BCIT Citations Collection | BCIT Institutional Repository

BCIT Citations Collection

Communication technologies for BCIT Smart Microgrid
Proceeding of IEEE PESConference, Washington DC, Jan 2012. This paper conducts a topical review of the requirements for end-to-end communication systems as the backbone for command and control within Smart Microgrids. The initial lab and field test results from the evaluation of WiMAX and ZigBee as BCIT Microgrid communication network are presented., Conference paper, Published.
Community Energy Storage impacts on smart grid adaptive Volt-VAR Optimization of distribution networks
Accepted in 7th International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems (PEDG 2016), Jun. 2016, Vancouver, BC, Canada. This paper aims to investigate Community Energy Storage (CES) impacts on AMI-based Volt-VAR Optimization (VVO) solutions for advanced distribution networks. CES is one of the technologies employed to improve system stability, reliability and quality. As such, it could have considerable impacts on voltage control, reactive power optimization and energy conservation. Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) is one of the main tasks of advanced VVO engines in distribution networks. Moreover, in order to check the performance of the discussed VVO engine in the presence of CES during peak time intervals, 33-node distribution feeder is employed. The results of this paper show significant improvement in the performance of the VVO engine when CES is forced to discharge in peak times. Moreover, the results present how CES could affect Volt-VAR Control Component (VVCC) switching and how it affects the energy conservation efficiency., Conference paper, Published.
Intelligent Micro Grid research at BCIT
Proceedings of IEEE EPEC’08 Conference, Vancouver, Oct 2008. This paper describes a major research initiative by British Columbia Institute of Technology for the construction of an Intelligent Micro Grid on its campus in Burnaby, BC, Canada., Conference paper, Published.
Low voltage distribution substation integration in smart Microgrid
Proceeding of IEEE 8th Conference on PowerElectronics, Jeju Island, South Korea, June 2011. A strategy is proposed to introduce a limited set of monitoring and control functions into a legacy low voltage distribution substation, and as such integrate it into a larger command and control architecture of a smart Microgrid. The focus of the work shall be on the retrofit strategy of some of the key components for measurement, monitoring, protection and control systems of the substation. Also Volt/VAR optimization of the feeder shall be considered as a part of the design. The article discusses the structure of the substation under study, followed by the actual design of IEC 61850 subsystems for the substation. A simulation model of the pilot project and its results is also included in the paper., Conference paper, Published.
Maintenance scheduling of Volt-VAR control assets in smart distribution networks using advanced metering infrastructure
This paper investigates a novel approach for maintenance scheduling of volt-VAR control components (VVCCs) of distribution networks with the aid of new generation of volt-VAR optimization (VVO) solutions called quasi-real-time VVO. The new quasi-real-time VVO technique optimizes distribution network using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data of each quasi-real-time stage. As this VVO performs automatically and online, it is necessary for VVCCs to undergo maintenance without disturbing VVO performance. Moreover, the lost benefits that could be gained by online VVO have to be minimized. Hence, this paper proposes an AMI-based VVO consisting of a VVO engine and a maintenance scheduling engine (MSE) that operate in tandem to optimize distribution network and find the optimal maintenance scheduling of different VVCCs. To test the accuracy and the applicability of the proposed solution, a 33-node distribution feeder is employed. Furthermore, five different maintenance scenarios are investigated to check the proposed VVO performance. The results prove that the integration of VVO with MSE could be a reliable approach that can solve maintenance scheduling of VVCCs without interrupting and/or resetting VVO., Article, Published
Real-time adaptive VVO/CVR topology using multi-agent system and IEC 61850-based communication protocol
This paper proposes a new approach for real-time and adaptive Volt/VAr optimization (VVO)/conservation voltage reduction (CVR) system using Intelligent Agents, communicating through IEC 61850 Goose Messaging Protocol. The paper also proposes new real-time adaptive VVO/CVR algorithms tailored for different service level targets and system topologies. The paper argues that each of these variations requires different Intelligent Agent Systems, data structures, and communication requirements. To test the applicability of the VVO/CVR optimization engine, a modified IEEE 34 Node system is used as case study., Article, Published
Real-time co-simulation platform for Smart Grid Volt-VAR Optimization using IEC 61850
This paper presents an implementation of an IEC 61850-based real-time co-simulation platform for verification of the performance of a volt-VAR optimization (VVO) engine for smart distribution networks. The proposed VVO engine is able to minimize grid loss, volt-VAR control asset operational costs, and conservation voltage reduction operational costs through its comprehensive objective functions, weighted by fuzzification using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data. The optimization engine receives the AMI data stream through measurement aggregators. Moreover, it sends control commands to volt-VAR control components modeled in real-time digital simulator (RTDS) through DNP.3 protocol. To check the performance and the precision of proposed VVO, a fault scenario is imposed upon the system. IEC 61850 GOOSE messages are generated and sent to change the status of specified breakers, while the VVO engine receives system reconfiguration commands via IEC61850 Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS) protocol. The results of the study on 33-node feeder showed adequate performance of proposed VVO in grid operating scenarios., Article, Published.
Real-time communication platform for Smart Grid adaptive Volt-VAR Optimization of distribution networks
Proceeding of IEEE International Conference on Smart Energy Grid Engineering (SEGE), Aug. 2015, Oshawa, ON, Canada. This paper investigates a real-time communication platform for a Smart Grid adaptive Volt-VAR Optimization (VVO) engine. Novel VVO techniques receive inputs from Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to dynamically optimize distribution networks. As communication platform design and characteristics affect Smart Grid-based VVO performance in terms of control accuracy and response time, VVO ICT studies is essential for grid planners and/or power utilities. Hence, this paper primarily introduces a real-time co-simulated environment comprised of Smart Grid adaptive VVO engine, RTDS model and system communication platform using DNP3 protocol. This platform is built to test and asses the influence of different components included in Smart Grid monitoring and control system; namely the sensors, measurement units, communication infrastructure on the operation and control of VVO. Moreover, this paper uses a real-time platform to check the robustness of the monitoring and control applications for communication network considerations such as delays and packet loss. Next, this paper investigates how such a platform could look into communication issues while taking system requirements into consideration. A 33-node distribution feeder is employed to check system performance through communication parameters such as throughput and response time., Conference paper, Published.
Smart microgrids
The utility sector's transition to renewable energy and the smart grid has already begun. The first step towards smart grid is microgrid, which is a smaller electricity grid with access to all the essential assets of a larger grid. This book provides a glimpse into an actual microgrid project. It supplies a system-level approach to the design of smart Microgrids, covering the entire design process-from roadmap to realization. Detailing lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid in Microgrid technology, the book provides an interdisciplinary approach to design and problem solving for smart microgrids., Book, Published.