A Novel Electric Power Line Modeling Approach: Coupling of Dynamic Line Ratings with Temperature-Dependent Line Model Structures

With the ever-increasing demand for electric power, in conjunction with the significant push for and subsequent increase in renewable and distributed generation connected to the existing network, transmission and distribution lines are now operating beyond their nominal ratings. This makes the electric power grid increasingly vulnerable to service interruptions and blackouts. Given practical limitations posed on infrastructure upgrading (mainly economical and regulatory), the optimized use of the existing assets is of paramount importance. It is then essential to accurately determine network operating conditions, allowing for optimized planning and operation of the system. By increasing the level of detail in the electric power line models, and removing select historical modeling assumptions, this project aims at developing models that take into account available information including ambient conditions, to result in more accurate determination of the network operating conditions. The proposed work will enrich the power and energy systems field by introducing innovative ways to represent electric power lines, which will impact not only utilities and dispatchers, but also consumers. One of the critical expected outcomes of this project is the more accurate determination of line power handling capabilities, which results in optimized use of existing transmission and distribution assets, allowing for more reliable, efficient and cost-effective delivery of electricity.

This project plans to investigate and formulate the coupling of temperature-dependent transmission line models that are able to account for longitudinal non-uniformities in line parameters, with dynamic line rating techniques, leading to a novel methodology to estimate transmission network parameter and model structure of an electric power system. This would result in increased accuracy in estimates of network loading capabilities and system voltage stability indices. The integrated approach comprises: (i) a new network modeling technique involving temperature-dependent line model structures, (ii) a practical system application tool that utilizes the adaptive line models and dynamic line ratings to better estimate transfer capability limits (both off-line and on-line), and (iii) a performance evaluation and assessment plan. These research activities will provide a framework to study electric power systems by incorporating environmental conditions as new degrees of freedom in the line models. The focus will be on adaptive determination of transmission network models and of system transfer capability limits. Specifically, the main research goals are to: (i) analytically investigate ambient condition-dependent power line models, including longitudinal non-uniformity in line parameters due to gradients in external conditions, (ii) develop effective system applications tools, with special attention to the estimation of line power handling capabilities, and (iii) under the guidance of industry collaborators, validate and evaluate the performance of resulting system models and application tools in a laboratory setting as well as against field measurement data.