Minimization of Electric Power Losses on 132 kV and 220 kV Uganda Electricity Transmission Lines

The classical minimization of power losses in transmission lines is dominated by artificial intelligence techniques, which do not guarantee global optimum amidst local minima. Revolutionary and evolutionary techniques are encumbered with sophisticated transformations, which weaken the techniques. Power loss minimization is crucial to the efficient design and operation of power transmission lines. Minimization of losses is one way to meet steady grid supply, especially at peak demand. Thus, this paper has presented a gradient technique to obtain optimal variables and values from the power loss model, which efficiently minimizes power losses by modifying the traditional power loss model that combines Ohm and Corona losses. Optimality tests showed that the unmodified model does not support the minimization of power losses on transmission lines as the Hessian matrix portrayed the maximization of power losses. However, the modified model is consistent with the gradient method of optimization, which yielded optimum variables and values from the power loss model developed in this study. The unmodified (modified) models for Bujagali-Kawanda 220 kV and Masaka West-Mbarara North 132 kV transmission lines in Uganda showed maximum power losses of 0.406 (0.391) and 0.452 (0.446) kW/km/phase respectively. These results indicate that the modified model is superior to the unmodified model in minimizing power losses in the transmission lines and should be implemented for the efficient design and operation of power transmission lines within and outside Uganda for the same transmission voltages.

The changing process and trend of ground temperature around tower foundations of Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission line

After the construction of Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Railway, the Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission(QTPT) line is another major permafrost engineering project with new types of engineering structures. The changing process and trend of ground temperature around tower foundations are crucial for the stability of QTPT. We analyzed the change characteristics and tendencies of the ground temperature based on field monitoring data from 2010 to 2014. The results reveal that soil around the tower foundations froze and connected with the artificial permafrost induced during the construction of footings after the first freezing period, and the soil below the original permafrost table kept freezing in subsequent thawing periods. The ground temperature lowered to that of natural fields, fast or slowly for tower foundations with thermosyphons,while for tower foundations without thermosyphons, the increase in ground temperature resulted in higher temperature than that of natural fields. Also, the permafrost temperature and ice content are significant factors that influence the ground temperature around tower foundations. Specifically, the ground temperature around tower foundations in warm and ice-rich permafrost regions decreased slowly, while that in cold and ice poor permafrost regions cooled faster. Moreover, foundations types impacted the ground temperature, which consisted of different technical processes during construction and variant of tower footing structures. The revealed changing process and trend of the ground temperature is beneficial for evaluating the thermal regime evolution around tower foundations in the context of climate change.

The Effective Enhancement of Power System Security by Flexible Transmission Line Impedance with Minimal Rescheduling of Generators

After the digital revolution, the power system security becomes an important issue and it urges the power producers to maintain a well secured system in order to supply a quality power to the end users. This paper presents an integrated Corrective Security Constrained Optimal Power Flow (CSCOPF) with Flexible Transmission Line Impedance (FTLI) to enhance the power system security. The corrective approach of SCOPF is chosen, because it allows the corrective equipment to bring back the system to a stable operating point and hence, it offers high flexibility and better economics. The concept of FTLI arises from the ability of FACTS devices such as Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC), which can vary the line reactance to a certain extent. An enhanced security can be achieved by incorporating FTLI into the CSCOPF problem, since the power flow in a system is highly dependent on the line reactance. FTLI based CSCOPF can reduce the amount of rescheduling of generators, but it will result in an increased number of variables and thus, the complexity to the optimization process is increased. This highly complex problem is solved by using nonlinear programming. The AC based OPF model is preferred, since the corrective security actions require highly accurate solutions. IEEE 30 bus system is used to test the proposed scheme and the results are compared with the traditional CSCOPF. It can be seen that the proposed idea provides a notable improvement in the reduction of cost incurred for restoring the system security.

Modeling and Simulation of a Transmission Line Response to a 400 kV/400V Capacitor Coupled Substation

The access to electricity in rural areas is extremely limited, but it is crucial for all citizens. The population in rural areas of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries is generally low, making it economically unfeasible to implement traditional rural electrification (CRE) projects due to the high cost of establishing the necessary distribution infrastructure. To address this cost issue, one alternative technology for rural electrification (URE) that can be explored is the Capacitor Coupled Substation (CCS) technology. CCS is a cost-effective solution for supplying electricity to rural areas. The research is necessitated by the need to offer a cost-effective technology for supplying electricity to sparsely populated communities. This paper examines the impact on the transmission network when a 400 kV/400V CCS is connected to it. The system response when a CCS is connected to the network was modeled using MATLAB/Si-mulink. The results, based on the fixed load of 80 kW, showed negligible interference on the transmission line voltage. However, there was minor impact on the parameters downstream of the tapping point. These findings were further supported by introducing a fault condition to the CCS, which showed that interferences with the CCS could affect the overall stability of the transmission network downstream of the tapping node, similar to the behavior of an unstable load.

