Development and Implementation of GSM-Based Distribution Automation System with Graphic User Interface in Nigeria Electric Power Distribution Network

Lack of up-to-date information on efficient operation and maintenance of EPDS （electric power distribution systems）, Nigeria is addressed by designing and implementing an indigenous real-time monitoring and diagnosis system. The system encompasses the development of software driven hardware positioned at the remotely located sub-stations at the low voltage level to keep track of the network in real-time. The detection of faults exploits threshold passing algorithm through continuous monitoring of the network power quality. Communication between the RTU （remote terminal unit） and the DCC （distribution control center） which is based on GSM is initiated by disturbance. The DCC performs fault evaluation processing using the received data and predetermined faults signatures to determine the nature of disturbance and presents the result in graphic user interface environment. A fault reporting time of 2 s was achieved. The developed system exhibits a high degree of accuracy and manifests no spurious reports during testing. The resultant system limits the effects of interruption and increases power availability by reducing the down time. The system strengthens engineering and management capabilities required to enhance reliability by providing information about the network health status.     

Examination for Experimental Verification of Improvement of Power Quality in Distribution System by PCS

In the future, the power quality will decrease by the introduction of a lot of renewable energy sources. The topic of this research is a new method of operation of PCS （power conditioning systems） in the future distribution system. The purpose of this research is development of PCS with a function of improvement of the distribution system. Therefore, the authors propose a method of the power quality improvement of the distribution system by PCS. In addition, the authors construct the control logic to use in PCS The control logic suggests adding harmonic restraint function to conventional control. These were verified by simulation and an experiment. As the results, we confirmed that basic operation of PCS being carried out, harmonics were restrained, and power quality had improved.     

Connecting Wind Turbine Generator to Distribution Power Grid--A Preload Flow Calculation Stage

A distribution grid is generally characterized by a high R/X （resistance/reactance） ratio and it is radial in nature. By design, a distribution grid system is not an active network, and it is normally designed in such a way that power flows from transmission system via distribution system to consumers. But in a situation when wind turbines are connected to the distribution grid, the power source will change from one source to two sources, in this case, network is said to be active. This may probably have an impact on the distribution grid to whenever the wind turbine is connected. The best way to know the impact of wind turbine on the distribution grid in question is by carrying out load flow analysis on that system with and without the connection of wind turbines. Two major fundamental calculations： the steady-state voltage variation at the PCC （point of common coupling） and the calculation of short-circuit power of the grid system at the POC （point of connection） are necessary before carrying out the load flow study on the distribution grid. This paper, therefore, considers these pre-load flow calculations that are necessary before carrying out load flow study on the test distribution grid. These calculations are carded out on a test distribution system.     

Long Range Unmanned Aircraft System for Power Line nspection of Brazilian Electrical System

Power line inspection is an essential procedure in the power lines maintenance area, especially thinking about service availability and energy efficiency. Aerial inspection of electric power transmission lines is typically performed using human-piloted helicopters, which is a procedure that is both expensive and prone to accidents taking risks to human beings＇ lives. The work presents a solution based on UAS （unmanned aircraft system） for inspecting power lines. In this context a R ＆ D project of an unmanned aircraft system to be used for performing complete aerial inspection of overhead power lines is being executed by ITA （Instituto Tecnol6gico de Aeron~utica） （Technological Institute of Aeronautics） in Brazil. Special attention is dedicated to the communication system conception in order to comply with Remotely Piloted Aircraft System definition in the context of long endurance operations of the system. It presents a solution based on LTA （lighter than air） platform in order to extend the communication range beyond line of sight.     

Influences of inflow condition on non-axisymmetric flows in turbine exhaust hoods

The complex 3D flow in a steam turbine exhaust hood model with different inlet swirl and inlet total pressure radial distributions has been simulated by employing CFX-5 and analyzed in this paper. It＇s found that the inlet tangential flow angle at hub has a negative effect on the exhaust hood performance, while a negative gradient of inlet total pressure radial distribution has a positive impact on the hood performances. It＇s also numerically con- firmed that a proper distribution of total pressure at hood inlet can successfully eliminate the negative effects caused by the inappropriate inlet swirl distribution and improve the hood aerodynamic performance.     

