Improved adaptive voltage controller for active distribution network operation with distributed generation

Abstract

The expected increase in connection of distributed generation (DG) may cause voltage rise problems on the existing distribution network. To address this issue, an adaptive voltage controller using On Load Tap Changer (OLTC) and Automatic Voltage Control (AVC) relay was proposed in previous research. In order to reduce costs of implementing large numbers of measurements, Distribution State Estimator (DSE) was used to determine the voltage reference setting for the AVC relay. This paper presents several improvements of the closed-loop testing system based on previous work. A graphical user interface (GUI) is developed to implement the adaptive voltage controller and to display the network voltages dynamically. In order to regulate busbar voltages remotely, control signals between GUI and the network are transmitted using ethernet communication technology. The case studies demonstrate that the proposed adaptive voltage control scheme is able to increase the output capacity of DG without violating voltage limits.