A real-time optimal coordination scheme for the voltage regulation of a distribution network including an OLTC, capacitor banks, and multiple distributed energy resources

Abstract

The progression towards smarter grids, incorporating clean energy resources, has increased the integration of distributed generators (DGs) into power distribution networks. The DGs often cause a rise in voltage at their points of common coupling. Ordinary voltage regulation devices such as on-load tap changers (OLTCs) are not capable of addressing these issues adequately without careful coordination with DGs. In this paper, a new supervisory control and data acquisition-based two-stage voltage control scheme for the coordination of an OLTC transformer, capacitor banks (CBs) and the DGs is presented. The proposed scheme sets forth a new criterion for the selection of tap positions of an OLTC. In the first stage, tap positions of the OLTC are changed optimally using the micro genetic algorithm, whereas in the second stage, a recursive genetic algorithm is run to minimise the power losses in order to find the optimal reactive powers for the distribution network. Stochastic modelling of wind speed and solar irradiance data is also performed. The scheme is verified by studying it under four different test cases. An OLTC, CBs, photovoltaic panels, wind power DGs and dispatchable DGs are installed in the distribution network, and an IEEE 37-node test feeder is used for the verification of the proposed scheme. The simulation results show that the scheme achieves the objective of voltage regulation.