The Shanghai Practice: Improve the Reliability of Urban MV Distribution System with K-station and Its New Network Designs

Abstract

In downtown Shanghai, there are more than 1500 K-stations that compose the backbone of MV (middle voltage) distribution system. As the power service availability in the city center hit the milestone of 99.99% in 2017, electrical researchers and grid managers are targeting higher goals such as fast recovery from n-1-1 contingencies in MV system. Three new network architectures of K-stations are proposed in order to achieve higher reliability. To examine the effects of these proposals, this paper introduces an analysis model simulating urban distribution networks, an innovated reliability evaluation approach that puts special efforts on differentiating performances in response to multiple contingencies, and also a cost-effectiveness analysis approach. With these tools, each proposal’s advantage in reliability and its disadvantage in cost compared to the traditional design have been analyzed, quantified and compared. Based on this research, power grid managers have found a feasible solution to keep on improving their services to electricity customers in Shanghai.