DISTRIBUTION GRID

Field of the Art

The present invention relates to an automated method implemented by means of a computing device acting as a supervisor for detecting impedances in an electrical power distribution grid, from a head-end point (transformer or distribution line) to a plurality of user meters or customers of a utility company.

Prior State

Patent application US-A1 -20150241488 discloses techniques for detecting when electricity is stolen by bypassing an electric meter. In one embodiment, a time-series of voltage changes and current changes associated with the electrical consumption measured in a meter are obtained. The time-series may track voltage and current changes associated with short intervals (for example, 5 minutes). An analysis (for example, a regression analysis) may be performed on the voltage changes against the current changes. Also, by using the correlation from the analysis, it may be determined if the meter was bypassed.

Patent document CN-B- 102095911 discloses a smart electric meter based on impedance identification. The meter has a voltage transducer and a current transducer for precisely detecting a monitoring point. The power consumption information for a specified load is supervised to obtain the load impedance value, wherein the value is stored in a memory. The obtained impedance value is compared with the stored impedance value and an indication is received if the two values are identical.

International patent application WO-A1 -2015179908 relates to an automated process for monitoring and evaluating the integrity of an active line and/or neutral line for a polyphase site. The process uses measurements obtained at the site to estimate the voltage and impedance of the neutral line. These estimates are compared with established operating zones for the site to evaluate the condition of the active and/or neutral line. An electrical utility meter installed at the site captures instantaneous usage measurements (typically the voltage and current for each phase of an electrical supply). The measurements are transmitted to an evaluation module that derives active and/or neutral line performance characteristics.

US-A1 -2016047851 relate to a method for the computer-aided ascertainment of the impedance of an electrical energy network, wherein the electrical voltage, the active power, and the reactive power are measured at a connection point, by which an electrical energy production installation is connected to the energy network, at respective successive instants. In this case, the impedance value is estimated at respective present instants by a computation code that is independent of the phase of the measured voltage. The estimation is carried out only for relatively large variations in the measured voltage or reactive power. The estimate is also taken into account only if its estimate error is small. In this patent application the variations are due to the power generation installation, caused by the electrical energy generator. On the contrary, in the present invention Thevenin's impedance calculation is based on changes in power consumption due to the user/customer who is connected downstream of the grid connection point, which is due to its connection load.

None of the aforementioned prior art documents allows determining the impedance of an electrical power distribution grid from measurements taken by each electrical power meter of grid users, i.e., the resistance and reactance of the segment of cable going from the utility company's transformer to the meter.

Description of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for detecting impedances in an electrical power distribution grid, wherein the mentioned electrical power distribution grid comprises a supply transformer (it may include more than one) which has associated therewith one or more electrical power distribution lines, each electrical power distribution line in turn having associated therewith one or several electrical power distribution nodes for distributing power to users and one or several electrical power user meters.

Unlike known proposals in the prior art, the proposed method comprises performing the following steps using at least one of said meters:

a) said meter measuring a first RMS voltage VM1 value, a first RMS current IM1 value and a first power factor PF1 value in said meter at a first time ti, said VM1 , IM1 and PF1 values being measured in the meter due to a power consumption caused by loads connected to the meter; b) said meter measuring a second RMS voltage VM2 value, a second RMS current IM2 value and a second power factor PF2 value in the meter at a second time t2 in which a variation in power consumption caused by loads connected to the meter is detected with respect to said first time ti in said meter; and

c) a computing device running an algorithm that determines a value of the equivalent grid impedance ZTH from the transformer to the meter taking the following into consideration:

cl) the equivalent grid impedance ZTH is similar to the grid impedance calculated according to Thevenin's theorem;

c2) the line head-end voltage according to Thevenin's theorem VTH remains unchanged at said first and second times ti, t2;

c3) the Thevenin voltage VTH provides a voltage at said first time as a result of implementing the following expression: ZTH * IM1 + VM1, and a voltage at said second time as a result of implementing the following expression: ZTH * IM2 + VM2; and

