Network performance evaluation of smart distribution systems using smart meters with TCP/IP communication protocol

Abstract

The escalating significance of system reliability and resilience is transforming the planning and operation of contemporary distribution systems. To accomplish self-healing against power outages, advanced emerging technologies and devices such as smart meters are being deployed in the distribution systems. This work attempts to evaluate the performance of the smart distribution networks, where the communication protocol TCP/IP integrated with smart meters plays an essential responsibility. TCP/IP as a communication protocol has been used to send the data to the real world from simulation and receive it back into the simulation without losing data. Two-level control architecture has been proposed. The model has been designed using MATLAB/SIMULINK. To achieve it, the model consists of two LV distribution networks falling under one substation. Thus, two local controllers and one master controller have been modeled. Different single-phase loads (like domestic loads, colony loads having several houses, VIPs loads, shop loads, hospital loads, school loads, college loads, etc.) have been modeled as an amalgamation that has constant impedance and constant power loads. To simulate the functionalities of controllers, different case scenarios such as overcurrent protection, power theft, no shutdown of essential loads (like hospitals, VIPs), available power loss, and phase unbalancing in 42 residential loads altogether in two different areas have been studied and validated with real-time simulator through OPAL-RT.

Keywords

• Available power loss
• Communication protocol
• Over-current protection
• Phase balancing
• Power theft detection
• Smart distribution system