Smart Grids

The advanced metering infrastructure of the smart grid presents the biggest growth potential in the machine-to-machine market today. Spurred by recent advances in M2M technologies, SG smart meters are expected not to require human intervention in characterizing power requirements and energy distribution. However, there are many challenges in the design of the SG communications network whereby the electrical appliances and smart meters are able to exchange information pertaining to varying power requirements. Furthermore, different types of M2M gateways are required at different points (e.g., at home, in the building, at the neighborhood, and so forth) of the SG communication network. This article surveys a number of existing communication technologies that can be adopted for M2M communication in SG. Among these, the most reliable technology to facilitate M2M communication in the SG home area network is pointed out, and its shortcoming is also noted. Furthermore, a possible solution to deal with this shortcoming to improve SG communications scalability is also presented.

The “smart grid” refers to various efforts to modernize the power grid through the application of alternate sources of energy and intelligent devices. The present national interest in smart grid applications has generated many questions concerning the role of distribution engineering in the future. What features do utility engineers need in distribution system analysis tools to support the future smart grid? This paper will discuss some relevant Electric Power Research Institute research in this area that focuses on selected issues related to smart grid analysis relevant to rural utilities. The essential characteristics of distribution system analysis tools to support analysis of these issues are discussed.

A B S T R A C T Correct measurement of variables used in frequency control of power system is crucial for power system operation , stability, and security. Once sensor fault is occurred in power system, the faulty sensor should be instantly isolated. To this end, a model-based fault detection and isolation (FDI) technique is adopted in this paper. The proposed sensor FDI scheme for complex power systems is built based on unknown input observer (UIO) which is robust for systems with unknown inputs. The load fluctuation and output power variation of renewable energy resources are modeled as unknown inputs of power systems. To show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes in case of future smart grids, the studied power system is developed to combine both electric vehicles (EVs) and high penetration level of renewable energy resources. The simulation scenarios are carried out for an eleven-order dynamical multi-area smart power system. The robustness of using UIO to detect and isolate sensor faults in power system is proved by several simulation scenarios. Likewise, the simulation results show that isolation of faulty sensors can be guaranteed by proper selection of the measured variables in the state space model of the studied system.

This paper presents a new under-frequency load
shedding technique based on the combination of random and
fixed priority of loads. It has been observed that placing all of
the loads in the distribution system with fixed priority results
in un-optimum load shedding. On the other hand, designing the
load priority with a combination of random and fixed priority
provides the technique with some sort of flexibility in achieving the
optimal load shedding. The validation of the proposed scheme on
different scenarios proves that the proposed technique is capable
of achieving the optimal load shedding and recovering frequency
to nominal value without any overshoot.

Since the beginning of the industrial age, the economic growth involves an increase in the energy demands. To satisfy this society need, the electrical operators have deployed a large distribution network. Also, the energy resources are located along wide areas. Thus, the operators ...

In an European perspective, the focus of Smart Grids initiatives (SET Plan - Strategic Energy Technology Plan) is strictly linked with the main commitment to achieve the goals of the Climate and Energy Package 20-20-20, at the light of the three main pillars of the European energy policy: competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply. Smart grid technologies will enable load levelling of the electrical grid, allowing a power company to run cleaner power sources - such as hydroelectric, wind, or solar - while reducing the need to use carbon-emitting gas, coal, or oil plants to meet peak demand. In this framework the proposed paper refers about the technical economical feasibility study and the preliminary design of a demonstrator of a distribution electrical system for the transition towards active networks. The study has been carried out by University of Palermo and ENEA (Italy), on a portion of real MV/LV distribution system of the research center ENEA of Casaccia (Rome, Italy).