems. The methodology also considers uncertainty and makes use of a number of criteria to prioritize new facilities to be incorporated into the system, taking into account financial constraints. For each new facility the system determines costs and corresponding benefits. This dissertation complements such model through the introduction and analysis of various quality of supply indices, helping the planner engineer to assess all benefits related to a given investment plan. The developed computational system is based on the results obtained for each elementary distribution system. It then evaluates global and regional technical indices, that allows for important managerial analysis concerning the system expansion. The computational system also evaluates the average long range incremental and the marginal costs associated with a specific investment plan, thus taking into account new facilities concerning substations and network feeders. A case study considering a fictitious distribution company and its overall system illustrates the tools developed, showing all potential studies and decision making capabilities which were made available during this research work.

Este presente trabalho visa fornecer novas ferramentas para a análise de índices de qualidade no âmbito do planejamento agregado de investimentos em sistemas de distribuição primária. O planejamento agregado de investimentos representa uma metodologia de previsão de investimentos em Sistemas de Distribuição de uma empresa, que utiliza a análise estatística e classificação de rede em famílias para representação da rede, considera aspectos de incertezas e critérios de priorização de obras, em função dos recursos disponíveis, e informa o tipo de obra a ser realizada e o montante de investimentos necessário por tipo de obra. Este trabalho procura complementar o modelo através da análise técnica dos índices de qualidade, quantificando-se os benefícios obtidos ao longo do horizonte de estudo, através de um sistema computacional que, baseado nos resultados dos representantes dos grupos de redes, determina os índices técnicos para tais representantes, para as regionais definidas e para todo o sistema, possibilitando a análise gerencial da evolução da rede elétrica. Também foi desenvolvida ferramenta que permite a determinação do Custo Incremental Médio de Longo Prazo (CIMLP) e do Custo Marginal do sistema de média tensão, englobando subestações de distribuição e circuitos primários do sistema elétrico. O trabalho é finalizado com o estudo de um caso de planejamento de uma área de concessão de uma empresa fictícia, onde são executados os processamentos e analisados os resultados técnicos, de custos e de qualidade. / This work aims at developing new tools for the analysis of quality of supply indices regarding long term investment planning of primary electric power distribution systems. Investment planning in aggregated basis represents a established methodology for estimating future investments in all distribution systems of a utility, by using statistic and clustering analysis to represent the overall network through groups of elementary distribution systems. The methodology also considers uncertainty and makes use of a number of criteria to prioritize new facilities to be incorporated into the system, taking into account financial constraints. For each new facility the system determines costs and corresponding benefits. This dissertation complements such model through the introduction and analysis of various quality of supply indices, helping the planner engineer to assess all benefits related to a given investment plan. The developed computational system is based on the results obtained for each elementary distribution system. It then evaluates global and regional technical indices, that allows for important managerial analysis concerning the system expansion. The computational system also evaluates the average long range incremental and the marginal costs associated with a specific investment plan, thus taking into account new facilities concerning substations and network feeders. A case study considering a fictitious distribution company and its overall system illustrates the tools developed, showing all potential studies and decision making capabilities which were made available during this research work.