Germany＇s Energy Transition and the European Electricity Market： Mutually Beneficial？

Germany＇s energy system is in transition towards less nuclear, lower carbon emissions and more renewables. Notwithstanding widespread neglect of its European dimension, this Energiewende will further exacerbate current network fluctuations due to the significant increase in wind and solar power. Key data from Denmark show that this transition will soon bring the German national power system to its limits for absorbing the resulting intermittency, and increase the need for more cross-border power transfers. Yet network analysis of import/export data shows that Germany＇s position in the European power system is contrary to the Danish case. The need for a European solution for Germany＇s energy transition will therefore soon become evident. In order to establish the necessary infrastructure, the Energiewende needs hence to be guided by an economic approach designed to prevent further fractures in the Internal Electricity Market. Constructive negotiations with neighbouring countries on market designs and price signals will be important preconditions. The article emphasizes the still neglected European paradox of Germany＇s energy transition and presents working examples and possible solutions to uphold electricity supply in Europe＇s power house.     

Experimental investigation on solar-flue gas chimney

Flue gases exhausted from thermal power plants contain more than 50% of the fuel thermal energy. In the present work, experimental investigation was carried out to study the utilization of thermal energy in flue gases to enhance the performance of modified solar chimney consisting of Savonius wind rotor. A modified solar chimney model was designed and fabricated to carry out experimental measurement. The model consists of thermal energy conversion unit; Savonius wind rotor and a chimney. The thermal energy in the flue gas transfers to the air particles in the air channel across the absorber plate and results in upward air stream due to the buoyancy effect. With an 9 absorber area of 2.36 re＇and flue gas mass flow rate of0.18 kg/s, air velocity＇ of 4.1 m/s was achieved at the top of the thermal unit. Increasing the mass flow rate of the flue gas to 0.24 kg/s enhances the air velocity to be 4.6 m/s. The results have demonstrated the possibility＇ of utilizing the thermal energy in the waste flue gas to enhance the performance of a solar chimney and facilitate the continuous operation during the absence of the sun.     

Least Squares Fitting Based Fault Classification in Distribution Systems

Power systems are the largest and most complex human made systems, consisting of thousands of electrical sources, loads, transmission and distribution lines, power transformers, circuit breakers, etc. where faults always occurred. Faults can cause personnel and equipment safety problems, and can result in significant disruption to power supply and thus financial losses. In this paper we will present comprehensive mathematical suite to detect and classify fault dependent models of various types of power systems. This work will extract fault unique signatures by using polarization ellipse during the healthy condition and the polarization will be circular shape with radius equal the rated voltage of the system, but during the fault condition the polarization will be ellipse shape and the fault signature will be defined according the ellipse parameters major axis, minor axis, ellipticity and orientation angle, by using least squares criterion will define the ellipse parameters this system will identify and classify. This paper will be a milestone for extended paper based on the proposed mathematical modelling and applying it to identify, classify and localize with simulation model.     

Prototype Monitoring System for Power Line Inspection by Means of a PandaBoard

The national energy supplier （Eskom in South Africa） supplies electricity through thousands-of-kilometers of overhead power lines. The current methods of inspection of these overhead power lines are infrequent and expensive. In this paper, the authors present the development of a prototype monitoring system for power line inspection in South Africa. The developed prototype monitoring system collects data （information） from the overhead power lines, is remotely accessible and fits into a power line robot. The prototype monitoring system makes use ofa PandaBoard （SBC） with GPS receiver and 5 MP camera to collect data. Hardware fatigue is the biggest problem faced on the overhead power lines and is captured by means of the 5 MP camera and is displayed on a website hosted by the PandaBoard via Wi-Fi. The monitoring system has low power consumption, is light weight, compact and easily collects data. The data obtained from the prototype monitoring system was satisfactory and provides an improved solution for monitoring power lines for Eskom in South Africa.     

