2019 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Asia

Reliability Evaluation of Distribution Power Unit

Based on DG Power Contribution
Mingze Zhang, Yinong Li, Xincong
Li
State Grid Economic and Technological
Research Institute,
Shanghai, 200120, China
zhangmz@sh.sgcc.com.cn
liyn@sh.sgcc.com.cn
lixc@sh.sgcc.com.cn
Yuanhong Liu, Tao Wei, Wei Zhang Shuai Hao, Yu Zhang, Fengzhan
Beijing Key Laboratory of Distribution Zhao*
Transformer Energy-Saving Technology, College of Information and Electrical
China Electric Power Research Institute, Engineering, China Agricultural
Beijing, 10019, China University, Beijing, 100083, China
liuyuanhong@epri.sgcc.com.cn 245596397@qq.com
weit@epri.sgcc.com.cn 921250819@qq.com
zhangwei3@epri.sgcc.com.cn zhaofz@cau.edu.cn

Abstract—With a large number of distributed generations
connected to the distribution network, how to quantify their
impacts on power supply reliability has become a new research
issue. In this paper, the contribution index of distributed
generation is defined based on the load point and distribution
unit, the two layers of distribution Network unit, and a new
method of power supply reliability evaluation of distribution
network unit is put forward. This method can quantify the effect
of the distributed generation on the improvement of power
supply reliability of the active distribution network. Finally, an
example is given to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the
proposed method.
Index Terms—Distribution Power Supply Unit, Distributed
Generation Contribution, Isolated Island, Distribution Power
Supply Reliability
I. INTRODUCTION
With the development of economy and science &
technology, the demand of power supply reliability for power
users is increasing. At the same time, with the continuous
support of the state for the new energy industry, the
permeability of distributed generation (DG) in distribution
network is increasing[1-3]. The traditional distribution network
without DG access causes power outage immediately after the
failure, which has a great impact on the production or the lives
of users. Luckily, when DG is connected to the distribution
network, DG can supply power to users after failure, which
reduces the negative impact of power cut. Therefore, DG
access has become an effective way to improve power supply
reliability of distribution network [4].
Reference [5] establishes the reliability model of DG and
energy storage combined power generation system, and then
uses Monte Carlo simulation method and time series state
sampling process to simulate DG output during island
operation, but lacking indicators for active distribution
Project Supported by Key Technology Project of State Grid Shanghai
Municipal Electric Power Company (Research and Demonstration of
Shanghai Power Grid Reliability Analysis Platform).
network. Reference [6] designed a new indicator reflecting
DG power generation capacity and reflecting the reliability of
island power supply, but did not specifically quantify the
impact of DG access on the reliability of power distribution
network. Reference [7] proposed a rapid assessment method
for distribution network reliability based on feature pattern
division.
Even though there are some reliability standards for
distribution network at home and abroad [8-9], the reliability
index standard for the active distribution network with DG has
not been established. At the same time, in order to achieve the
refined management of the power supply reliability of the
distribution network, the unitized and meshed distribution
network management method emerges [10-12]. In order to
quantify the impact of DG access on the reliability of
distribution network, it is necessary to design a distribution
network reliability index system that takes into account the
electricity supplied by DG.
In this paper, the distribution network is divided into
multiple power distribution units, for each power supply unit,
the fault-affected index system and power-off index system
are put forward. The island division method is adopted as the
DG contribution range, and then the reliability improvement
index of the power distribution unit is calculates, furthermore,
the influence of DG access on the reliability of distribution
unit can be forecasted. At last, it is proved by an example that
this new method can quantify the improvement effect of DG
access on the reliability of distribution network.
II. POWER DISTRIBUTION UNIT
A. Power Distribution Unit
In order to carry out fine management and evaluation of
active distribution network, some scholars and enterprises
have already carried out the research and preliminary practice
of power supply unit division of distribution network.
Although there is no unified active distribution system unit