High Precision Ultrasonic Guided Wave Technique for Inspection of Power Transmission Line

Due to the merits of high inspection speed and long detecting distance, Ultrasonic Guided Wave（UGW） method has been commonly applied to the on-line maintenance of power transmission line. However, the guided wave propagation in this structure is very complicated, leading to the unfavorable defect localization accuracy. Aiming at this situation, a high precision UGW technique for inspection of local surface defect in power transmission line is proposed. The technique is realized by adopting a novel segmental piezoelectric ring transducer and transducer mounting scheme, combining with the comprehensive characterization of wave propagation and circumferential defect positioning with multiple piezoelectric elements. Firstly, the propagation path of guided waves in the multi-wires of transmission line under the proposed technique condition is investigated experimentally. Next, the wave velocities are calculated by dispersion curves and experiment test respectively, and from comparing of the two results, the guided wave mode propagated in transmission line is confirmed to be F（1,1） mode. Finally, the axial and circumferential positioning of local defective wires in transmission line are both achieved, by using multiple piezoelectric elements to surround the stands and send elastic waves into every single wire. The proposed research can play a role of guiding the development of highly effective UGW method and detecting system for multi-wire transmission line.

Reduction of electric field strength by two species of trees under power transmission lines

Electrical pollution is a worldwide concern,because it is potentially harmful to human health.Trees not only play a significant role in moderating the climate,but also can be used as shields against electrical pollution.Shielding effects on the electric field strength under transmission lines by two tree species,Populus alba and Larix gmelinii,were examined in this study.The electrical resistivity at different heights of trees was measured using a PiCUS sonic tomograph,which can image the electrical impedance for trees.The electric field strength around the trees was measured with an elf field strength measurement system,HI-3604,and combined with tree resistivity to develop a model for calculating the electric field intensity around trees using the finite element method.In addition,the feasibility of the finite element method was confirmed by comparing the calculated results and experimental data.The results showed that the trees did reduce the electric field strength.The electric field intensity was reduced by 95.6%,and P.alba was better than L.gmelinii at shielding.

Power Line Monitoring Data Transmission Using Wireless Sensor Network

The WSN used in power line monitoring is long chain structure, and the bottleneck near the Sink node is more obvious. In view of this, A Sink nodes’ cooperation mechanism is presented. The Sink nodes from different WSNs are adjacently deployed. Adopting multimode and spatial multiplexing network technology, the network is constructed into multi-mode-level to achieve different levels of data streaming. The network loads are shunted and the network resources are rationally utilized. Through the multi-sink nodes cooperation, the bottlenecks at the Sink node and its near several jump nodes are solved and process the competition of communication between nodes by channel adjustment. Finally, the paper analyzed the method and provided simulation experiment results. Simulation results show that the method can solve the funnel effect of the sink node, and get a good QoS.

Steady-state voltage-control method considering large-scale wind-power transmission using half-wavelength transmission lines

Half-wavelength transmission can transmit large-scale renewable energy over very long distances.This paper proposes an improved steady-state voltage-control method for half-wavelength transmission systems considering largescale wind-power transmission.First,the unique voltage characteristics of half-wavelength lines are deduced based on the distributed parameter model.In the secondary voltage-control level,reactive power-transmission limits of half-wavelength lines are introduced as another control objective except for tracing the pilot bus voltage reference.Considering the uncertainty and fluctuation of wind power,the overvoltage risk-assessment method of half-wavelength lines is presented to determine specific voltage-control strategies.Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed voltage-control method delivers superior tracking performance according to a voltage reference value and prevents the overvoltage risk of halfwavelength lines effectively in different wind-power penetrations.

Science Letters:A power divider based on a new kind of composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH TL) unit

A new power divider, composed of a novel composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission line (TL) unit, is proposed. The properties of the power divider based on four CRLH TL unit cells are investigated theoretically. By adjusting the parameters of the capacitors and the inductors, the power divider shows perfectly symmetric power division at 5.13 GHz, return loss up to ?24 dB, with the transmitted power being close to ?3.1 dB. The phenomena are demonstrated by simulation results. Being compact in size and low-cost, the proposed power divider is very suitable for microwave and millimeter wave integrated circuits.

SELECTION OF TRANSMISSION LINE MODELS USED IN POWER SYSTEM TRANSIENT SIMULATIONS

A method used for determining the number of equivalent π sections oftransmission line model according to the frequency range of interest and the model accura-cy defined herein is proposed.Factors influencing the discrepancies between continuous ordistributed parameter and multiple π or lumped parameter models are discussed.Generalconclusions concerning the π section lengths of line models used in transient stability,faulttransient and switching over-voltage studies are drawn.Time-domain simulation resultsconfirm the effectiveness of this method.

