Smart grid architecture for rural distribution networks: application to a Spanish pilot network

This paper presents a novel architecture for rural distribution grids. This architecture is designed to modernize traditional rural networks into new Smart Grid ones. The architecture tackles innovation actions on both the power plane and the management plane of the system. In the power plane, the a...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Girbau Llistuella, Francesc|||0000-0002-2206-4019, Díaz González, Francisco|||0000-0002-1912-3014, Sumper, Andreas|||0000-0002-5628-1660, Gallart, R, Heredero Peris, Daniel|||0000-0002-6118-0928
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/116427
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/116427
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en11040844
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Electric power systems--Spain
Power electronics
Intelligent distribution power router
Rural distribution networks
Smart grid technologies
Sistemes de distribució d'energia elèctrica--Espanya
Electrònica de potència
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Energies::Energia elèctrica
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria elèctrica
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria elèctrica::Electrificació::Electrificació rural
Descripción
Sumario:This paper presents a novel architecture for rural distribution grids. This architecture is designed to modernize traditional rural networks into new Smart Grid ones. The architecture tackles innovation actions on both the power plane and the management plane of the system. In the power plane, the architecture focuses on exploiting the synergies between telecommunications and innovative technologies based on power electronics managing low scale electrical storage. In the management plane, a decentralized management system is proposed based on the addition of two new agents assisting the typical Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of distribution system operators. Altogether, the proposed architecture enables operators to use more effectively—in an automated and decentralized way—weak rural distribution systems, increasing the capability to integrate new distributed energy resources. This architecture is being implemented in a real Pilot Network located in Spain, in the frame of the European Smart Rural Grid project. The paper also includes a study case showing one of the potentialities of one of the principal technologies developed in the project and underpinning the realization of the new architecture: the so-called Intelligent Distribution Power Router.