Distribution Systems Clustering Through Voltage Unbalance Sensitivity to Photovoltaic Presence

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

3-10-2025

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Abstract

Distributed photovoltaic micro and mini-generators are gaining prominence as they become more accessible to end consumers. These systems promise to reduce expenses related to electrical energy and offer potential financial returns. One way to enhance the application and planning of the distribution network and its hosting capacity is by partitioning these systems based on the impact of distributed generation on power quality. This study aims to develop a generic network partitioning method using the Spectral Clustering algorithm, enhanced with a balancing algorithm to ensure similar cluster sizes. The input data for this method come from modeling actual standardized electrical systems and simulating the individual impact of photovoltaic generation on each low-voltage feeder connected to the primary grid. The unbalance sensitivity coefficient, which quantifies the change in the voltage unbalance factor at one node due to the variation of active power at another, is used as a metric. Considering all simulation states, the ratios of these coefficients per node form the elements of the Sensitivity matrix. By applying Balanced Spectral Clustering to this Sensitivity matrix, the method can identify continuous electrical regions that highlight the optimal partitioning of the tested distribution system. This proposed method may serve as an initial framework for defining the hosting capacity of smaller regions, taking into account the characteristics of the entire electrical system while managing its restrictive factors locally.

Publication Title

IECON 2024 - 50th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society

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