3.4.1 Sub-urban/rural generic model feeders
The fundamental elements of the distribution systems are voltage level, system neutral grounding, line type and configuration, protection system and feeder au-tomation scheme. Finnish common sub-urban/rural distribution voltage levels are 20 kV, 1 kV, 0.4 kV. Line types to be used are overhead, underground cable and overhead cable lines. Protection system feeder line components are, protection relays, measurement transformers, circuit-breakers, line reclosers and fuses. The utilisation of the advantages of the different components is done in locations of the feeder lines where the benefits are maximized. The optimal location of com-ponents is further determined by the location of normally open points and used sectionalisation scheme.
The aim of designing the generic model feeders is:
– to identify cost-effective distribution system alternatives with higher electricity distribution reliability than the overhead line dis-tribution system
– to compare the economical and electricity distribution reliability indices of the designed solutions using different substation auto-mation and feeder autoauto-mation schemes
Because the properties of the generic model feeders are compared to each other the configuration, i.e. routing and switch locations, of the generic feeders are, as far as possible, made similar. All the designed feeders are radial feeders with normally open points at the end and halfway downstream of the feeder. The refer-ence feeder or the feeder to which all the other generic model feeders will be compared is the overhead line generic feeder, which is the main feeder type used in Finnish rural networks. To demonstrate the influence of underground cabling on the indices a mixed generic feeder is designed (Table 7, mixed 1). When the first half of the feeder is underground cabled also the configuration of the first part of the feeder is changed to open ring to compensate for the long fault location and repair time of the underground cable part. In the second alternative generic feeder (mixed 2) the electricity distribution reliability is further improved by un-derground cabling also the trunk of the rest of the feeder. In Finland coated over-head conductor lines are used because the operation of the line can continue for some time during earth-fault conditions. Thus the fourth alternative generic feeder is a coated overhead conductor feeder with the same configuration as the basic overhead line feeder. The configuration and distribution transformer size of a
sat-ellite distribution system can be similar to a rural overhead line distribution sys-tem and is thus an alternative to underground cable rural distribution syssys-tems without having to change the routing of the network. In the sixth alternative the qualities of the coated overhead conductor are utilised together with the benefits of the 1000 V system in the lateral lines of the generic model feeder.
Table 7. Defined generic model feeders and protection schemes.
Generic distribu-tion system
ID Protection scheme
The protection schemes include feeder protection needed to protect the compo-nents of the feeder from thermal and dynamic damage in different fault situations.
In the next chapter feeder automation schemes are introduced which also use pro-tection elements, e.g. line reclosing, not for propro-tection purposes but to improve the electricity distribution reliability of the feeders. Typical protection component locations in Finnish sub-urban/rural distribution systems are substation reclos-ers/circuit-breakers and fuses to protect distribution transformers (Table 7). From the beginning of this century also line reclosers and circuit-breakers in the 1000 V distribution system have become a standard element in the Finnish distribution system. The satellite distribution system is not widely used in Finland yet but here it is presented as an alternative in underground cabling of Finnish sub-urban/rural distribution systems.
3.4.2 Feeder main data and configuration
Main data of the different generic model feeders are presented in Table 8. The total length of the feeders is 25.7 km and 26.4 km for the mixed (UGC/OHL) feeders while the average length of Finnish rural feeders was 31.6 km in 2003 (EMA 2004). The width of the network also influences the electricity distribution reliability. Typically the total length of the laterals is about equal to the total length of the trunk line in rural network feeders. Because the distribution
substa-tion density and size should correspond to the average sub-urban/rural values also the power density should correspond to typical Finnish values. Actually most of the values of the characteristics given in Table 8 vary in a large scale and it is therefore difficult to choose any value to represent Finnish distribution systems.
Some parameter average values of different Finnish regions are presented in Ta-ble 9. For comparison also the values of the same parameters of sub-urban feeders in the distribution system of Vaasan Sähköverkko Oy, and rural feeders in the Somero region of Fortum Sähköverkko Oy distribution company are presented. In Figures 27–28 the configuration of the generic model feeders is presented.
In the previous six different generic model feeders have been designed. The feed-ers differ regarding line type, underground cabling degree, voltage level, and pro-tection scheme. In the next chapter a checking of the electrical constraints of the generic hybrid feeder models is made.
Table 8. Parameter values of the different generic model feeders.
Parameter First part Second part Total
/mixed feeder value Feeder trunk line length [km]
Feeder line total length [km]
Feeder width Feeder power [MW]
Number of distribution substations Distribution substation density [1/km]
Size of distribution substations [kVA]
Length of lateral lines [km]
5.4/9.3 Table 9. Parameter values of Finnish rural distribution systems (EMA
2007–2010, 2004).
Parameter average value
Finish average/region Company Coast Central Lapp-
1 Vaasan Sähköverkko Oy (Lågland & Kauhaniemi 2008, Nykänen 2009)
2 Fortum Sähkönsiirto Oy (Voutilainen 2007)
Figure 27. Configuration of the overhead line and mixed feeders.
4.4 km
5000 MVA 110/20 kV 16 MVA
8x315 kVA 15x100 kVA
Generic ohl feeder
0 5.4 km 10.4 km
4.4 km
5000 MVA 110/20 kV 16 MVA
8x315 kVA 15x100 kVA
0 5.4 km 10.4 km
Generic ugc_ohl feeder
0
0
4.4 km
5000 MVA 110/20 kV 16 MVA
8x315 kVA 15x100 kVA
0 5.4 km 10.4 km
Generic ugcT_ohl feeder
0
Legend
OHL UGC Line switch Switch disconnector Recloser OHL distribution substation UGC distribution substation NOP
Figure 28. Configuration of the coated overhead conductor feeder, the UGC satellite feeder and the coated overhead conductor feeder trunk line/1000 V system lateral lines feeder.
4.4 km
5000 MVA 110/20 kV 16 MVA
8x315 kVA 15x100 kVA
Generic coc feeder
0 5.4 km 10.4 km
4.4 km
5000 MVA 110/20 kV 16 MVA
8x315 kVA 15x100 kVA
Generic coc_1kV feeder
0 5.4 km 10.4 km
Generic ugc_sat feeder 0
4.4 km
5000 MVA 110/20 kV 16 MVA
8x315 kVA 15x100 kVA
5.4 km 10.4 km
0
0
0
Legend
COC UGC 1 kV Line switch Switch disconnector Recloser OHL distribution substation UGC distribution substation NOP