Optimal distribution transformer sizing in a harmonic involved load environment via dynamic programming technique

Ehsan Hajipour, Maryam Mohiti, Nima Farzin and Mehdi Vakilian

Energy, 2017, vol. 120, issue C, 92-105

Abstract: Installation of a significant number of distributed generators (DGs), besides the application of non-sinusoidal loads such as; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), in the emerging smart distribution networks and the industrial plants have posed a major challenge to the existing methods of optimal transformer sizing (OTS). The harmonic currents generated in these new environments not only substantially increase the transformer load losses, but also cause abnormal winding temperature rise and hence transformer excessive loss of life. Therefore, the harmonic contents of the loads currents should be accounted in choosing the appropriate size of distribution transformers. To address this concern of utilities, this paper introduces a new method to solve the OTS problem in such environments. It takes into account the effects of harmonics currents on excessive heat generation in a transformer and the transformer insulation loss of life due to these thermal stresses. This paper proposes a new dynamic programming (DP) framework to solve the OTS problem. Although the proposed DP method considers the transformer thermal equations, however, by introducing a novel variable named the depreciation cost, the consecutive stages of the proposed DP network are hold independent. Therefore, the proposed DP method does not require any supplementary heuristic algorithm to solve the OTS problem. In response, the proposed method is very fast and easy to implement. Comprehensive studies are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Keywords: Transformer optimal sizing; Harmonic current; Thermal constraint; Dynamic programming; Transformer loss evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544216319181
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:120:y:2017:i:c:p:92-105

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2016.12.113

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().