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Introduction25.1Factors influencing the applicationof automation to distribution networks25.2Primary distribution system automation25.3Secondary distribution networks -urban areas25.4Secondary distribution networks -rural areas25.5Communications25.6Distribution system automationsoftware tools25.7
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 Distribution System Automation
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25.1 INTRODUCTION
Distribution systems are generally considered to besupply networks operating at 132kV and below, and towhich consumers are normally connected. Within adistribution system, a division into primary and secondarydistribution systems is often made, with primarydistribution systems having voltages above 22kV andsecondary distribution systems voltage below this value.Automation of distribution systems has existed for manyyears. The extent to which automation has been appliedhas been determined by a combination of technologyand cost. For many years the available technologylimited the application of automation to those parts of the distribution system where loss of supply had animpact on large numbers of consumers. Technology wasnot available to handle the large amount of geographically dispersed data required for automation of distribution systems in rural areas. Even whendevelopments in technology began to overcome theseproblems, the cost of applying the technology was largein relation to the benefits gained. Often, there was nofinancial incentive to apply automation in ruraldistribution systems, and consumers were not entitled tocompensation for loss of supply. As relatively fewconsumers would be affected by a fault on a ruraldistribution system, compared to a similar fault in anurban distribution system, the number of customercomplaints received was not a sufficiently importantfactor to justify investment in network reliability.Interruptions to consumers in rural areas were treated asbeing inevitable.Recent developments such as privatisation started tofocus attention on the cost to the consumer of a loss insupply. Interruptions in supply began to be reflected incost penalties (directly or indirectly) to the Utility, thusproviding a financial incentive to improve matters. Ruralconsumers gradually became more aware of the disparityin the number of supply interruptions between rural andurban distribution networks. This led, in conjunctionwith an increasing emphasis on Power Quality issues (see
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 Distribution System Automation
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Chap25 exe 21/06/02 8:30 Page 443
 
Chapter 23), to pressure on Utilities to improve thesituation. In addition, the population in rural areasbecame more dependent on electrical equipment, andthus the consequences of a supply outage were moresignificant.The term automation conjures up the use of microprocessors, maybe linked together over acommunications network and running special purposesoftware to execute a sequence of actions automatically.While such technology is employed and forms part of distribution system automation, the term automationmay imply nothing more than the ability to close or opena switch remotely in addition to local (hand) control. Itmay involve nothing more than the addition of anactuator, and simple on/off remote control facilities.Technology has been applied to reduce the cost of suchdevices, thus improving the economics of theirapplication. Therefore, the field of distribution systemautomation is a very broad one, and the solution appliedto any particular problem will reflect the particularcircumstances of problem and regulatory regime of theUtility concerned.Figure 25.1 shows typical distribution systems that formthe subject of this chapter, complete with the elementsof the distribution system to which automationtechniques are applied. The remaining sections of thischapter describe the various automation techniquesavailable, together with typical applications.
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    D    i   s    t   r    i    b   u    t    i   o   n    S   y   s    t   e   m     A   u    t   o   m   a    t    i   o   n
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110/11kV 110/33kV 110kV 110kV Large consumers33kV RMU33/11kV33/11kV RMU33/11kV RMU33/11kV UrbanDistributionNetworkRMURMU33/11kV RMU33/11kV 33kV Spur linesNormally open pointRural distribution network110/33kV 110/11kV 110kV Spur linesTransmission systemMain circuitnetworkdistributionUrbanLoadLoadLoadLoadLoadLoad
Figure 25.1: Elements of a distribution system
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