A Real-Time Power Controller for Grid-Connected Inverters in LV Smart Microgrids

This paper presents a real-time power flow controller for VSIs （voltage source inverters） interfaced to low voltage microgrids. The proposed controller is modular, flexible, intelligent, inexpensive, portable, adaptive and designed to positively contribute in low voltage microgrids in which the lines R/X ratio is greater than the transmission lines. Therefore, the proposed control strategy is developed for operation in distribution lines. The controller strategy is different from the conventional grid-connected inverters which are designed based on transmission line characteristics. This controller, using a Texas Instrument general purpose DSP （digital signal processor）, is programmed and tuned using MATLAB/SIMULINK in order to enhance self-healing, reliability and stability of the grid. This general purpose controller makes proper decisions using its local measurements as the primary source of data. The controller has the capability of communicating with the adjacent controllers and sharing the information if/when needed. The power flow output of the inverter is tested for both islanded and grid-connected modes of operation. The inverter positively contributes to active and reactive power supply while operating in grid-connected mode. The proposed control method has been implemented on a Texas Instrument DSC （digital signal controller） chip and tested on a hardware test bench at the Alternative Energy Laboratory at WVU1T （West Virginia University Institute of Technology）. The system＇s experimental results veri~ the validity and efficiency of the proposed controller.     

Experimental Investigation of Solar Chimney Power Plant

The paper investigated the performance of a solar chimney, by measuring the chimney air temperature and velocity. A short solar chimney prototype was designed and constructed at Botswana Technology Center. A wind turbine was installed to rotate a small DC generator. Temperatures and velocities were measured at different times of the day with thermocouples and hotwire anemometer, respectively. Irradiance was measured with pyranometer. A Delta-T data logger was used to store data at intervals of 30 s. Various graphs depicting the influence of irradiance on temperature, velocity and power have been plotted. Irradiance was found to affect the chimney temperature and subsequently affects chimney air velocity and power produced. Ambient air （wind） velocity was found to have influence on the performance of the solar chimney by increasing chimney air velocity.     

Research on management of coal bed methane warehousing and transportation based on GIS

At present Coal Bed Methane （CBM） has become the important part of clean energy in China. and will optimize the energy structure in China unceasingly. However, warehousing and transportation of CBM become one of the core factors that restrain its exploitation and utilization at present, due to the space-time character of natural deposit and modem utilization of CBM. In this paper, according to the character of CBM and the expanding trend of its utilization, the necessity of constructing the CBM＇s warehousing and transportation management system demonstrated. Index system that influence CBM＇s warehousing and transportation is established. And CBM＇s warehousing and transportation model is established by Voronoi diagram. In light of above research, CBM＇s warehousing and transportation management system based on Geography Information System （GIS） is designed, Using this system, CBM＇s warehousing and allocation center in one mining area is optimized. Research shows that to reinforce CBM＇s warehousing and transportation management is one of the key factors for coordinating the development of its development and utilization, thereby ensuring its sustainable development and utilization.     

A New Multi-platform Data Acquisition System for Power Quality Metrological Certification

In order to provide power quality monitoring activities with metrological certification, a DAS （data acquisition system） has been designed, realized and characterized. The system allows acquisition on tri-phases plus neutral lines picking up 499 samples per period of the fundamental at 50 Hz. To ensure certified measurements, the system gets external certified time and voltage references. The system uses a FTDI Virtual Com Port Driver to communicate data over High Speed RS232 virtual interface and it does not need any advanced programming skill. The choice to use a virtual serial communication makes the data acquisition software portable over many platforms, regardless by the development environment and by the programming language. To test the proposed device some custom software have been written in many programming language （C^#, VB6, LabView, MatLab）, moreover in order to characterize the device the most common ADC （analog to digital converter） performing test have been applied.     

An Efficient Summer Operation Scheme for a Thermal Power Plant Air Cooling System based on Electric Peak Shaving

We proposed a novel efficient operation scheme for a thermal power plant’s air-cooling system based on peak shaving, in order to cope with high ambient temperature in summer. We introduced an absorptiongeneration equipment with water/lithium working pairs into the air cooled condenser(ACC) to reconstruct the traditional thermal power plant, and established a dynamic thermodynamic model adopting Ebsilon code. We studied the thermodynamic performance variation of the reconstructed thermal power plant throughout a 24-hour cycle and found that the fluctuation ratio of the turbine back pressure decreased to 6% from 78%, which is beneficial for the stable and safe operation of the electric power system. The thermal performance improvement benefited from the exploitation of the heat transfer potential of ACC, which realized via cold duty schedule throughout the day, under different ambient temperature conditions. In this system, the generated power was higher at relatively high ambient temperature than that at relatively low ambient temperature, which solved the electricity demand-supply imbalance problem under high ambient temperature. Finally, the same optimization effects for power thermal plants with an indirect air-cooling system were obtained using the same operation scheme.     