A new type of Wilkinson dual-frequency power divider with symmetrical transmission line stubs

To realize equal power splitting at two arbitrary gigahertz-frequencies, this paper presents a new type of Wilkinson dual frequency power divider, consisting of three-section transmission lines and a series RLC(resistor, inductor and capacitor)circuit. By equating the [ABCD] matrix of the proposed circuit to that of the quarter-wave impedance transformer, coupled with even/odd mode analyses, the design equations of the proposed network are derived. For verification, two dual-frequency power dividers with dual-band operating frequencies at 0.6 GHz and 3.0 GHz, and 3.8 GHz and 10 GHz respectively are designed and simulated. Simulation results show that the dual-band ratio of the proposed power divider can be as large as 5. Comparisons of the simulation results at X-band and S-band with different power dividers indicate that the proposed dual-band power divider performs better under the scenario of the upper operating frequency extending to X-band.

Design of Power Supply for On-line Monitoring System of Transmission Lines

This paper uses CT to gain the energy directly from the high-voltage transmission line, to address the problem of power supply for monitoring system in high voltage side of transmission line. The draw-out power coil can induce voltage from the transmission line, using single-chip microcomputer to analog and output PMW wave to control the charging module, provides a stable 3.4 V DC voltage to the load, and solve the problem of easy saturating of core. The power supply based on this kind of draw-out power coil has undergone the overall testing, and it is verified-showing that it can properly work in a non-saturated status within the current range of 50 - 1000 A, and provide a stable output. The equipment also design protection circuit to improve the reliability to avid the impacts of the impulse current or short-circuit current. It effectively solves the problem of power supply for On-line Monitoring System of Transmission.

Research Progress of On-line Monitoring Technology for Electromagnetic Environment of Power Transmission and Transformation Projects

Based on the collection of relevant literature and cases,the research and application status of on-line monitoring technology for electromagnetic environment of power transmission and transformation projects at home and abroad were introduced.Moreover,the problems existing in the on-line monitoring of electromagnetic environment were expounded,and the development prospect was forecasted.

Improved Method of Power Loss and Electric Field Calculations of HVAC Transmission Lines

An improved method for calculating the corona power loss and the ground-level electric field on HVAC transmission lines induced by corona is proposed.Based on a charge simulation method combined with a method of successive images,the proposed method has the number and location of the simulated charges not arbitrary.When the surface electric field of a conductor exceeds the onset value,charges are emitted from corona into the space around,and the space ions and the surface charges on each sub-conductor are simulated by using the images of the other sub-conductors.The displacements of the space ions are calculated at every time step during corona periods in both the positive and the negative half cycles.Several examples are calculated by using the proposed method,and the calculated electric field at the ground level and the corona power loss agree well with previous measurements.The results show that simulating 12 charges in each conductor during 600 time steps in one cycle takes less time while guarantees the accuracy.The corona discharge from a 220 kV transmission line enhances slightly(less than 2%) the electric field at the ground level,but this effect is little from a 500 kV line.The improved method is a good compromise between the time cost and the accuracy of calculation.

A Precoding Scheme to Reduce the Effect of Channel Correlation for MIMO-PLC System

MIMO technique can provide higher information throughput and transmission reliability for the PLC system.However,the MIMO-PLC system based on three-conductor cable has a high correlation among its sub-channels.Spatial multiplexing technology will be affected by the spatial correlation between MIMO-PLC sub-channels.To reduce the system bit error rate caused by MIMO-PLC correlation among sub-channels,this paper proposed a phase rotation precoding scheme for the 2×2 closed-loop MIMO-PLC system.According to the channel transfer function of high correlation MIMO-PLC system,the phase rotation precoding matrix F is calculated,and the transmission signal matrix S is modulated with the F,the code distance at the receiving point with smallest code distance is increased by phase rotation.Simulation results show that the scheme can effectively reduce the bit error rate of the 2×2 MIMO-PLC system based on ML detection,and significantly improve the system performance.

Numerical Analysis of the Output-Pulse Shaping Capability of Linear Transformer Drivers

Output-pulse shaping capability of a linear transformer driver （LTD） module under different conditions is studied, by conducting the whole circuit model simulation by using the PSPICE code. Results indicate that a higher impedance profile of the internal transmission line would lead to a wider adjustment range for the output current rise time and a narrower adjustment range for the current peak. The number of cavities in series has a positive effect on the output- pulse shaping capability of LTD. Such an improvement in the output-pulse shaping capability can primarily be ascribed to the increment in the axial electric length of LTD. For a triggering time interval longer than the time taken by a pulse to propagate through the length of one cavity, the output parameters of LTD could be improved significantly. The present insulating capability of gas switches and other elements in the LTD cavities may only tolerate a slightly longer deviation in the triggering time interval. It is feasible for the LTD module to reduce the output current rise time, though it is not useful to improve the peak power effectively.

