Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Publication Date

Fall 11-15-2017

Abstract

Driven by the need to reduce harmful emissions and the desire to move away from our dependency on fossil fuels, we have seen a sharp increase in alternative energy research and development within the last decade. Amongst the many alternative energy sources, photovoltaics (PV) is becoming more commonplace in the power utility system.

With these new sources of renewable energy being widely adopted, there are causes for concern that power utility companies must address. One of the more present issues that have been noted is the reliability of the power being delivered; in particular with PV systems. Studies have shown sharp changes in the power output of PV systems during cloudy and partially cloudy weather. With larger PV sites, this can lead to power quality issues, making solar less reliable for dispatch. To increase both power quality and reliability, various storage systems, such as batteries, are used in conjunction with PV systems. This has led researchers and utilities to see how these storage systems can aid in other reliability concerns.

The study outlined in this document is concerned with the siting and commissioning of a 1MW/1MWh battery storage system connected to a distribution feeder. While PV shifting and smoothing with storage systems has been modeled, this study will focus on voltage regulation, which has not been a focus for storage units. To assist with this study OpenDSS, an open source electric power distribution system simulator was utilized.

Keywords

Energy storage, distribution, voltage regulation, OpenDSS

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Electrical Engineering

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Jane Lehr

Second Committee Member

Dr. Olga Lavrova

Third Committee Member

Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou

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