ECE 667 - Fall 2013

ECE 667 - Sustainable Distributed Generation

Course Instructor

Professor E.F. El-Saadany
Phone: 519-888-4567 x 33035
email: ehab@uwaterloo.ca
website: www.power.uwaterloo.ca

Summary

Conventionally electricity is generated in large central units that are connected to the high-voltage transmission system. The distribution networks are being used for delivering the electricity to the customers. Most electric distribution systems are designed, protected, and operated on the premise that there is a single source of electric power on each distribution feeder at any given time. Because interconnecting Distributed Resources (DR) (known as Distributed Generation DG) violates this basic assumption, there are special requirements for connecting to utility distribution systems. These technical requirements can be complex, blending traditional distribution engineering practices with added attention to power quality concerns, safety, and installation needs for advanced DR technologies. There are also many economical issues to be addressed due to the interconnection of different types of DG’s. Distributed generation (DG) has the potential to play an important role in a future sustainable energy system. Properly applied distributed generation, installed on a significant scale, can have very positive effects on the environment, energy efficiency, security of supply and price of electricity paid by consumers. However there are still barriers, technical and non-technical, that are limiting the introduction and use of DG.

The main objective of this course is to provide up-to-date knowledge about the technical and economical issues relating to the distribution generation. In addition to an introduction to various generating technologies, a more detailed part will be included discussing various applications of power electronics. The impacts of DG to the distribution system will be presented. The focus will be on electrical issues such as grid connection, protection, control, and power quality. In addition, the economical and regulatory issues will be addressed.

Objectives

  • Review the available standards for distributed generation interconnection.
  • Understand the operation of different power sources; traditional and non-traditional.
  • Modeling and simulation of power distribution systems to investigate different DG interfacing.
  • Understand the impact of DG on distribution system performance, reliability, safety, protection and quality.

Detailed Description

  • Review of DG definition and its interfacing standards.
  • Exploring different types of DG’s, both renewable and non-renewable.
  • Distributed generation applications.
  • Interfacing techniques for different DG’s.
  • Distributed Generation Planning.
  • Distributed generation and power quality; operating conflicts and network interfacing
  • DG effect on distribution protection.
  • DG cost issues

Study Material

  • Lecture notes will be made available on the course web-site for download.
  • Other associated material (transparency copies, research papers, etc.) will also be made available to participants.
  • Participants will also be provided with a reading list for further information on the topics.

Lectures

There will be 12 lecture sessions in the course. Each lecture session will be 3 hours in length, with a short break.

Examination

  • One written examination at the end of the course worth 50% of the marks.
  • Assignments for 10% of the marks.
  • Course Presentation 15%
  • Project Work for 25% of the marks

Course Presentation

  • There will be maximum 5 students per group for the course presentation.
  • A signup sheet will be provided to initiate course presentation groups.
  • A course presentation drop box will be created in order for each group to submit his presentation. The presentation might be posted to the whole class afterward.
  • A peer review discussion forum will be initiated to evaluate the presentation. Each team will evaluate other teams’s presentation and this evaluation will be accessed only by the instructor. Only one post will be allowed by each group, so the whole group has to consult among each other before posting the evaluation.
  • The presentation evaluation should address the following:
    • Presentation quality,
    • The presentation being informative,
    • What is missing?
  • Maximum of one page evaluation is allowed.

Course Project

  • There will be maximum 2 students per group for the course project.
  • Project titles will be posted, however the group might choose any other topic that is related to the course material.
  • A project template will be provided and this should be followed for all submissions.
  • The submission due date of the project is the last day of study which is December 5th 2010.
  • We will be using Turnitin for the project submission. This is a software that will make sure that nothing was explicitly copied from published material. You have the right to decline that in your submission.

References

  1. H. Lee Willis, and Walter G. Scott “Distributed Power Generation: Planning and Evaluation (Power Engineering, 10)”, Marcel Dekker (January, 2000).
  2. Anne-Marie Borbely, and Jan F. Kreider, “Distributed Generation”, CRC Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8493-0074-6
  3. N. Jenkins, R. Allan, P. Crossley, D. Kirschen and G. Strbac, “Embedded Generation”, The Institute of Electrical Engineering, 2000, ISBN 0-85296-774-8

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of modeling of power system elements and analysis techniques. Familiarity with a programming language and/or a simulation package such as EMTDC/PSCAD and MATLAB is desirable.

General Information

You need to obtain 50% on the final exam to pass the course.