This thesis work presents the feasibility of integrating meshed patch antennas directly onto the solar cell assembly to save valuable surface real estate of a small satellite. The solar cell cover glass is used as the substrate for the patch antenna. The antenna topology is chosen to be a meshed patch so that it is transparent to light to ensure the proper operation of solar cells. We found that although there is a compromise between the antenna efficiency and see-through percentage, one is able to optimize the antenna by carefully designing the mesh. To verify the design and integration, a meshed antenna operating at around 2.3 GHz is printed with conductive ink on a plastic substrate and placed on-top of solar cells attached to an aluminum ground plane. The printed solar cell antenna is measured with Nearfield Systems Inc. spherical near-field range and the measurements agree well with the design.

The ambitious governmental policies, particularly in Europe, in pursuit of established energy targets require an increase in distributed generation. As a result, photovoltaic (PV) technologies have emerged, predominantly at residential Low Voltage (LV) feeders. However, PV rich LV feeders are highly likely to pose technical challenges such as significant voltage rise and thermal overloading. This inevitably limits the volume of PV systems that can be hosted on LV feeders. Therefore, the deployment of solutions that can enable feeders to accommodate greater volumes of PV systems without having any technical issues is crucial. This thesis, consequently, thoroughly investigates one of the potential solutions: transforming the radial operation of LV feeders into ring operation. European-style LV feeders are typically operated in a radial fashion and yet are designed to be reconfigurable with neighbouring feeders. It is, therefore, essential to identify the best pairing option (of PV rich LV feeders) in a practical and straightforward manner due to the large number of existing LV feeders in a given Distribution Network Operator (DNO) area. This thesis proposes a generic innovative methodology to enable DNOs to straightforwardly identify the best pairing feeder; a decision-making tool to facilitate the rapid uptake of PV systems. To accomplish this goal, an impact assessment of a set of real residential LV feeders is carried out to identify the first technical issue/constraint that limits their hosting capacity. Next, regression analyses are carried out to gain an understanding of the relation between this first occurrence of technical issue/constraint and the corresponding level of PV penetration. The most practical and adequately accurate metric needs to be chosen. Feeders are then classified based on the range of metrics to cover all possible pairing cases. Finally, the ring operation of feeders in each class is analysed and hosting capacities are compared to those of radial ones. This process creates a practical matrix from which DNOs can easily identify the best pairing feeders. DNOs are likely to be hesitant to adopt permanent ring operation as it is not typically adopted in traditional LV feeders. Therefore, the switch located between feeders can be operated over time (i.e., dynamic ring operation) to reduce the duration for which ring operation is in place. It is, however, challenging to identify the most favourable control strategy. This thesis proposes different strategies for dynamic ring operation. Note that the most preferable control strategy is that which preserves the benefits of permanent ring operation with the minimum duration of ring operation and minimum number of switching. To achieve this, four different control strategies are explored-using different control cycles and considering hosting capacity, duration and switching. The best control strategy is found to be able to increase hosting capacity as permanent ring operation, reduce switching actions and minimise duration of ring operation compared to other proposed strategies and, crucially, operate ring operation only when it is truly needed. Finally, this thesis investigates the use of ring operation with an LV on-load tap changer (OLTC) as this is recently available voltage control technologies and is increasingly drawing the attention of DNOs. Two approaches are investigated to increase hosting capacity and limit ring operations: the use of the switch and OLTC are controlled separately using local measurements (i.e., localised) and their simultaneous control at the LV transformer level (i.e., centralised). The latter gives the priority to the OLTC to minimise the duration of the ring operation. The assessments are extended to cover an integrated medium and low voltage network to obtain more realistic results. The results show that centralised approach provides better performance considering hosting capacity, the number of switching/tap actions and the duration of ring operation.