Orientador: John Fredy Franco Baquero / Resumo: A presença de Geração Distribuída (GD) no Sistema de Distribuição de Energia Elétrica (SDEE) tem se incrementado nos últimos anos devido a mudanças na regulação e a incentivos governamentais, proporcionando benefícios técnicos e econômicos. Em particular, é esperado que a GD renovável (eólica ou solar) seja integrada adequadamente no SDEE, visando contribuir na redução de emissões de gases de efeito estufa. Entretanto, a presença da GD renovável, junto com suas inerentes incertezas, aumenta a complexidade no planejamento do SDEE. Diante do exposto, neste trabalho propõe-se um modelo de programação estocástica de dois estágios para o problema de planejamento da expansão do SDEE multi-período. As incertezas da geração renovável (associadas à irradiação solar e velocidade do vento) e demanda são representadas por meio de cenários. A função objetivo minimiza o valor presente líquido dos investimentos (subestações, circuitos, e alocação de GD), custo da energia, manutenção e operação, assim como o custo das emissões de CO2. A operação das unidades de GD é representada limitando a potência ativa/reativa que pode ser injetada segundo as curvas de capabilidade e restrições de fator de potência. O modelo proposto foi implementado na linguagem de modelamento AMPL e resolvido com o solver CPLEX. Testes utilizando um SDEE de 24 e 54 nós comprovam a eficiência do modelo. / Abstract: The presence of Distributed Generation (DG) in Electrical Distribution Systems (EDSs) has been increased in recent years due to changes in regulation and government incentives, leading to technical and economic benefits. In particular, renewable DG (wind or solar power) is expected to be properly integrated into the EDS, aiming to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the presence of renewable DG, along with its inherent uncertainties, increases the complexity in the planning of the EDS. In this context, this work proposes a two-stage stochastic programming model for the problem of EDSs expansion planning. The uncertainties of renewable generation (associated with solar irradiation and wind speed) and demand, are represented through scenarios. The objective function minimizes the net present value of investments (substations, circuits, and DG allocation), energy cost, maintenance and operation, as well as the cost of CO2 emissions. The operation of the DG units is represented by limiting the active/reactive power that can be injected according to capability curves and power factor constraints. The proposed model was implemented in the modeling language AMPL and solved with the solver CPLEX. Tests using a 24 and 54-nodes EDS prove the efficiency of the proposed model. / Mestre

The increased penetration of renewable energy sources poses new challenges for grid stability. The stochastic and uncontrollable generation of solar and wind power cannot be adjusted to match the load profile, and the transition away from traditional synchronous generators is reducing the grid capacity to arrest and recover from frequency disturbances. Additionally, the distributed nature of many renewable energy sources makes centralized control of generation more complicated. The traditional power system paradigm balances the supply and demand of electricity on the grid by regulating generation. As this becomes more difficult, one alternative is to adjust the load instead. This is not entirely novel, and utilities have incentivized large industrial customers to reduce consumption during peak hours for years. However, the residential sector, which constitutes 37% of electricity consumption in the U.S., currently has very little capacity for load control. Smart electric water heaters provide utilities with an appliance that can be remotely controlled and serves as a form of energy storage. They have very fast response times and make up a large amount of residential energy consumption, making them useful for load peak shifting as well as other ancillary grid services. As smart appliances become increasingly widespread, more and more devices can be brought into the utility's control network and aggregated into a flexible resource on a megawatt scale. This work demonstrates the usefulness of aggregated electric water heaters for peak shifting and frequency response. Because a large number of assets are required, emulators are developed based on observations of real devices. Emulated water heaters are then connected to an energy resource aggregator using an internet-of-things network. The aggregator successfully uses these assets to shift consumption away from peak hours. An algorithm was developed for detecting upward frequency disturbances in real-time. The aggregator uses this algorithm to show that an aggregation of water heaters is well-suited to respond to these frequency disturbances by quickly adding a large amount of load to the grid.

The Master's Thesis research focuses on analyzing the possibilities of using Direct Current distribution systems to distribute power to end users. Considering the shift in load types in the past few decades and also a growing demand of distributed generation, DC distribution can potentially offer higher efficiencies and cost savings to utilities. The incorporation of DC distribution offers the opportunity to eliminate multiple conversion stages for devices which are powered using DC electricity. The integration of power sources such as photovoltaics and fuel cells, which produce DC power, offer further incentives to consider the use of DC systems. Using DC systems can help eliminate the conversion losses associated with rectifiers and inverters which would be part of the infrastructure if AC distribution was used. In the literature, the study of DC distribution has been limited to customized systems. The objective of this research is to analyze DC distribution when applied to systems based on standard IEEE test feeder systems. The IEEE 13 node test feeder and the IEEE 37 node test feeder will be used as the basis for the analysis. Issues such as associated costs, protection and integration of appliances will also be addressed.