Distribution automation systems with advanced features

This paper examines the use of wide-area distribution automation (DA) systems in electric power distribution systems. The number of DA systems installed on an annual basis is increasing. Many of these projects encompass a large area of a distribution system. Wide-area DA holds the promise of further increasing distribution system reliability. This paper presents wide-area DA strategies and discusses the potential impact on system operation. The paper also looks at the effects of communications outages on the performance of DA systems. Backup solutions are discussed that allow the DA system to function when a communications link fails. Topics covered in this paper include: • An overview of wide-area DA. This overview presents the objectives and basic operating principles of automatic circuit reconfiguration in recovering from electrical faults. Advanced features, such as splitting feeder loads between multiple sources when a feeder is reconfigured and transferring load off of a feeder that was previously reconfigured if an overload develops, are also covered. • The use of multiple distribution automation controllers (DACs) for automating large areas of a power system. • The impact on system operation practices. This portion of the paper discusses how the operation of the distribution system is affected by the presence of wide-area DA systems. • The use of backup logic to allow reconfiguration of the distribution system after an outage when a communications link is down.