Transparent patch antennas are microstrip patch antennas that have a certain level of optical transparency. Highly transparent patch antennas are potentially suitable for integration with solar panels of small satellites, which are becoming increasingly important in space exploration. Traditional patch antennas employed on small satellites compete with solar cells for surface area. However, a transparent patch antenna can be placed directly on top of solar cells and resolve the issue of competing for limited surface real estate. For such an integration, a high optical transparency of the patch antenna is required from the solar cells' point of view. On the other hand, the antenna should possess at least acceptable radiation properties at the same time. This dissertation focuses on some of the most important concerns from the perspective of small satellite applications. For example, an optimization method to simultaneously improve both optical transparency and radiation efficiency of the antenna is studied. Active integrated antenna design method is extended to meshed patch applications in an attempt to improve the overall power efficiency of the front end communication subsystem. As is well known, circular polarization is immune from Faraday rotation effect in the ionosphere and thus can avoid a 3-dB loss in geo-satellite communication. Therefore, this research also aims to present design methods for circularly polarized meshed patch antennas. Moreover, a meshed patch antenna capable of supporting a high communication data rate is investigated. Lastly, other types of transparent patch antennas are also analyzed and compared to meshed patches. In summary, many properties of transparent patch antennas are examined in order to meet different design requirements.

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.

Wearable technology has attracted global attention in the last decade and the market is experiencing an unprecedented growth. Wearable devices are designed to be low-profile, light-weight and integrated seamlessly into daily life. Comfort is one of the most important requirements for wearable devices. Fabric based antennas are soft, flexible and can be integrated into clothing. State of the art textile manufacturing techniques such as embroidery, combined with advanced conductive textile materials can be used to fabricate flexible fabric based on-body antennas. In this thesis, the feasibility of using computerised embroidery in the fabrication of wearable, flexible yet functional fabric based antennas have been examined. The fabric based antennas are embroidered using conductive threads. The most suitable materials for fabricating embroidered antennas have been identified. The embroidered fabric based antenna systems including transmission lines and low-profile detachable connectors have been fabricated and their RF performances have been tested. The optimal manufacturing parameters related to embroidery such as stitch direction, spacing and length have been examined. The repeatability of embroidered antennas, cost estimation, and complexity of manufacturing process have been clearly presented. The results can be used to inform and provide guidelines for the development of representative products that can be mass manufactured. A new simulation approach has been introduced to analyse the anisotropic properties of embroidered conductive threads. Simulations and measurements indicate that the performances of embroidered antennas are affected by the anisotropic surface current due to the embroidered stitches. Exploiting the current direction, a novel non-uniform meshed patch antenna has been designed. Representative results show that the non-uniform meshed structure can significantly reduce more than 75% of the usage of conductive materials for the microstrip antennas with negligible effect on the antenna performance.

Submitted by Franciele Moreira (francielemoreyra@gmail.com) on 2017-09-06T17:43:44Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rafael Ribeiro de Carvalho Vaz - 2017.pdf: 6167014 bytes, checksum: 8f2f0dbd609aac9c2bd59458c6d0c243 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-09-15T15:30:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rafael Ribeiro de Carvalho Vaz - 2017.pdf: 6167014 bytes, checksum: 8f2f0dbd609aac9c2bd59458c6d0c243 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-15T15:30:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rafael Ribeiro de Carvalho Vaz - 2017.pdf: 6167014 bytes, checksum: 8f2f0dbd609aac9c2bd59458c6d0c243 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-24 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / This work presents an end-to-end methodology for the deployment of Self-Healing systems in the distribution grid in order to decrease DEC in feeders. The methodology developed consists in choosing feeders to receive Self-Healing systems based on their performance in relation to the DEC. It is determined load transfer units considering power flow by the current injection method and protection coordination for these feeders. Once the units are determined, a feeders rank is set to order the system implementation considering hypothesis testing and binary linear programming. For this rank, besides the DEC, the number of customers as well as critical loads are considered. The communication system is based on optical mesh networks where single and multi objective algorithms are applied to optimize the network in order to design a reliable and low cost communication system. / Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia fim-a-fim para implantação de sistemas Self-Healing na rede de distribuição com o objetivo de redução da duração equivalente de interrupção por unidade consumidora em alimentadores. A metodologia desenvolvida consiste na definição dos alimentadores candidatos a receberem os sistemas de Self-Healing baseado no desempenho dos mesmos em relação a duração equivalente de interrupção por unidade consumidora. Nesses alimentadores são determinadas as unidades de transferência de carga considerando fluxo de potência pelo método de injeção de correntes e a coordenação da proteção. Uma vez escolhidas essas unidades, é realizada uma classificação dos alimentadores com o intuito de estabelecer uma ordem de prioridade para implantação dos sistemas utilizando teste de hipótese e programação linear binária. Para essa determinação de prioridade, além do DEC, são considerados a quantidade de unidades consumidoras bem como o de cargas críticas. Neste trabalho, o sistema de comunicação considerado para interligar os religadores é baseado em redes de fibra óptica em malha. Com intuito de dimensionar o sistema de comunicação de forma que este seja confiável e de baixo custo, são aplicados algoritmos mono e multiobjetivo para otimização da rede, sendo proposta uma metodologia envolvendo cálculo de confiabilidade da rede.

