Reduction of Impact from Voltage Sags During Faults in Distribution System by Installing Neutral Grounding Resistor

Abstract

This research focuses on a small power producer operating a cogeneration power plant that utilizes natural gas as fuel to generate electricity. The plant, with a capacity of 90 MW, supplies both electricity and steam to industrial customers within a designated industrial zone. Power is delivered to four feeder industrial customers and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) at voltage levels of 115 kV and 22 kV. The five customers connected to Feeder 4 at 22 kV experienced voltage sags caused by short circuits in the distribution system. These sags had a significant impact on their production processes, as the machinery in their factories is interdependent and requires high-quality power to function properly. Certain machines, being highly sensitive to voltage fluctuations, stop operating if the voltage drops outside their acceptable range. This disrupts the production process, as the halted machinery must undergo recovery and restart procedures, which are time-consuming. Consequently, this downtime leads to delays and lost revenue opportunities for the affected customers. This issue is a significant concern for factories in industrial estates. Therefore, to address this problem, this research focuses on studying methods to mitigate the impact of voltage sags by installing a Neutral Grounding Resistor (NGR). The study simulates the distribution system during a single line to ground fault. This research examines the effects of voltage sags to inform the design of NGR installations, including investment and cost-effectiveness for resistances of 0, 6, 13, 19 and 26 ohms. Simultaneously, the study also investigates the potential for voltage swell in the distribution system due to the installation of the NGR. The study is conducted using MATLAB Simulink simulations. The findings suggest that installing an NGR with a resistance of 13 ohms is the optimal choice, offering optimal voltage sag, voltage swell, and fault current performance. The budget for the NGR installation by a contractor is approximately 1,000,000 THB, while the total cost for replacing the surge arresters in the system would be 135,000 THB.