Influences of Switching Jitter on the Operational Performances of Linear Transformer Drivers-Based Drivers

A whole circuit model of a linear transformer drivers （LTD） module composed of 60 cavities in series was developed in the software PSPICE to study the influence of switching jitter on the operational performances of LTDs. In the model, each brick in each cavity is capable of operating with jitter in its switch. Additionally, the manner of triggering cables entering into cavities was considered. The performances of the LTD module operating with three typical cavity-triggering sequences were simulated and the simulation results indicate that switching jitter affects slightly the peak and starting time of the output current pulse. However, the enhancement in switching jitter would significantly lengthen the rise time of the output current pulse. Without considering other factors, a jitter lower than 10 ns may be necessary for the switches in the LTD module to provide output current parameters with an acceptable deviation.

Tracking Galloping Profile of Transmission Lines Using Wireless Inertial Measurement Units

Galloping of power transmission lines might bring about huge damage such as massive power outage and collapse of the transmission towers. To realize forecast of the galloping and provide data for study on the galloping mechanism, this paper proposes an online monitoring system for tracking galloping profile of power transmission lines based on wireless inertial measurement units (WIMUs). The system is composed of three modules: wireless inertial measurement nodes, monitoring base station, and remote monitoring station. After detailing the hardware system, the corresponding software which positions and displays galloping profile of the transmission line in real-time is outlined. The feasibility of the proposed on-line monitoring system is demonstrated through a series of experiments at the State Grid Key Laboratory of Power Overhead Transmission Line Galloping (Zhengzhou, China) by taking into account different vibration patterns.

Investigation of an X-band magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator

An X-band magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator （MILO） is designed and investigated numerically and experimentally for the first time. The X-band MILO is optimized in detail with KARAT code. In simulation, the X-band MILO, driven by a 720 kV, 53 kA electron beam, comes to a nonlinear steady state in 4.0 ns. High-power microwaves （HPM） of TEM mode is generated with an average power of 4.1 GW, a frequency of 9.3 GHz, and power conversion efficiency of 10.870 in durations of 0-40 ns. The device is fabricated according to the simulation results. In experiments, when the voltage is 400 kV and the current is 50 kA, the radiated microwave power reaches about 110 MW and the dominating frequency is 9.7GHz. Because the surfaces of the cathode end and the beam dump are destroyed, the diode voltage cannot increase continuously. However, when the diode voltage is 400 kV, the average power output is obtained to be 700 MW in simulation. The impedance of the device is clearly smaller than the simulation prediction. Moreover, the duration of the microwave pulse is obviously shorter than that of the current pulse. The experimental results are greatly different from the simulation predictions. The preliminary analyses show that the generations of the anode plasma, the cathode flare and the anode flare are the essential cause for the remarkable deviation of the experimental results from the simulation predictions.

Evaluation of Multi-Temporal-Spatial Scale Adjustment Capability and Cluster Optimization Operation Method for Distribution Networks with Distributed Photovoltaics

Themassive integration of high-proportioned distributed photovoltaics into distribution networks poses significant challenges to the flexible regulation capabilities of distribution stations.To accurately assess the flexible regulation capabilities of distribution stations,amulti-temporal and spatial scale regulation capability assessment technique is proposed for distribution station areas with distributed photovoltaics,considering different geographical locations,coverage areas,and response capabilities.Firstly,the multi-temporal scale regulation characteristics and response capabilities of different regulation resources in distribution station areas are analyzed,and a resource regulation capability model is established to quantify the adjustable range of different regulation resources.On this basis,considering the limitations of line transmission capacity,a regulation capability assessment index for distribution stations is proposed to evaluate their regulation capabilities.Secondly,considering different geographical locations and coverage areas,a comprehensive performance index based on electrical distance modularity and active power balance is established,and a cluster division method based on genetic algorithms is proposed to fully leverage the coordination and complementarity among nodes and improve the active power matching degree within clusters.Simultaneously,an economic optimization model with the objective of minimizing the economic cost of the distribution station is established,comprehensively considering the safety constraints of the distribution network and the regulation constraints of resources.This model can provide scientific guidance for the economic dispatch of the distribution station area.Finally,case studies demonstrate that the proposed assessment and optimization methods effectively evaluate the regulation capabilities of distribution stations,facilitate the consumption of distributed photovoltaics,and enhance the economic efficiency of the distribution station area.