Author_Institution :
Beckwith Electr. Co. Inc., Largo, FL, USA
Abstract :
In the dynamic utility company environment in the United States, the inevitability of deregulation has placed an emphasis on system efficiencies, costs reductions, power quality, and overall profitability. Mergers and acquisitions abound, and due to the climate of the industry as a whole, many utility companies are performing economic evaluations and studies to see where changes can be made to achieve these goals. Very often, volt/VAr management and distribution system automation are becoming hot topics. The focal point for volt/VAr management and control tends to be at the distribution level, and generally contains some sort of automation. At the distribution level, there are several major system components that can affect the management of volts and VArs. These components are: LTC (load tap changing) transformers, LTC line regulators and capacitor bank controls (pole-top and substation step-bank), all of which can lend themselves to automation. In any good evaluation of a volt/VAr management system, all of these components must be considered individually, as well as collectively, to ascertain the most efficient, viable method of control. Substation capacitor banks, both at transmission substations, as well as at distribution substations, handle base load requirements. The discussions are therefore confined to switched pole-top capacitor bank applications and their controls, which are used to offset the varying VAr requirements on a daily basis
Keywords :
capacitor storage; power system control; power transformers; reactive power control; voltage control; United States; autodaptive volt/VAr management system; base load requirements; capacitor bank controls; costs reductions; deregulation; distribution substations; distribution system automation; dynamic utility company environment; economic evaluations; line regulators; load tap changing transformers; pole-top capacitor bank; power quality; profitability; substation capacitor banks; substation step-bank; switched pole-top capacitor bank; system efficiencies; transmission substations; volt/VAr control; volt/VAr management; Automatic control; Capacitors; Corporate acquisitions; Costs; Electrical equipment industry; Power quality; Power system management; Profitability; Reactive power; Substation automation;