Several of the electrical loads influence voltage quality parameters, such as over harmonic voltages, voltage surges and flicker, which can be more limiting than the required power output. Electrical grid operators have therefore started to specify requirements for the impact on voltage quality parameters for individual customers (emission limits / electrical noise quotas) in addition to the requirements given by regulation authority.
REN has developed a tool based on International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards that helps electrical grid operators calculate the impact from electrical loads and distribute electrical noise quotas. Although the tool is popular and used by the many Norwegian electrical grid operators, it is a weakness that the calculations on which the tool is based upon are conservative. The field of application is also limited to setting requirements for harmonic voltages in radially operated networks.
There is documentation from the IEC on how the functionality can be extended to mesh networks and with several voltage quality parameters. The challenge is that these methods are characterized by uncertainty, conservative estimates, and the need for case-specific assessments. In practice, therefore, a tool developed directly on the methods will be cumbersome to use and provide conservative results. This entails increased network costs and increased time spent on network connections.
The project will combine a more detailed, accessible methodology for simulations with the basic and practical methodology from IEC. This will result in a tool that provides less conservative calculations and is more convenient to use. In this way, connections can be made more efficiently, and with lower network costs.
The developed methods will be verified with detailed simulations and with measurements from completed projects.
Project owner: REN
Partners:
This is an Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector (IPN) financed by the Research Council of Norway.