A Novel Voltage Optimization Co-Simulation Framework for Electrical Distribution System With High Penetration of Renewables

Modern power distribution networks (DN) incorporate inverter-based renewable distributed energy resources (RDERs). The penetration of RDERs in the DN requires centralized Volt/VAr Optimization (VVO) in distribution management systems, which has become critical for the optimal and stable operation of the network. So, utilities are increasingly adopting closed-loop centralized VVO techniques as an integral part of their distribution network operations to maintain consistent service quality for customers while also achieving operational improvements (i.e., reduced voltage fluctuation and minimized network loss). This article proposes a VVO-based centralized closed-loop voltage management co-simulation methodology that uses a second-order conic programming (SOCP) based optimization (OPF) model and a real-time Opal-RT simulator. The proposed methodology is analyzed in Opal-RT with an IEEE 123-bus distribution test case for balanced (single-phase equivalent) and unbalanced (multi-phase equivalent) cases. The impact of RDERs on the grid is analyzed using real PV profiles from different weather conditions. The analysis shows a significant improvement in the network voltage profile for the test cases with the proposed model.