Non-technical Losses in Brazil： Subsidies for mplementation of Smart-Grid

The amount of non-technical losses in Brazil is quite elevated, accounting for nearly 5.5% of the country＇s total generated power. Such losses are asymmetrically distributed within the various regions of the country. Meter tampering （fraud）, meter bypassing by regular consumers （theft） and irregular hookups to the network by unlawful consumers are the most predominant forms of irregularities. Part of it which is caused by non-technical losses is being passed on to the consumers through the tariffs they pay. This paper presents an overview of the current situation related to non-technical losses in Brazil involving： quantification, regional asymmetry, nature and stratification, tariff management, and strategies employed to its reduction. Advanced measurement techniques provided by smart-grids can significantly reduce them. It is suggested a potential reduction of 60%. An innovative way of using these indicators in order to identify irregularities is briefly presented in this work.     

Advance Electronic Load Controller for Micro Hydro Power Plant

Most of the MHP （micro hydro power） plants use ELC （electronic load controller） for speed control. Various types of ELC have been developed so far. A dummy ballast load is connected across each phase of generator terminals and ELC controls the power consumed by the ballast load to result in constant speed operation. The ELC developed so far uses thyristor switches in each phase to control ballast load power. The ELC senses the system frequency and comparing it with reference frequency, it generates a common value of firing angle for all three thyristor pairs of each phase. The performance of such ELC is not perfect for unbalanced consumers load connected in each phase, which overloads the generator. This paper presents an advanced type of ELC which senses frequency as well as consumer＇s load current of each phase and fires the thyristor pairs with different value of firing angles for different phases. This solves the problem of overloading of the generator with unbalanced consumer＇s load. Simutink model is developed to perform transient analysis of the proposed scheme and the prototype of hardware is also fabricated. The simulation results and experimental results are presented.     

The Application of the Combined Method for Selection of Optimal Excitation Parameters

The quality as well as reliability of electrical energy transmitted to consumers is one of the main parameters of successful operation of the power system. The searching of optimal coefficient＇s combination of PSS （power system stabilizer） is the main goal of this article. The possibility of application of the new combined approach for the optimal excitation＇s settings search is presented. MC （Monte Carlo） method, in order to search and select the optimal combination of excitation system, was applied. The proposed method has been researched with a mathematical model of the power system. This model has been built using Matlab/Simulink software. Paper shows advantages and disadvantages of the proposed methods.     

Thermal analysis of underground power cable system

The paper presents the application of Finite Element Method in thermal analysis of underground power cable system.The computations were performed for power cables buffed in-line in the ground at a depth of 2 meters.The developed mathematical model allows determining the two-dimensional temperature distribution in the soil,thermal backfill and power cables.The simulations studied the effect of soil and cable backfill thermal conductivity on the maximum temperature of the cable conductor.Also,the effect of cable diameter on the temperature of cable core was studied.Numerical analyses were performed based on a program written in MATLAB.     

Impact of Weather Conditions and Dynamic Load Models on Steady State and Dynamic Response of Power System

This paper gives an insight on the effect of transmission line temperature variations, resulting from loading and weather conditions changes, on a power system＇s steady state and dynamic performance. The impact of dynamic load models on system stability is also studied. The steady-state and dynamic stability simulation results of a 39 bus system for constant line impedance （the traditional simulation practice） are compared to the results with estimated, but realistic, temperature varied line impedances using PSLF （positive sequence load flow） software. The modulated line impedances will affect the thermal loading levels and voltage profiles of buses under steady state response, while the dynamic results will show improved damping in electro-mechanical oscillations at generator buses.