978-1-7281-3520-5/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE 380

division rule at present, the basic idea is that a small power
supply area that is easy to be divided or managed, which is a
power supply unit. The concept of the power supply unit used
in this paper is: In an overhead network or cable network, a
10kV active power distribution area disconnected by a tie
switch or open loop or with a large load of 10kV is called a
distribution unit. A unit which contains distributed power and
energy storage equipment is called active distribution unit [13].
In a unit, a medium voltage (10kV) user is called a load point.
A power supply unit contains at least one 10kV load. The
electrical scheme of a radial distribution unit is shown in Fig.
1, where each medium voltage user is called a load point
which lettered "A, B, C, D". Due to the uncertainty of DG
output, energy storage (ES) is generally used to store electrical
energy. When the distribution network fails, energy storage
(ES) can supply power smoothly for the load. The DG and ES
The first is the average failure rate, that is, the number of
times the load point is affected by the failures per statistical
time (one year), which is as following,
n j ⋅ 8760
λj = (1)
Tuj + Tdj
Where ， j is the serial number of the load point, j
=1,2,…,m ( m is the total number of the load points;)， n j is
the number of times that the jth load point is affected by faults
in the statistical time, which is the same as the number of the
faults of its power supply line.
Tuj is the power supply time at the jth load point. Tdj is the
time when the jth load point is affected by the fault.
nj

are combined into a "DG-ES system", and it is assumed to be Tdj = ∑ Tdj ,n (2)
controlled to output the set power. n =1
T
Among them, dj ,n is the time when the jth load point is
affected by the nth fault. In this paper, the time unit is hour.
10kV bus

10kV outlet

The second is the average failure repair time, that is the

average time per fault for the jth load point, it is named as rj .
D
Load point A B C
DG-ES Tdj
10kV User 4 rj = (3)
nj
The third is the average failure time, which is the ratio of
the time of the jth load point affected by fault to the statistical
DG-ES time, and the result is converted to one year.
User 1 User 2 User 3 Tdj ⋅ 8760
Uj = (4)
Circuit breaker or Distribution Tuj + Tdj
sectional switch transformer

Load point
DG-ES Distributed power supply-storage joint system
Fig.1. Radial active distribution unit
III. RESEARCH ON POWER SUPPLY RELIABILITY
EVALUATION SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION UNIT
The reliability indexes of distribution unit are affected by
faults and the indexes of power outage have been established.
Both of them are divided into two layers, one is load point
layer and the other is distribution unit layer.
A. The indexex of distribution unit affected by faults
For distribution network, system fault is statistical
information, which will not be changed because of DG access,
Power user 2) Evaluating Indexes of the power distribution unit
affected by the fault
There are four distribution unit layer indexes affected by
fault, they are the unit average failure frequency, the consumer
average failure frequency, the unit average failure duration,
and the consumer average failure duration. These indexes are
obtained from the load point layer affected by the fault, and
they are defined as follows:
The first index is the unit average failure frequency index
(UAFFI), which represents the average number of the times
for load points affected by the failure in the unit, that is, the
ratio of the total number of users affected by failures to the
total number of users of the unit, which is as following,
m
∑λ (5)
j
UAFFI =
j =1

but DG access will affect the outage information of some load m

points. Assuming that the DG output is zero that is to say Where, m is the total number of the users in the unit, λ j is
regardless of DG’s generation. In this case, the indexes of as in (1).
distribution unit affected by faults are defined, which include
the evaluating indexes of the load point layer and that of the The second index is the consumer average failure
distribution unit layer. frequency index (CAFFI), represents the average number of
times the user is affected by the failure in the unit, that is：
1) Evaluating Indexes of the load point layer affected by
m
faults ∑λ j
The load point layer indexes affected by fault include the CAFFI =
j =1
(6)
m
average failure rate, the average failure repair time, and the ∑M j
average failure time, which are as follows: j =1

381
 Where, M j indicates whether the jth load point is affected nj

by the fault, if it is affected, then M j = 1 , otherwise, M j = 0 .

