System and Method for Providing Voltage Regulation in a Power Distribution System

• US 20090265042A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: S&C Electric Company
• Original Assignee: S&C Electric Company
• Inventors: Herron, Joseph B. JR., Deaver, Brian J. SR., Kreiss, David G., Mollenkopf, James D.
• Application Number:
  US12/424,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/298
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/12 for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1878 using tap changing or phase shifting transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 Reactive power compensation

Abstract

A system and method of regulating the voltage of the power supplied to a plurality of power customers via a power distribution system that includes low voltage power lines and medium voltage power lines is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes measuring the voltage of a plurality of low voltage power lines at a plurality locations in the power distribution system with a plurality of voltage monitoring devices; with the plurality of voltage monitoring devices, transmitting voltage data in real time to a remote computer system; receiving, with the computer system, the real time voltage data of the voltage measured from the voltage monitoring devices; comparing, with the computer system, the real time voltage data with a first threshold value; and if the real time voltage data is beyond the first threshold value, transmitting with the computer system a first voltage adjustment instruction to a voltage control device configured to adjust the voltage supplied to a low voltage power line.

Claims

1. A method of regulating the voltage of the power supplied to a plurality of power customers via a power distribution system that includes low voltage power lines and medium voltage power lines, comprising:

measuring the voltage of a plurality of low voltage power lines at a plurality locations in the power distribution system with a plurality of voltage monitoring devices;

with the plurality of voltage monitoring devices, transmitting voltage data in real time to a remote computer system;

receiving, with the computer system, the real time voltage data of the voltage measured from the voltage monitoring devices;

comparing, with the computer system, the real time voltage data with a first threshold value; and

if the real time voltage data is beyond the first threshold value, transmitting with the computer system a first voltage adjustment instruction to a voltage control device configured to adjust the voltage supplied to a low voltage power line.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the voltage monitoring devices are co-located with a distribution transformer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the voltage monitoring devices comprise an electric power meter.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage control device comprises a load tap changer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage control device comprises a substation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage control device comprises a capacitor bank.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising with the computer system:

waiting a predetermined time period for a notification from a voltage monitoring device; and

if a notification is not received with the predetermined time period, transmitting a second voltage adjustment instruction to a voltage control device configured to adjust the voltage supplied to a low voltage power line.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said remote computer system is configured to wait a predetermined time period for a notification and, if a notification is not received during the predetermined time period, to transmit a second voltage adjustment instruction to a voltage control device.

8. A system for regulating the voltage of the power supplied to a plurality of power customers via a power distribution system that includes low voltage power lines and medium voltage power lines, comprising:

a voltage monitoring device configured to measure the voltage of a first low voltage power line to provide voltage data;

wherein said voltage monitoring device is configured to compare the measured voltage with a first threshold value;

wherein said voltage monitoring device is configured to transmit an alert to a remote computer system if the measured voltage is beyond the first threshold value;

wherein said voltage monitoring device is configured transmit voltage data to the remote computer system;

wherein said remote computer system is configured to receive the alert and voltage data of the voltage measured from the voltage monitoring device; and

in response to receiving the alert, said remote computer system being configured to transmit a first voltage adjustment instruction to a voltage control device that is configured to adjust the voltage supplied to a medium voltage power line connected, via a distribution transformer, to the first low voltage power line if the real time voltage data is beyond the first threshold value.

10. A method of controlling the voltage of the power delivered by a power distribution system that includes low voltage power lines and a medium voltage power lines, comprising:

(a) monitoring the voltage of one or more low voltage power lines with one or more voltage monitoring devices;

(b) decrementing the voltage supplied to the medium voltage power line;

(c) with a computer system, waiting a first predetermined time period for a voltage alert is received from the one or more voltage monitoring device; and

(d) if no voltage alert is received by the computer system during the first predetermined time period, repeating steps (b) and (c) until a low voltage alert is received.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising with the computer system:

(e) upon receipt of a voltage alert, outputting an instruction to adjust the voltage supplied to the medium voltage power line;

(f) waiting a second predetermined time period for a notification; and

(g) if no notification is received during the second predetermined time period, repeating steps (e) and (f).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the plurality of the voltage monitoring devices comprise electric power meters.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least some of the plurality of voltage monitoring devices are co-located with a distribution transformer and measure the voltage of an external low voltage power line.

14. A method of controlling the voltage of the power delivered by a power distribution system that includes low voltage power lines and a medium voltage power lines, comprising:

measuring a voltage of a low voltage power line to provide voltage data with a device;

determining whether the measured voltage is beyond a threshold value;

transmitting at least some voltage data to a remote computer system from the device in real time; and

outputting a voltage adjustment instruction with the remote computer system to adjust a voltage supplied to a medium voltage power line if the voltage is beyond a threshold voltage.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

with the remote computer, processing at least some received voltage data to determine whether to;

increase a voltage supplied by the substation;

or

decrease a voltage supplied by the substation.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said measuring a voltage comprises:

measuring a voltage on a first energized low voltage conductor referenced to ground; and

measuring a voltage on a second energized low voltage conductor referenced to ground.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising averaging the measurements of the first and second energized low voltage conductors to provide an average voltage and wherein said determining comprises:

comparing the average voltage with a threshold voltage value.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising adding the measurements of the first and second energized low voltage conductors to provide a combined voltage and wherein said determining comprises:

comparing the combined voltage with a threshold voltage value.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein said measuring a voltage comprises measuring a voltage between a first energized low voltage conductor and a second energized low voltage conductor;

and wherein said determining comprises;

comparing the measured voltage with a threshold voltage value.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein said outputting comprises transmitting a voltage adjustment instruction from the remote computer to a load tap changer.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the voltage data is transmitted to the remote computer via a data path that includes a mobile telephone network.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting is performed after said comparing and in response to determining that the measured voltage is beyond the threshold value.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises periodically transmitting the voltage data.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitted voltage data comprises an alert that the measured voltage is beyond a threshold value.

25. The method according to claim 14, further comprising with the remote computer:

identifying utility equipment for adjusting the voltage based on information received from the device transmitting the voltage data.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said identifying comprises:

determining a location of the device based on information transmitted by the device; and

identifying the substation based on the location of the device.

27. The method according to claim 14, with the remote computer system, transmitting a request for voltage data to the device and said transmitting at least some voltage data is performed in response to receiving the request.

28. A method of controlling the voltage of the power delivered by a power distribution system that includes low voltage power lines and a medium voltage power lines, comprising:

with each of a plurality of voltage monitoring devices, measuring a voltage of the a different low voltage power line;

wherein a first voltage monitoring device measures a voltage of a first low voltage power line;

with each of a plurality of voltage monitoring devices, comparing the measured voltage with a threshold value;

with the first voltage monitoring device, determining that the measured voltage is beyond the threshold value;

with the first voltage monitoring device, transmitting the voltage data to a remote computer system; and

outputting from the remote computer system a voltage adjustment instruction to a voltage control device configured to adjust the voltage supplied to a medium voltage power line that is connected, via a distribution transformer, to the first low voltage power line.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

receiving voltage data from a multitude of the voltage monitoring devices; and

determining whether voltage data received from each voltage monitoring device is beyond a threshold value.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising at the remote computer system:

identifying a substation that supplies power to the medium voltage power line connected to the first low voltage power line; and

wherein the voltage control device comprises the identified substation.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

with the remote computer system, transmitting data of one or more threshold voltages to each of the voltage monitoring devices; and

with each of the voltage monitoring devices;

receiving the one or more threshold values; and

storing the one or more threshold values in memory;