*WINNER* Short-Term Voltage Stability Enhancement Using Advanced PV Control and M.A.S. in Distribution Feeders

Abstract

This won best graduate poster for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The fundamental nature of an electrical power system is changing with the inclusion of distributed generators (DG) such as solar photovoltaic (PV). The stochastic character of DG and great number of units connected to the grid is likely to cause voltage regulation problems. Specific interest has been shown about the stalling phenomena of HVAC induction motors due to voltage sags which could negatively affect the post-fault voltage recovery. As the motor stalling can be registered in cycles, reactive power injection from DGs may constitute a fast mechanism for voltage regulation. An overall solution can be the application of artificial intelligent Multi Agent System (MAS) that would allow automation of local decision-taking processes by connecting various intelligent and autonomous devices in the distribution grid. This research proposes the implementation of MAS in a distribution system with high PV penetration to avoid the motor stalling after a fault occurs. A distributed architecture with two hierarchic levels will control different agents to command actions oriented to the voltage post-fault recovery. The system under study is the IEEE Distribution Test Feeder with 13 nodes having a dynamic single phase motor model connected at the load point. The dynamic analysis was developed using PSCAD software with real-time integration to MATLAB and UMAP to emulate the artificial intelligence control. Results show that it is possible to avoid motor stalling when PV units with Fault Ride-Through capability and artificial intelligence control are used as fast reactive power injection means, contributing to a short-term voltage stability.