c4) the RMS voltages VM and RMS currents IM include complex terms due to the alternating current grid VM = VM*cos(a) + VM*sin(a)*j, and IM = IM*cos(b) + IM*sin(b)*j, wherein (a) is the angle between VTH and VM, and its value is close to zero, and b is the angle between VTH and IM, and its value is close to a value of the power factor PF at times ti, t2 measured by the meter,

wherein said algorithm implements the following expression: ZTH = (VM1 - VM2) / (IM2-IM1), extracted from c3) and c4); and

d) repeating steps a) to c) for subsequent time intervals and implementing a statistical adjustment procedure of the ZTH determined values until a ZTH value converges to a given value that is taken as the equivalent grid impedance ZTH from the transformer (10) to the meter (13).

The acquisition of said first and second RMS voltage and current VM1, VM2, IM1, IM2 values and power factor PF1, PF2 values measured by the meter, and the running of the algorithm are performed automatically by means of the intervention of the mentioned computing device, which receives or accesses said data.

In one embodiment, the algorithm is applied to each of the meters of a given electrical power distribution line.

The computing device, for example a computer, laptop, tablet, among others, is preferably a device of a control center, having a connection to a communication module of the mentioned meter/meters.

In situations where there is distributed generation, i.e., there are several sources providing electrical power to the grid, the equivalent grid impedance feeding a given meter is no longer just that which corresponds to the transformer and grid segment going from the transformer to the meter, but rather it will be reduced by the new power source/sources. However, since the meter for which the grid impedance ZTH is to be obtained, it does not have the ability to know, with just the data it measures, if the power it receives comes from just the utility company's transformer or from an additional source of distributed generation. Calculations must be performed at a place where the energy flux in the power grid is known, in the instants in which the source of power comes from the power supply transformer alone.

The mentioned computing device of a control center can therefore calculate the equivalent impedance ZTH with the RMS voltage and RMS current VM1, VM2, IM1, IM2 values and power factor PF1, PF2 values measured by the meter/meters corresponding to times/instants ti and t2 in which there is no additional incoming power in the meter/meters other than the power supplied by the transformer (i.e., ZTH can be calculated with just the values of the instants in which there is no distributed generation in the electrical power distribution line).

In one embodiment, the mentioned RMS voltage, RMS current and power factor values measured by the meter/meters are stored in a memory (or database) of the control center.

The mentioned equivalent impedance ZTH for each of the meters varies according to the grid component provided by the segment having a different distance, types of cable (material, section) and length thereof, and state of the conductor from the transformer to the meter.

If there are different types of junctions, sections and lengths of cable along the path between the transformer and the meter, impedance ZTH will be the sum of the impedance of each grid segment.

If the conductor experiences changes in state over time due to faults, poorly clamped junctions which gradually wear, etc., the impedance value will be affected.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises connecting an electric voltage measuring apparatus to the transformer, or to at least one electrical power distribution line, and said measuring apparatus measuring a first RMS voltage VT1 value at the first time ti and a second RMS voltage VT2 value at the second time t2 of the head-end of the grid (transformer or line). Therefore, in this embodiment the algorithm in c3) also takes into consideration the mentioned voltage VT1 and VT2 values measured by the measuring apparatus, such that the voltage VTH provides a voltage at the first time as a result of implementing the following expression: ZTH * IM1 + (VM1-VT1), and a voltage at said second time as a result of implementing the following expression: ZTH * IM2 + (VM2-VT2), the algorithm implementing the following expression: ZTH = ((VM1-VT1) - (VM2-VT2)) / (IM2-IM1).

Therefore, the proposed method allows calculating the equivalent grid impedance either including just the data measured by a specific meter, or else in a second, more complex version which nonetheless calculates the data beforehand because voltage variation noises from the medium voltage (MV) are removed, which version combines the user/customer meter data and the grid head-end (transformer or line) data to calculate the mentioned impedance.

