Processing and Correction of Secondary System Models in Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

The need for simulations of low-voltage systems is encouraging power utilities to make greater efforts in the correction of their models in geographic information systems (GISs). This paper presents new procedures and algorithms that exploit the graph theory and data structure properties to efficiently detect and correct errors in models of radial secondary systems. These errors include incorrect connectivity and disconnected elements and rings, among others. The corrections lead to more accurate and reliable GIS models to be used later in combined simulations of medium- and low-voltage systems. The proposed procedures are implemented and validated with real GIS models of large-scale distribution circuits from different power utilities. It was found that most of the errors in existing models can be automatically corrected by the proposed methodologies. Human intervention is only required when there are several options to eliminate the same error or when disconnected elements cannot be easily associated with other portions of existing secondary systems.