Depuis 2006, l’arrêt des pompages d’exhaure dans le Bassin Houiller Lorrain (France) a conduit à l’ennoyage des travaux miniers abandonnés, avec pour conséquence la mise en place d’un nouvel équilibre hydrodynamique régional. De récentes recherches portant sur l’exploitation de la chaleur des réservoirs ennoyés ont suscité de nouvelles interrogations, auxquelles nous nous sommes proposé de répondre. Notre travail avait pour objectif de chercher à comprendre le comportement thermo-hydrodynamique de l’eau de mine au sein d’un système en cours d’ennoyage ou récemment ennoyé. Dans un premier temps, les contextes géographique, géologique et hydrogéologique du Bassin Houiller Lorrain ont fait l’objet d’une synthèse, et une zone d’étude a été choisie. Dans un second temps, des profils de température et de conductivité électrique, complétés par des jaugeages, ont été mesurés dans d’anciens puits de mine du Bassin Houiller Lorrain, offrant une meilleure compréhension du comportement de l’eau à l’échelle d’un ouvrage profond. À partir de l’analyse de ces données, un modèle thermo-hydrodynamique et des simulations numériques ont pu être réalisés à cette échelle. Les résultats permettent d’expliquer les phénomènes observés. Leur stabilité est également étudiée. Dans un troisième temps, un modèle spatialisé maillé a été construit pour aborder la problématique du comportement hydrodynamique d’un réservoir minier entier. La montée de l’eau observée a été correctement reproduite ; le modèle peut par ailleurs être utilisé de façon prédictive pour la période suivant l’ennoyage. Plusieurs outils ont été testés, améliorés ou développés afin de faciliter l’étude des réservoirs ennoyés, notamment concernant l’homogénéisation tridimensionnelle des conductivités hydrauliques et le couplage d’un modèle spatialisé maillé avec un réseau de drains-conduits / Since 2006, cessation of dewatering in Lorraine Coal Basin (France) led to the flooding of abandoned mines, resulting in a new hydrodynamical balance in the area. Recent researches concerning geothermal exploitation of flooded reservoirs raised new questions, which we propose to answer. Our work aimed to understand the thermo-hydrodynamical behaviour of mine water in a flooding or flooded system. Firstly, we synthetized the geographical, geological and hydrogeological contexts of the Lorraine Coal Basin, and we chose a specific area for our studies. Secondly, temperature and electric conductivity log profiles were measured in old pits of the Lorraine Coal Basin, giving a better understanding of the water behaviour at a deep mineshaft scale. We were able to build a thermo-hydrodynamical model and simulate water behaviour at this scale. Flow regime stability is also studied. Thirdly, a hydrodynamical spatialized meshed model was realized to study the hydrodynamical behaviour of a mine reservoir as a whole. Observed water-table rise was correctly reproduced : moreover, the model can be used in a predictive way after the flooding. Several tools were tested, improved or developed to ease the study of flooded reservoirs, as three-dimensional upscaling of hydraulic conductivities and a coupled spatialized meshed model with a pipe network

Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia baseada em técnicas inteligentes capaz de fornecer uma coordenação otimizada de relés direcionais de sobrecorrente instalados em sistemas de energia elétrica. O problema é modelado como um caso de programação não linear inteira mista, em que os relés permitem ajustes discretizados de múltiplos de tempo e/ou múltiplos de corrente. A solução do problema de otimização correspondente é obtida através de uma metaheurística nomeada como Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization. Na literatura técnico-científica esse problema geralmente é linearizado e aplicam-se arredondamentos das variáveis discretas. Na metodologia proposta, as variáveis discretas são tratadas adequadamente para utilização na metaheurística e são apresentados os resultados que foram comparados com os obtidos pelo modelo clássico de otimização implementado no General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Tendo em vista os aspectos observados, o método permite ao engenheiro de proteção ter um subsídio adicional na tarefa da coordenação dos relés direcionais de sobrecorrente, disponibilizando uma técnica eficaz e de fácil aplicabilidade ao sistema elétrico a ser protegido, independentemente da topologia e condição operacional. / This work proposes a methodology that based on intelligent technique to obtain an optimized coordination of directional overcurrent relays in electric power systems. The problem is modeled as a mixed integer nonlinear problem, because the relays allows a discrete setting of time and/or current multipliers. The solution of the proposed optimization problem is obtained from the proposed metaheuristic named as Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization. In scientific and technical literature this problem is usually linearized and discrete variables are rounded off. In the proposed method, the discrete variables are modeled adequately in the metaheuristic and the results are compared to the classical optimization solvers implemented in General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The method provides an important method for helping the engineers in to coordinate directional overcurrent relays in a very optimized way. It has high potential for the application to realistic systems, regardless of topology and operating condition.

Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia baseada em técnicas inteligentes capaz de fornecer uma coordenação otimizada de relés direcionais de sobrecorrente instalados em sistemas de energia elétrica. O problema é modelado como um caso de programação não linear inteira mista, em que os relés permitem ajustes discretizados de múltiplos de tempo e/ou múltiplos de corrente. A solução do problema de otimização correspondente é obtida através de uma metaheurística nomeada como Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization. Na literatura técnico-científica esse problema geralmente é linearizado e aplicam-se arredondamentos das variáveis discretas. Na metodologia proposta, as variáveis discretas são tratadas adequadamente para utilização na metaheurística e são apresentados os resultados que foram comparados com os obtidos pelo modelo clássico de otimização implementado no General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Tendo em vista os aspectos observados, o método permite ao engenheiro de proteção ter um subsídio adicional na tarefa da coordenação dos relés direcionais de sobrecorrente, disponibilizando uma técnica eficaz e de fácil aplicabilidade ao sistema elétrico a ser protegido, independentemente da topologia e condição operacional. / This work proposes a methodology that based on intelligent technique to obtain an optimized coordination of directional overcurrent relays in electric power systems. The problem is modeled as a mixed integer nonlinear problem, because the relays allows a discrete setting of time and/or current multipliers. The solution of the proposed optimization problem is obtained from the proposed metaheuristic named as Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization. In scientific and technical literature this problem is usually linearized and discrete variables are rounded off. In the proposed method, the discrete variables are modeled adequately in the metaheuristic and the results are compared to the classical optimization solvers implemented in General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The method provides an important method for helping the engineers in to coordinate directional overcurrent relays in a very optimized way. It has high potential for the application to realistic systems, regardless of topology and operating condition.

Les travaux de cette thèse portent sur l'intégration dans le réseau électrique du limiteur supraconducteur de courant (SCFCL). Un modèle du ruban supraconducteur ont été développé et validé grâce à une comparaison avec des tests expérimentaux. Premièrement, ce modèle a permis le dimensionnement du SCFCL du projet Eoccoflow (projet européen). Dans un deuxième temps, le modèle de SCFCL est intégré dans différents types de réseau. D'une part, l'intégration du SCFCL dans les réseaux haute tension continu maillés rend vraisemblable la protection de tels réseaux. D'autre part, grâce au SCFCL de nouvelles architectures du réseau de distribution sont proposées permettant l'intégration massive de génération distribuée. Cette thèse se clot sur le dimensionnement et les tests d'un SCFCL pour un réseau à taille réduite. / This PhD deals with superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) network integration. A model of a superconducting tape had been developed and validated in comparison with experimental quench tests. This SCFCL model allowed us to design the SCFCL of the european project Eccoflow. Using this SCFCL model, SCFCLs are integrated in various types of networks. On one hand, SCFCL benefits are first studied in case of meshed HVDC networks. Indeed, the SCFCL makes realistic the protection of such networks. On the other hand, thanks to the SCFCL some new distribution network topologies are suggested in order to increase the distributed generation integration capacity. This PhD ends with the design and the test of a SCFCL in a downsize scale network.