SOPs annd PECs in distribution networks - control interactions and operational logic

技术和研究挑战描述：配电网的电力电子转换器（PEC）的不同概念已经在英国的示范项目中提出和测试。值得注意的是，软开点（SOP）转换器和不同形式的故障限流器装置已被证明有助于缓解分布式发电和电动汽车充电器增长带来的网络约束。尽管如此，试验也表明，这些设备中的控制器还没有为大规模部署做好准备：由于各种情况和通信链路故障导致的虚假跳闸迫使技术人员频繁访问设备以确定问题并重新武装设备。此外，还不清楚具有电压调节或线路平衡作用的相邻设备如何一起发挥作用（例如，如果两个设备应用相反的纠正措施，是否会发生某种形式的再循环？）。博士项目的新颖性和目标：与其展示这些转换器的好处，这是该领域先前研究的重点，该项目将侧重于电力电子转换器作为配电网的sop和其他类型的电力电子转换器的操作逻辑。该项目将研究可用于SOP的机制，以识别故障（即网络故障和硬件故障）并采取相应措施；它还将考虑这些转换器在网络保护设置中的影响，以识别潜在的不兼容，并提出一个建议，当发生短路时，这些转换器应该做什么。

Description of Technical and Research Challenge:Different concepts of power electronic converters (PEC) for distribution networks have been proposed and tested in demonstration projects in the UK. Notably, the soft open point (SOP) converter and different forms of fault current limiter devices have been shown to help mitigating network constraints arising from the growth of distributed generation and EV chargers. Still, trials have also shown that the controllers in these devices are not ready for a large scale deployment: spurious tripping due to myriad of circumstances and faulty communication links forces technicians to visit the installation frequently to identify the problem and rearm the device. Further, it is unclear how neighbouring devices with voltage regulation or line-balancing roles would play together (e.g. would some form of recirculation occur if two devices applied opposing corrective actions?).Novelty and Objectives of PhD Project:Rather than demonstrating the benefits of these converters, which has been the focus of prior research in this area, this project would focus on the operational logic of power electronic converters acting as SOPs and other types of power electronic converters for distribution networks. The project will look at the mechanisms that can be put in place for the SOP to identify faults (ie both network faults and hardware faults) and act accordingly; it will also consider the effect of these converters in the protection settings of the network to identify potential incompatibilities and come up with a proposal for what these converters should do when short-circuits happen.