Smart Grid Architecture for Rural Distribution Networks: Application to a Spanish Pilot Network

Francesc Girbau-Llistuella, Francisco Díaz-González, Andreas Sumper, Ramon Gallart-Fernández and Daniel Heredero-Peris
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Francesc Girbau-Llistuella: Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 647, Pl. 2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Francisco Díaz-González: Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 647, Pl. 2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Andreas Sumper: Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 647, Pl. 2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Ramon Gallart-Fernández: Estabanell Energia, C. del Rec, 28, 08401 Granollers, Spain
Daniel Heredero-Peris: Centre d’Innovació Tecnològica en Convertidors Estàtics i Accionaments (CITCEA-UPC), Departament d’Enginyeria Elèctrica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ETS d’Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 647, Pl. 2, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-35

Abstract: This paper presents a novel architecture for rural distribution grids. This architecture is designed to modernize traditional rural networks into new Smart Grid ones. The architecture tackles innovation actions on both the power plane and the management plane of the system. In the power plane, the architecture focuses on exploiting the synergies between telecommunications and innovative technologies based on power electronics managing low scale electrical storage. In the management plane, a decentralized management system is proposed based on the addition of two new agents assisting the typical Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of distribution system operators. Altogether, the proposed architecture enables operators to use more effectively—in an automated and decentralized way—weak rural distribution systems, increasing the capability to integrate new distributed energy resources. This architecture is being implemented in a real Pilot Network located in Spain, in the frame of the European Smart Rural Grid project. The paper also includes a study case showing one of the potentialities of one of the principal technologies developed in the project and underpinning the realization of the new architecture: the so-called Intelligent Distribution Power Router.

Keywords: intelligent distribution power router; rural distribution networks; smart grid technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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