Improvement of voltage and dynamic performance of transmission power networks using distributed superconducting magnetic energy storage systems (D-SMES)
Date
2019
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Abstract
Over the past 30 years, a device known as a Distributed Superconducting Magnetic Energy
Storage (D-SMES) has been under development and proposed to solve various grid performance
challenges. A D-SMES is device with a shunt reactive power injection/voltage support with real
power component. The use of a D-SMES is considered as a new option at experimental stages to
solve plenty of transmission, generation, and distribution system problems, including improvement
of voltage and angular stability, increasing power transfer capability, damping oscillation including
smart grid. The purpose of this dissertation was to demonstrate how D-SMES can alleviate
voltage instability in a network. The study gives an overview of the D-SMES applications, its
characteristics and classification. Two case studies, namely; an IEEE network and a real Southern
Africa network are studied with voltage instability under contingency condition. The process
flow is proposed and presented using modal analysis as a tool to identify the optimal location in a
network to mitigate voltage instability. The results of the two case studies demonstrated improvement
in the voltage instability of the respective networks. Modal analysis proved to be an effective
method to identify the optimal location of a SMES to improve voltage stability. The findings of
this dissertation are in line with the literature.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.