Single phase load balancing in a three phase system at distribution and unit level

Abstract

A major concern in modern electricity is power quality and reliability of the supplied electricity. With the development of new technologies, the continuous changes in consumption trends, and the presence of unknown sources, the act of load balancing at distribution level becomes more complex and much needed. One of the best methods to achieve balance is finding the optimal reconfiguration. While most literature on the topic focuses on reducing power losses through network reconfiguration at feeder level, the focus of this paper is on consumer load rearrangement at the installation level of the unit itself. These changes are made in order to achieve balance between the phases and guarantee reduction of the electric bill. Furthermore, balancing has an effect on fuel consumption reduction resulting in positive effect on the environment. Automatic balancing is based on a switching technique following certain constraints and equations. This method can be applied on both feeders and the unit level and is guaranteed to give better results when compared to other techniques. The percentage of unbalance dropped below 1 % using phase commitment algorithm reaching 0.329% and 0.0227% for 15 and 150 loads testing systems, respectively. Also, the neutral current and the difference between the phases is minimal compared to other techniques. The study is conducted on real data for different types of distribution loads.