Importance of Sensors For Utilities to Manage Energy Distribution

The utility distribution network carries new perspectives to energy management systems with smart sensor technology.

FREMONT, CA: The power sector has been undergoing many latest developments that revive interest in research and development and lead to important socio-economic and non-tangible advantages for society. A smart and intelligent power generation, distribution, and control system, the smart grid requires several communication systems to meet its requirements. The capacity to communicate seamlessly across various networks and domains is an open issue that is yet to be properly addressed in smart grid architectures.

Also, increased awareness of the environmental impact and carbon footprint from all energy sources and electricity generation has impeded renewable and alternate energy development and adoption. The second significant development that influences the electrical power sector is the advent of energy system deregulation and the shift away from the vertically integrated utility business model.

The increase in the smart grid is a boon for society and all those involved in the power industry. The key feature of sensors is to obtain information on the substation yard from energy machinery. The key advantages are wide frequency bandwidth, high precision, and broad dynamic range. In addition, these new sensors implement surveillance and control.

Technological progression, deployment of sophisticated protective devices, sensor penetration, computing, communications facility, and automation utilized by distribution utilities differ widely. The distribution network systems are experiencing a substantial shift from analog devices to digital. Moreover, it is hard to justify large investments in modernization and digital controls in many distribution systems due to customer density on circuits, circuit settings, and component age. Thus, there is a chance to refine the reliability and resilience of the distribution systems with the incorporation of modern technologies.

The second generation of technology for distribution automation has been initiated very recently. Over the previous decade, Outage Management Systems (OMS) has been implemented, providing higher visibility in distribution circuits and supporting operators in making restoration choices. In addition, some utilities have introduced sophisticated automation systems to find faults, isolate faulty sections, and automatically restore the remaining sections to service.

These systems are cost-effective, similar to first-generation automation systems, only in regions with elevated client density per mile of line and overhead lines exposed to environmental circumstances that decrease reliability and impair recovery. However, these second-generation technologies are unlikely to be deployed in lower-density rural areas, as the potential gains do not usually justify the increased costs.

Compared to transmission systems, which have a better deployment of sensors, Hence provide operators with a much stronger consciousness of system behavior and operation. Usually, local distribution utilities only track circuit breaker status and evaluate feeder current and voltage as they leave the substation and not at other places on the circuit. Even though this surveillance level is unusual, some utilities started installing automation sensing and fault current indicators independently. Therefore, most distribution utilities depend on client calls to help locate faults. In addition, utilities without a distribution substation SCADA use client calls in rudimentary instances to report outages and restore and repair immediate service.

The blending of high precision voltage sensors in the distribution scheme permits utilities to efficiently satisfy these reliability and power quality requirements, offering the information required to make critical grid choices and changes. In addition, the installation of metering class sensors on a recloser can help optimize the recloser's flexibility and implementation versatility. This empowers utilities to improve grid reliability, resilience, and energy quality and decrease peak demand, losses in distribution lines, and carbon emissions.