This calculation system is based on detecting the voltage variations which occur due to measured power/electrical consumption changes caused by different loads connected to the grid at different times and can be measured by the customer's meter with which they are associated. Since the voltage variations caused by these changes are generally very small, it is particularly important for the measured voltage variations to be the consequence of the detected power/electrical consumption change, and not due to other loads connected to/disconnected from the grid. The variations in the load connected to the electric power system in other low voltage lines (LV) of the same transformer, or in the rest of the medium voltage (MV) and even high voltage (HV) grid cause voltage variations which are noticeable at the point where the meter is connected. In fact, most voltage variations existing in the grid in reality are the result of the sum of loads connected throughout the electrical power distribution grid, whether it is HV, MV or LV.

In order to filter out external noises to the greatest extent possible, the invention provides a method in which the mentioned voltage measuring apparatus helps to clean up the noises that make it difficult to calculate grid impedance ZTH.

The proposed method uses real measurements of a smart electric current meter, and also, optionally, of the head-end of the grid (transformer or line), to determine the grid impedance data. Therefore they are real, not calculated, measurements.

The detected grid impedance can serve to: detect the sequence of meters in the grid; calculate technical grid losses, and thereby improve those locations with huge losses or more precisely detect someone stealing; improve the utility company's inventory (some companies calculate the impedance value according to their grid inventory, including lengths of cable, sections, etc.; an inconsistency between this calculation and the value measured with the proposed invention would be indicative of inventory errors); monitor the impedance value over time and prevent faults, as well as locate fault segments in the grid, such as breaking of the neutral conductor; detect poorly clamped cables; calculate grid voltage drops; calculate conductor current saturations; determine the impedance of a connection before the meter to help locate the position thereof along the electrical power distribution line, etc.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood from the following description detailed of the embodiments in reference to the attached drawings, which are to be interpreted in an illustrative and non- limiting manner, in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a typical example of a low-voltage electrical power distribution grid feeding multiple users/customers.

Figures 2A and 2B show a circuit equivalent to a low- voltage grid.

Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method for detecting impedances in an electrical power distribution grid according to a embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for detecting impedances in an electrical power distribution grid according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a low-voltage electrical power distribution grid in which grid impedance is to be measured. The mentioned electrical power distribution grid includes a supply transformer 10 which has one or more electrical power distribution lines 12 associated therewith (this example shows a three-phase line with a neutral conductor). Each distribution line also has an associated node 11 , being able to have more than one, for distributing electrical power to users and several electrical power meters 13.

Figure 2A shows a circuit equivalent to the electrical power distribution grid of Figure 1 which is proposed for implementing the present invention, wherein ZLT is the common grid impedance from a low- voltage line to the mentioned node 11 ; ZLN is the particular impedance of the grid segment going from the node 11 to a given meter 13; and ZCN is the impedance of the load connected downstream of each meter 13.

The objective is to calculate the grid impedance seen from any meter 13. Therefore, the application of Thevenin's theorem is envisaged to simplify the equivalent circuit of Figure 2A (see Figure 2B). By analyzing the impedances of the circuit to calculate ZTH, the condition ZC » ZL is met, i.e., the impedances of the loads connected to the meters 13 are always much higher than the impedances of the grid, as can be expected. Therefore if the impedances are simplified according to Thevenin, the condition ZTH = ZLT + ZLN is met, i.e., the grid impedance seen from any meter 13 is the same as Thevenin's impedance, so any electrical distribution circuit can be simplified into a VTH and a ZTH.

Furthermore, if measurements are taken in the instant in which there is a variation in ZC, i.e., when a load that can be detected by the meter 13 is connected or disconnected, the voltage of the transformer 10 does not change (because the impedance of the transformer 10 is very low), and only the current I, VM and ZC change. That is useful because the grid impedance can thus be calculated with equations where impedance ZC is not present.

Therefore, at two times 1 and 2:

VTH = ZTH * IM1 + VM1

VTH = ZTH * IM2 + VM2

ZTH = (VM1 - VM2) / (IM2 - IM1).

