Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources
To cope with the increasing energy demand, power systems, especially distribution networks, face many challenges. Recently, these networks have become complex and large, and their stability and reliability are not easy to be handled. The integration of renewable energy resources and at the same time...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-10-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/20/7648 |
| _version_ | 1797473586017992704 |
|---|---|
| author | Adel A. Abou El-Ela Ragab A. El-Sehiemy Abdullah M. Shaheen Aya R. Ellien |
| author_facet | Adel A. Abou El-Ela Ragab A. El-Sehiemy Abdullah M. Shaheen Aya R. Ellien |
| author_sort | Adel A. Abou El-Ela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To cope with the increasing energy demand, power systems, especially distribution networks, face many challenges. Recently, these networks have become complex and large, and their stability and reliability are not easy to be handled. The integration of renewable energy resources and at the same time limiting their accompanied high fault currents is one of the approvable suggestions. Many solutions have appeared to restrict the fault currents, but fault current limiters (FCLs) arise as an efficient and promising solution to whether to interrupt or limit the fault currents to allowable limits. This paper presents a literature review of the integration of renewable energy resources as distributed generation units (DGs) and FCLs in distribution networks. The DGs can be categorized based on their size and ability to deliver active or reactive power in addition to their fuel. All of solar, wind, water, biomass, geothermal, and fuel cell are utilized as the main engine for these units. Additionally, a survey about FCLs is provided, including their diverse types and applications in either medium- or low-voltage networks. FCLs are divided into reactor, pyrotechnic, non-superconducting (solid state), and the last-developed ones, superconducting FCLs. In addition, the implemented optimization techniques are summarized to correctly employ both FCLs and DGs. These techniques vary between classical and modern, whereas more methods are developed to suit the renewable energy intermittence and uncertainty and the power system operators’ aspirations. Moreover, in this paper, the optimal allocation of diverse types of DGs correlated with FCLs is presented and applied to the real Egyptian distribution network of the East Delta Network (EDN). The results show the avails obtained where the power losses are significantly reduced, with respect to the total load, from 3.59% in the initial case to 0.296%. In addition, the fault current returns to its initial value, removing the percentage of increase of 20.93%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:17:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c6dcf9233d14bff98bffaae38ff4457 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:17:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c6dcf9233d14bff98bffaae38ff44572023-11-23T23:58:19ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-10-011520764810.3390/en15207648Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy ResourcesAdel A. Abou El-Ela0Ragab A. El-Sehiemy1Abdullah M. Shaheen2Aya R. Ellien3Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom 33516, EgyptDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, EgyptDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Suez University, Suez 43533, EgyptElectrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom 33516, EgyptTo cope with the increasing energy demand, power systems, especially distribution networks, face many challenges. Recently, these networks have become complex and large, and their stability and reliability are not easy to be handled. The integration of renewable energy resources and at the same time limiting their accompanied high fault currents is one of the approvable suggestions. Many solutions have appeared to restrict the fault currents, but fault current limiters (FCLs) arise as an efficient and promising solution to whether to interrupt or limit the fault currents to allowable limits. This paper presents a literature review of the integration of renewable energy resources as distributed generation units (DGs) and FCLs in distribution networks. The DGs can be categorized based on their size and ability to deliver active or reactive power in addition to their fuel. All of solar, wind, water, biomass, geothermal, and fuel cell are utilized as the main engine for these units. Additionally, a survey about FCLs is provided, including their diverse types and applications in either medium- or low-voltage networks. FCLs are divided into reactor, pyrotechnic, non-superconducting (solid state), and the last-developed ones, superconducting FCLs. In addition, the implemented optimization techniques are summarized to correctly employ both FCLs and DGs. These techniques vary between classical and modern, whereas more methods are developed to suit the renewable energy intermittence and uncertainty and the power system operators’ aspirations. Moreover, in this paper, the optimal allocation of diverse types of DGs correlated with FCLs is presented and applied to the real Egyptian distribution network of the East Delta Network (EDN). The results show the avails obtained where the power losses are significantly reduced, with respect to the total load, from 3.59% in the initial case to 0.296%. In addition, the fault current returns to its initial value, removing the percentage of increase of 20.93%.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/20/7648distributed generationsolar energywind energysuperconducting material fault current limitersnon-superconducting fault current limiters |
| spellingShingle | Adel A. Abou El-Ela Ragab A. El-Sehiemy Abdullah M. Shaheen Aya R. Ellien Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources Energies distributed generation solar energy wind energy superconducting material fault current limiters non-superconducting fault current limiters |
| title | Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources |
| title_full | Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources |
| title_fullStr | Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources |
| title_full_unstemmed | Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources |
| title_short | Review on Active Distribution Networks with Fault Current Limiters and Renewable Energy Resources |
| title_sort | review on active distribution networks with fault current limiters and renewable energy resources |
| topic | distributed generation solar energy wind energy superconducting material fault current limiters non-superconducting fault current limiters |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/20/7648 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adelaabouelela reviewonactivedistributionnetworkswithfaultcurrentlimitersandrenewableenergyresources AT ragabaelsehiemy reviewonactivedistributionnetworkswithfaultcurrentlimitersandrenewableenergyresources AT abdullahmshaheen reviewonactivedistributionnetworkswithfaultcurrentlimitersandrenewableenergyresources AT ayarellien reviewonactivedistributionnetworkswithfaultcurrentlimitersandrenewableenergyresources |