Mobile Generation Re-Sync at 11kV and 33kV

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD)

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 June 2015

01 April 2017

22 months

£120,000

Power

Scotland

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD)

Project Contact, Southern Electric Power Distribution plc (SEPD)

Prove that the system is safe to install and remove. Carry out a successful re-synchronising operation on the 11kV and 33kV distribution network Determine the technical and operational viability of the proposed methodology Quantify the savings in CIs and CHLs which could be saved by the use of this technique Determine the commercial viability of applying this methodology across the SHEPD and SEPD license areas.

Due to the desire to improve customer service, SSEPD is increasing our use of temporary mobile generation to allow work to be carried out on the Distribution networks without interrupting supplies to customers. The current state of the art allows a DNO to connect a generator, start it up and supply customers with power from the generator before switching off the section of the electricity network which needs to be made dead and connected to earth to allow essential work to be safely carried out. The temporary generation is connected to the network using a technique called synchronising and takes place across a circuit breaker which is supplied as part of the generation installation. This means that at the start of the work the generators can be synchronised with the main network and a portion of the network can be supplied by generation without interrupting supplies to customers. However, at the end of the work, a short interruption is required to allow reconnection of the isolated network section to the rest of the Distribution network as there is currently no provision for synchronising across the switch which has been used to disconnect the network section. This causes inconvenience to customers and often results in running generation longer than necessary so that the customer interruption is carried out at a pre-arranged time as notified to the customers which will have been set to make due allowance for potential variations in the time taken to carry out the work. This also incurs greater fuel consumption and higher carbon dioxide emissions than are strictly necessary. A mobile, trailer mounted Circuit Breaker (CB) has been developed and trialled in SSEPD under a previous IFI project which has successfully proven the concept but the methodology needs further development to ensure that it is fit for purpose. It is proposed to develop a technical methodology utilising the installation of a 33kV pole mounted CB using live line techniques which can be used at all distribution voltages from 11kV to 33kV on poles with Air Break Switches (ABS. The ASBS can be either underslung or pole top mounted, with either hook stick operation or with a conventional manual handle at ground level. The same CB can be used for both 33kV and 11kV voltages used on SSEPDs Distribution network. The use of a single device gives considerable operational flexibility especially in the more difficult to reach areas of SHEPDs territory in the Highlands and Islands where single circuits are often deployed due to the long circuit lengths and low customer numbers in sparsely populated areas.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

10/09/18