A novel hybrid method for planning and allocation of DGs in medium voltage networks considering voltage regulation and relay coordination

Abstract

The penetration of distribution generation (DGs) sources in the distribution grid is largely limited by various factors that involves feeder losses, power quality, stability and security of the grid. Different types of DGs have different impacts on the grid upon integration. The penetration of inverter-based DGs (IBDG) in the distribution networks are mainly limited due to their heavy impact on the system harmonic levels. Whereas, synchronous based DGs (SBDG) are mainly limited due to their high impact on fault current levels that affect the over-current relay coordination. Placement of existing power system components such as flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices that are generally used for voltage regulation and reactive power compensation can be suggested as an efficient solution for maximizing the penetration of DGs. This paper suggests a hybrid framework with a heuristic optimization algorithm for planning and allocation of DGs and FACTS devices considering collective grid constraints such as voltage harmonics constraints, power balance constraints, voltage regulation constraints and over-current relay constraints. The proposed approach is tested on the power distribution network of IEEE 30-bus system. Comparative analyses have been conducted to highlight the efficacy of the proposed optimization approach under various test case scenarios.