∑ [T dj ,n ⋅ (1 − H j ,n )]
rbj = n =1
nj (11)
The third index is the unit average failure duration index ∑[K
n =1
j ,n (1 − H j ,n )]

(UAFDI), which represents the average failure time of each The third evaluation index is the equivalent average power
user in the unit, that is, outage time, that is, the equivalent average power outage time
m
of a load point, and it is converted to the annual power outage
∑U time from the statistical time.
UAFDI = j =1
j
(7)
nj
m
8760 ⋅ ∑ [Tdj ,n (1 − H j ,n )]
Where, U j is as in (4). (12)
U bj = n =1
T
The fourth index is the consumer average failure duration 2) The power outage indexes of the distribution unit
index (CAFDI) represents the average failure time of each There are four power outage evaluation indexes of the
user affected by the failure in the unit, that is, distribution unit to be defined.
m
The first one is the unit average interruption frequency
∑U
j =1
j
index (UAIFI), which represents the average equivalent power
CAFDI = (8)
m outage for each user in the distribution unit, it is as following,
∑M
j =1
j
m
Where, U j is as in (4) and M j is as in (6). ∑λ
j =1
bj
(13)
UAIFI =
m
B. The indexes of distribution unit power outage The second one is the consumer average interruption
In order to reflect the influence of DG on the reliability of frequency index (CAIFI), it represents the average equivalent
power supply, and to estimate the power distribution blackout times of power outages of each user in a unit, it is as following,
information from the distribution fault information, the m
contribution index of DG power to a load point is defined, ∑λ bj
which is as following, CAIFI = j =1
m (14)
PDGj ,n
∑M
j =1
j

H j ,n = (9) The third one is the unit average interruption duration

Pj ,n
index (UAIDI), which represents the average equivalent
Where n is the nth fault, n = 1, 2,, n j . H j ,n is the power outage time of each user in the unit, it is as following,
contribution of DG’s power generation to the jth load point at m

the nth fault. PDGj ,n is the power of the DG supply to the jth ∑λ
j =1
bj

CAIFI = (15)
load point at the nth fault. Pj ,n is the load power at the jth load m

∑M j
point at the nth fault. j =1

The fourth one is the consumer average interruption

According to the distribution fault information, and based duration index (CAIDI), which represents the average
on the definition of equation (9), the power outage indexes of equivalent power outage time of each user affected by the
the distribution load point and those of the distribution unit are fault in the unit, it is as following,
established as follows:
m
1) The power outage indexes of the load points ∑U bj

Here, three power outage evaluation indexes of the load CAIDI = j =1

m (16)
points are defined. ∑M
j =1
j

The first evaluation index is equivalent power outage rate C. Power distribution unit reliability improvement indexes
of a load point, which is named as λbj ,
In order to show the effect of reliability improvement after
nj DG access, the following indexes are designed.
8760 ⋅ ∑ [ K j ,n (1 − H j ,n )]
λbj = n =1 (10) The first index is the contribution of DG power to the
T average power outage frequency of the power distribution unit:
Where, T is the statistical duration; when the jth load point
is affected by the nth fault, then K j ,n =1; otherwise, let K j ,n =0. UAIFI − UAFFI
=IUAFFI × 100% (17)
UAFFI
The second evaluation index is equivalent average power The second index is the contribution of DG to the average
outage repair time, which is equal to the equivalent outage power outage frequency of users:
time divided by the equivalent outage times.
CAIFI − CAFFI
=I CAFFI × 100% (18)
CAFFI

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 The third index is the contribution of DG to the average The two power circles coincide at the load point 6.
power outage duration of the power distribution unit: According to the weight of each load point, the power circle I
extends downward to cover the load points 17, 18, and finally
UAIDI − UAFDI merges with the power circle II into one island, as in Fig. 4.
=IUAFDI × 100% (19)
UAFDI
The fourth index is the contribution of DG to the user's DG1
1.5MW
average power outage duration: 0.2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
CAIDI − CAFDI 0.4 0.6
=I CAFDI × 100% (20) DG2
CAFDI 14 13 12
1.3MW
17 18 19 20 21