By introducing the complex terms due to the alternating current

VM = VM*cos(a) + VM*sin(a)*j IM = IM*cos(b) + IM*sin(b)*j

wherein: (a) is the angle between VTH and VM, and its value is close to zero, and b is the angle between VTH and IM, and its value is close to a value of the power factor PF at times ti, t2 measured by the meter 13. An equation (which can be simplified) calculating the grid impedance seen from a given meter 13, with measurements of VM, IM and power factor, is thereby obtained.

Now in relation to Figure 3, it shows an embodiment of a method for detecting impedances in the electrical power distribution grid, in which only data measured by any specific meter 13 is used. First the method comprises, in step 301, one of the mentioned meters 13 measuring, at a first time ti in which power consumption caused by loads is detected in the meter 13, a first RMS voltage VMl value, a first RMS current IMl value and a first power factor PF1 value. Then, in step 302, the meter 13 measures, at a second time t2 in which a variation in power consumption caused by loads is detected with respect to said first time ti, a second RMS voltage VM2 value, a second RMS current IM2 value and a second power factor PF2 value. Next, in step 303, a computing device (not illustrated for the sake of simplicity of the drawings), which receives or has access to the RMS voltage and RMS current VMl, VM2, IMl, IM2, and power factor PF1, PF2 data measured by the meter 13 and corresponding to times ti and t2, runs an algorithm that determines a value of the equivalent grid impedance ZTH from the transformer 10 to the meter 13.

The mentioned algorithm takes the following restrictions/conditions into account: the equivalent grid impedance ZTH is similar to the grid impedance calculated according to Thevenin's theorem (as explained above); the line head-end voltage according to Thevenin's theorem VTH remains unchanged at said first and second times ti, t2; the Thevenin voltage VTH provides a voltage at the first time as a result of implementing the following expression: ZTH * IMl + VMl, and a voltage at the second time as a result of implementing the following expression: ZTH * IM2 + VM2; and the RMS voltages VM and RMS currents IM include complex terms due to the alternating current grid, such that the algorithm implements the following expression: ZTH = (VMl - VM2) / (IM2-IM1) for detecting (measuring) the impedance in the electrical power distribution grid.

Moreover, steps 301-303 are repeated for subsequent time intervals, implementing a statistical adjustment procedure of the different ZTH determined values until a ZTH value converges to a given value, being this value the value that is taken as the equivalent grid impedance ZTH.

Now in relation to Figure 4, it shows another embodiment of a method for detecting impedances in the electrical power distribution grid, wherein in this case, in addition to the data measured by a meter 13 the grid head-end data is also taken into account. To that end, an electric voltage measuring apparatus (not illustrated) is connected in the transformer 10 or in one of the electrical power distribution lines (it can be connected to more than one of the lines). Unlike the method above in relation to Figure 3, in this embodiment at the same time the meter 13 measures the RMS voltage and RMS current VM 1 , VM2, IM 1 , IM2, and the power factors PF 1 , PF2 at the mentioned times ti and t2, the mentioned electric voltage measuring apparatus measures, in step 403, a first RMS voltage VTl value at the first time ti and a second RMS voltage VT2 value at the second time t2 of the grid head-end.

Once all the measured data is available, in step 404 the computing device runs an algorithm that determines a value of the equivalent grid impedance ZTH from the transformer 10 to the meter 13. The algorithm in this case also takes into consideration the mentioned voltage VTl and VT2 values measured by the measuring apparatus, such that ZTH = ((VM1-VT1) - (VM2-VT2)) / (IM2-IM1).

The computing device is preferably a device of a control center, for example of the utility company operating the distribution grid, including one or more processors and at least one memory or database, and having a preferably wireless connection with a communication module of the meter 13.

The computing device can calculate the equivalent impedance ZTH with the RMS voltage and RMS current VM1, VM2, IM1, IM2 values and power factor PF1, PF2 values measured by the meter 13 corresponding to times ti and t2 in which there is no additional incoming power in the meter 13 other than the power supplied by the transformer 10.

The proposed method can be implemented in any of the described embodiments in each of the meters 13 of a given electrical power distribution line.

The scope of the invention is defined in the attached claims.