Evaluation of the Operating Modes of the Urban Electric Networks in Dushanbe City, Tajikistan

Abstract

Currently, energy saving has become an acute problem all over the world. Due to the rapid development of both the energy and information technology sectors, as well as an increase in the electricity demand, the electric distribution system is facing problems caused by stricter requirements for electricity quality, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability. Therefore, the use of energy-saving technologies, both the improvement of existing ones and the application of new ones, is one of the main reserves for electricity saving in power supply systems. This study is devoted to the evaluation of the operating modes of transformer substations of the 6–10 kV electric distribution network in Dushanbe city, based on the results of control winter measurements and the dependence of the low coefficient of active power in transformer substations. It has been observed that, with a low coefficient of active power in transformer substations, when transmitting electricity from substation busbars to transformer substations of a final consumer via overhead transmission lines (an average length of 5 km), the voltage loss exceeds the maximum permissible values. When transmitting electricity via cable lines, the voltage losses are within the limit of 5%. However, a low active power factor may be the reason for an increase in capacitive currents, followed by the command of single-phase earth fault currents. Due to the low active power factor, the increase in voltage losses and useful power losses leads to the inefficient operating modes of the transformer substations.