LINE LOSS REDUCTION METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTION FEEDERS

What are the actions taken in reducing line loss in distribution system?

The key in minimizing the over-all line loss in any distribution system is through current reduction. In computing for the line loss of a distribution feeder we basically use the I^2R formula. The function of current in this formula is in the exponential form. Because of this , a small change in current would be exponentially felt in the power loss of the feeder. Any effort to reduce the line current is also an effort in loss reduction.

With this in mind, current therefore is the most influential electrical parameter in the field of distribution line loss study. The following are some of the known current reduction method that are being used in electric utilities today who aims to bring down their system’s loss to an acceptable level.

1. Voltage Conversion – cannot be immediately done due to economical considerations that must be satisfied first before this action can be taken. Considerations like whether the cost of replacing affected electric equipments can be justified by the loss savings obtained.

2. Line Voltage Improvement through Regulators – improving the line voltage through the use of automatic voltage regulators could significantly correct the line current that will be felt in the distribution line loss.

3. Distribution line conductors upgrade – Line conductor’s resistance affects the line current that passes through the wires. Upgrading lines from existing wire size to higher would also means reducing of line resistance which will also reduce the line current.

4. Power factor correction through capacitor banks – since utilities can not control the type of load that connects to its network, power factor correction in normally lagging types of loads can contribute a lot in minimizing the line current.  In addition, capacitor installation can also correct the line voltage which will also bring current to a lesser value.

5. Phase load balancing – unbalanced phase loading tends to create higher line loss in certain phases that have the higher unbalanced current unlike in a balanced load system.

6. Single-phase to Three-phase conversion – also, a current related triggered action for distribution line loss reduction. A line current of XX amps in a single-phase system will be equivalent to a line current XX/3 amps in a three-phase system thus, a significant loss reduction can be achieved using the I^2R formula.

7. Switching optimization for interconnected feeders – interconnected feeders can equally divide the load to each of these feeders that will also be able to maximize the current that the lines will carry.

Although this methods are different from each other, their purpose is all to bring down the amount of current that passes through the lines which will consequently reduce the power loss produced. Utilities use combinations of these methods in order to exploit all the possible scenarios available and applicable which will reduce losses in the distribution feeder lines.