IV. RESEARCH ON UNITIZED DISTRIBUTION NETWORK 15 16

ISLAND DIVISION
A. Island division method
When the distribution unit is out of work, DG will supply
power to some of load points in island mode. The range of
load points that can be covered by the rated power centered on
the load point connected by DG is called the power circle [14].
It should be pointed out that the load point at the edge of the
power circle is not necessarily fully compensated, so the DG
contribution ( H j ) of the power circle edge load point is
perhaps less than 1, except that the load point is very
important.
In this paper, the breadth-first search algorithm [15] is used
to determine the range of the power circle. Starting from the
load point connected to the DG, the DG rated power is used as
a constraint to traverse all the load points connected to the
path, and the optimal partitioning scheme can be obtained,
which is called power circle.
B. Island partitioning example
1) Isolated island with single power circle
A single power circle directly forms an island. Fig. 2 is an
example of power circle division of a power distribution unit
with one DG. The importance of each load point obtained by
the weighting method [16] is from high to low: 5, 6, 4, 3, 7, 2, 1.
DG1
900kW
0.5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fig.2. Single power circle partition
2) Multi-power circle forming island
When multi-power circles have overlapping regions, it is
necessary to form an island by fusion. Fig. 3 is an example of
power circle division of a power distribution unit with two
DGs.
II
I DG1
1.5MW
0.2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
0.4 0.75
Fig.4. Two power circles combine to the microgrid
V. POWER DISTRIBUTION UNIT RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT
METHOD BASED ON ISLANDING
The power supply reliability evaluation of a distribution
unit based on island division is as follows:
Step 1, Enter the number of times the power distribution
unit is affected by the fault during the statistical time, the
normal running time, the time affected by the fault, the
number of users, the number of users affected by the fault, and
the load power at each fault of each load point.
Step 2, Using [16], calculate the load point weight of each
load point according to the power value of each load point
after the fault.
Step 3, Using the islanding method proposed in this paper,
the island division is performed after each fault, and according
to the result of the island division, the contribution of DG to
the power H j ,n of the jth load point after the nth fault is
calculated by (9).
Step 4, Calculate the fault indicators λ j , rj , U j of the load
point j by (1)-(4) and the power outage indicators λbj , rbj , U bj
by (10)-(12).
Step 5, Calculate the fault indicators UAFFI, CAFFI,
UAFDI, CAFDI by (5)-(8) and power outage indicators UAIFI,
CAIFI, UAIDI, CAIDI of the power distribution unit by (13)-
(16).
Step 6, Calculate the contribution of DG to the reliability
of the distribution power unit, IUAFFI , I CAFFI , IUAFDI and I CAFDI ,
by (17)–(20).
VI. CASE ANALYSIS
This paper uses the active distribution network in a certain
area of southern China for analysis. The wiring diagram of a
power distribution unit in this example is shown in Fig. 5.
DG1
400kW
700kW
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 DG2
10kV bus

DG2
14 13 12 17 18 19 20 21
1.3MW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
15 16 DG3
22 21 20 25 26 27 28 29
600kW
Fig.3. Two power circles partition 23 24

Fig.5. Wiring diagram of an active distribution unit in a certain area

383
 Input data information: The statistical time of this example power distribution unit, which provides a new method for
is one year (8760h), and there are three faults occured during analyzing the impact of DG to the reliability of distribution
the period. The first and the third faults are line faults, and the network.
second fault is power cut-off. The fault locations are: 10kV
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Based on the importance degree of each load point and the
islanding method of power distribution unit, the contribution
index of DG to the power of a certain load point is designed.
The index quantitatively indicates that when the load point is
affected by the fault, the power supply effect of DG to the user.
In order to achieve more refined power supply reliability
analysis of distribution network, the two layers power supply
reliability evaluation index system based on the load point and
the distribution unit is designed. The system includes the fault
impact indexes and the power outage indexes.
The system also proposes a quantitative calculation
method for the reliability improvement effect of DG access on

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