SmartGrids

   Many countries around the world have started the modernisation, upgrade and renovation of electrical power networks with the use of renewable energy, advanced demand side management and distributed generation management, the installation of new meters (called smart–meters), microcontrollers and advanced control methods for the nonlinear loads. The resulting network, with a greater degree of flexibility, better control and more efficiency, is called a “Smart Grid” (others names used are Intelligrid, GridWise, FutureGrid, etc. [Li et al., 2010]). 

   A SmartGrid is composed of smart–networks (transmission and distribution), smart–substations, smart–loads, smart–meters, microgrids, etc. [Palensky and Dietrich, 2011; Lasseter, 2011]. A general SmartGrid topology is given in Fig. 1.

   There are two important parts in the development of SmartGrids, on one side the transmission system (on the other side the distribution system); this includes [Li et al., 2010]:

a) Smart Control Centres

b) Smart Transmission Networks

c) Smart Substations

   The actual development of Smart–Control Centres, Smart–Transmission Networks and Smart–Substations is built on existing infrastructure. The main reasons for developing a smart transmission system are that in many countries these systems are working near their operational limits and the available and suitable space for adding new transmission lines has been decreased considerably [Li et al, 2010] and consequently it is difficult to acquire additional rights of way [Hingorani and Gyugyi, 2000]. 

 Fig. 1: A general SmartGrid topology (with information from [Lasseter, 2002, 

Barnes et al., 2007; Li et al., 2010, OECD/IEA, 2010; Lasseter, 2011]).

References:

Main source: J. Carmona Sanchez. “A Smart Adaptive Load for Power-Frequency Support Applications”. PhD Thesis, Power Conversion Group, The University of Manchester, UK, December 2015. Available at: https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/uk-ac-man-scw:300748

[Barnes et al., 2007] Mike Barnes, Junji Kondoh, Hiroshi Asano, Jose Oyarzabal, Giri Ventakaramanan, Robert Lasseter, Nikos Hatziargyriou and Tim Green. “Real–World MicroGrids–An Overview”. Proceedings of the IEEE AES International Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), Vol. w/o, No. w/o, pp. 1–8, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 16th–18th April 2007.

[Hingorani and Gyugyi, 2000] Narain G. Hingoranl and Laszlo Gyugyi. Understanding FACTS: Concepts and Technology of Flexible AC Transmission Systems. IEEE Press. IEEE Power Engineering Society, Sponsor. John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

[Li et al., 2010] Fangxing Li; Wei Qiao, Hongbin Sun, Hui Wan, Jianhui Wang, Yan Xia, Zhao Xu, and Pei Zhang. “Smart Transmission Grid: Vision and Framework”. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 168 – 177, September, 2010.

[Lasseter, 2002] Robert H. Lasseter. “MicroGrids”. Proceedings of the IEEE Power Engineering Society Winter Meeting, Vol. 1, No. w/o, pp. 305–308, New York, NY, USA, 27th – 31st January 2002.

[Lasseter, 2011] R.H. Lasseter. “Smart Distribution: Coupled Microgrids,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 99, No. 6, pp. 1074–1082, June, 2011.

[OECD/IEA, 2010] © OECD/IEA (Organisation for Economic Co–operation and Development)/( International Energy Agency). “Energy Technology Perspectives 2010: Scenarios and Strategies to 2050”. IEA Publications, July 2010.

[Palensky and Dietrich, 2011] Peter Palensky and Dietmar Dietrich. “Demand Side Management: Demand Response, Intelligent Energy Systems, and Smart Loads”. IEEE CS Transactions on Industrial Informatics, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 381–388, August 2011.