Grounding Systems for Power Supply Facilities

The goal of this work is creation of optimal grounding model at the substation 10/0.4 kV of the urban power distribution network. The electric current can pose a major threat to the man’s life and health. In addition to pose a threat for health, the rise of the short circuit, as a consequence of insulation faults, poses a threat to retirement of electric systems and fire risks. The reliable grounding system design has significant implications for protection of human being as well as for electrical facility protection. The set objective was performed on the base of analytical and software-based methods. Analytical method gives a qualitative indication at each step in analysis. It also allows evaluating the values effect on the result, but the method is not susceptible of tolerable accuracy, that is why analytical method serves as initial approximation in differentiating. Specified estimation can be performed in such software package as MATLAB or ETAP. Software-based estimation is based on the finite element method (FEM), the main advantage of which is the ability to create different forms of grounding and allows obtaining distribution graphs of the step potential on the earth’s surface and touch potential. The calculation results in comparison of analytical and software-based methods taking into account the grounding optimization. There are conclusions on the most effective ground network.

Unbalance Level Regulating Algorithm in Power Distribution Networks

The paper dwells on the unified power quality indexes characterizing the phenomenon of voltage unbalance in three-phase systems. Voltage unbalance is one of the commonest occurrences in the town mains of 0.38 kV voltage. The phenomenon describes as inequality of vector magnitude of phase voltage and shearing angle between them. Causes and consequences of the voltage unbalance in distribution networks have been considered. The algorithm, which allows switching one-phase load, has been developed as one of the methods of reducing the unbalance level. The algorithm is written in the function block diagram programming language. For determining the duration and magnitude of the unbalance level it is proposed to introduce the forecasting algorithm. The necessary data for forecasting are accumulated in the course of the algorithm based on the Function Block Diagram. The algorithm example is given for transforming substation of the urban electrical power supply system. The results of the economic efficiency assessment of the algorithm implementation are shown in conclusion. The use of automatic switching of the one-phase load for explored substation allows reducing energy losses (active electric energy by 7.63%;reactive energy by 8.37%). It also allows improving supply quality to a consumer. For explored substation the average zero-sequence unbalance factor has dropped from 3.59% to 2.13%, and the negative-sequence unbalance factor has dropped from 0.61% to 0.36%.