Abstract
The problem of the optimal placement and sizing of photovoltaic power plants in electrical power systems from high- to medium-voltage levels is addressed in this research from the point of view of the exact mathematical optimization. To represent this problem, a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model considering the daily demand and solar radiation curves was developed. The main advantage of the proposed optimization model corresponds to the usage of the reactive power capabilities of the power electronic converter that interfaces the photovoltaic sources with the power systems, which can work with lagging or leading power factors. To model the dynamic reactive power compensation, the η-coefficient was used as a function of the nominal apparent power converter transference rate. The General Algebraic Modeling System software with the BONMIN optimization package was used as a computational tool to solve the proposed optimization model. Two simulation cases composed of 14 and 27 nodes in transmission and distribution levels were considered to validate the proposed optimization model, taking into account the possibility of installing from one to four photovoltaic sources in each system. The results show that energy losses are reduced between 13% and 56% as photovoltaic generators are added with direct effects on the voltage profile improvement.
Highlights
Power systems are responsible for interconnecting power generation sources and consumers in high-voltage levels through transmission and sub-transmission systems since large power sources and loads are geographically separated by hundreds of kilometers [1,2]
The GAMS optimization software has been employed for solving large-scale complex optimization problems; some of them are presented as follows: optimal planning and operation of power systems [19], optimal design of osmotic power plants [29]; optimal planning of water distribution systems [30]; optimal design of mechanical components [31]; optimal selection and location of batteries in distribution grids [7,25]; optimal location and sizing of distributed generators [32]; solution complementarity problems arising in applied economic analysis [33]; and analysis of the influence of reactive compensators and energy storage devices’ location on power systems [34], among others
The problem of the optimal placement and sizing of PV plants in electrical networks from high- to medium-voltage levels was formulated in this research as an mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model, where the main characteristic corresponds to the possibility of using the PV converter to supply the reactive power to the power systems concurrently as the reactive power is injected
Summary
Power systems are responsible for interconnecting power generation sources and consumers in high-voltage levels through transmission and sub-transmission systems since large power sources (i.e., hydraulic power plants) and loads are geographically separated by hundreds of kilometers [1,2]. The sector of electricity supply is composed of four main activities: (i) generation, (ii) transportation, (iii) distribution, and (iv) commercialization; these activities make possible the power supply from large and distributed power sources to all end-users from high- to low-voltage levels [3]. In the case of dynamic analysis, differential equations are used to determine the time-domain behavior of the electrical variables (i.e., frequency, active and reactive power flows, etc.) in the event of a large disturbance such as a short-circuit or a large load/generator disconnection [5].
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