ECE Research Publications

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    Prediction of voluntary load reduction based on human behaviors during grid emergencies
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024-11-07) Bataduvaarachchi, Nirasha; Alexander, Demy; Aravinthan, Visvakumar; Devereaux, Abigail; Tamimi, Al
    With the growing adoption of renewable energy resources and the increasing occurrence of high-impact, low-frequency events, maintaining grid reliability has become a significant concern for many countries. Currently, there is no standardized approach for transmission-level emergency load curtailment, as grid emergencies are typically addressed from a distribution system perspective. Consumers' energy conservation efforts, also known as voluntary load reduction, can help mitigate the risk of power outages during grid emergencies. However, the existing curtailment framework does not account for voluntary reductions, leading to unfairness for consumers who proactively reduce power usage to support the grid. This oversight also results in excessive load curtailment. Therefore, predicting voluntary reductions in advance is crucial for effective grid emergency management. This paper proposes a model to predict voluntary load reduction based on collective behaviors of residential consumers. The work is carried out at the transmission level. Micro-level consumer-behaviors are modeled using agent-based modeling with numerical analysis conducted on residential households in Wichita, Kansas. The results quantify voluntary reduction based on selected household attributes and temporal environmental factors, identifying the most crucial attributes that influence significant load reductions. © 2024 IEEE.
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    Social equity based optimal power flow framework to hedge against price events
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024-11-07) Viththarachchige, Sachinth; Alexander, Demy; Rajendran, Sarangan; Aravinthan, Visvakumar
    With the increasing frequency of high impact low probability events, electricity markets are experiencing significant price spikes more often. This paper proposes a novel social equity driven optimal power flow framework to mitigate the adverse effects of price events that lead to such price spikes. The framework integrates social welfare optimization with socioeconomic considerations by including a socioeconomic score that quantifies the energy burden and socioeconomic status of consumers. By incorporating both supply cost and consumer satisfaction, the model aims to achieve a balanced and fair distribution of resources during price events, while considering resource scarcity and possible load curtailment. The proposed framework is tested for convergence on modified versions of the PJM 5-bus system and IEEE 24-bus reliability test system, discussing its potential effectiveness in enhancing social equity and optimizing power flow under system security constraints. Sensitivity analysis further highlights the impact of socioeconomic score on social welfare, providing insights for future improvements. © 2024 IEEE.
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    Diversifying transmission planning of wind-heavy systems by incorporating dynamic line rating
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024-11-07) Rajendrane, Sarangan; Yogarathnam, Amirthagunara; Zhao, Tianqiao; Endo, Satoshi; Visvakumar, Aravinthan; Tamimi, Al; Yokley, Charles R.; Yue, Meng
    Expanding electric transmission capacity for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar is essential for decarbonization efforts and meeting increased load demand. This typically requires significant investments in new transmission lines or upgrades to existing ones. However, enhancing the efficiency of current infrastructure can also be highly beneficial. Recently, the use of Dynamic Line Ratings (DLR) has gained significant attention from utilities. DLR allows operators to use lines at their true capacities by considering weather conditions, which can be much higher than the conservative static line ratings. This paper presents a methodology for identifying and implementing DLR on selected lines to enhance capacity and reduce upgrade costs. Line identification is performed using power flow tracing algorithms, where lines carrying more wind power are chosen as candidates for DLR implementation. A criticality score, which is a function of the average wind power flow in the line and the worst-case loading level, is then defined to prioritize the lines that need DLR implementation. The proposed method is tested on a modified system based on the Western Kansas area, with estimated cost savings evaluated. The criticality of these transmission lines during (n-1) contingencies is also evaluated. Additionally, alternative reinvestment strategies for these savings are explored, which show their potential benefits for system security and reliability. © 2024 IEEE.
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    Mitigating transmission line impacts due to DERs by ancillary services provided by battery energy storage system in a multi-area network
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024-11-07) Alexander, Demy; Rajendran, Sarangan; Bataduvaarachchi, Nirasha; Aravinthan, Visvakumar; Tamimi, Al
    In a multi-area network Distributed Energy Resources(DERs) of one area can significantly impact the transmission line flows of other area. The change in transmission line flows over a longer period will lead to transmission revenue loss for a transmission owner. In this study the feasibility of battery energy storage system providing ancillary service to mitigate the line flow impacts of the non-DER area due to the DERs in a neighboring area is studied. Firstly, the line flow difference of the lines in a non-DER area for the DER and non-DER scenario is captured. The most significant lines of the non-DER area are identified based on the number of hours a line experiences a line flow difference exceeding a predefined threshold. Optimization is conducted to determine the additional battery capacity needed at each DER bus to limit the line flows of the identified significant lines. The results demonstrate that utilizing battery energy storage as ancillary services is an effective strategy for mitigating line flow impacts which in turn reduces the revenue loss for the transmission owner. © 2024 IEEE.
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    Barrier function position-relative search algorithm for output voltage maximization of inverter-based resources
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2024-11-07) Towle, Zachary; Visvakumar, Aravinthan
    The push towards better utilization of renewable energy resources in recent years has incentivized the increased injection of power by Inverter-Based Resources (IBR) in electric grids. While the growing number of grid-following (GFL) inverters helps to stabilize the grid, they do come with complications. One of these complications is seen in the lack of ability for inverters to sufficiently provide support to grid voltage profiles during fault events. Creating a generalized model of inverters to effectively predict their behavior during fault events is made difficult by unknown variable grid parameters. This paper will seek to generalize an optimization approach to inverter positive sequence voltage injection by IBRs to effectively support the grid. This will be accomplished by the implementation of an algorithmic barrier function (BF) relative step search scheme used to find extrema in a discontinuous, nonlinear optimization problem. This approach will be developed using MATLAB. © 2024 IEEE.