Raju Wagle

Raju Wagle disputerer for ph.d.-graden i ingeniørvitenskap og vil offentlig forsvare avhandlingen / Raju Wagle will defend his thesis for the PhD degree in Engineering Science:

“Voltage Control in Smart Distribution Network with High Integration of DERs”.

Avhandlingen er tilgjengelig her / The doctoral thesis is available here.

Auditoriet er åpent for publikum. Disputasen vil også bli strømmet. Opptak av disputasen vil være tilgjengelig i en måned.
The auditorium is open to the public. The defense will be streamed. A recording of the defense will be available for one month.

Prøveforelesningen starter kl. 10:15 / The trial lecture starts at 10:15. Tittel / title:

“Smart Prosumers, Smart Grids: Advancements in Voltage Control for Distributed Energy Resources”.

Disputasen starter kl. 12:15 / The defense starts at 12:15.

Prøveforelesning strømmes her, disputas strømmes her. / The trial lecture will be streamed here, and defense will be streamed here.

Sammendrag av avhandlingen / Summary of the thesis:

The global awareness of carbon neutrality and the growing demand for energy, alongside advancements in control strategies and reduced costs of renewable energy production, have prompted power system operators to incorporate more distributed energy resources (DERs). However, this integration poses technical challenges, such as voltage rise, rapid fluctuations, and difficulties in modeling the distribution network. This thesis examines the impact of increasing integration of DERs on voltage profile of the distribution networks (DN).

A significant concern for distribution system operators (DSOs) is voltage control issues due to high DER integration. Proper voltage control can enhance power quality, increase grid resilience, minimize energy losses, and optimize electrical grid management. Traditional voltage control methods using voltage regulating devices (VRD) face challenges with large-scale DER integration, leading to the need for alternative solutions. The thesis proposes investigating smart converters (SC) as a viable option for voltage regulation in DER-enriched distribution networks.

To address these challenges, the thesis aims to examine the performance of distribution networks with high DER integration, propose an advanced control algorithm, and develop a cyber-physical co-simulation framework to enhance voltage regulation. The research focuses on coordinated active and reactive power control in smart converters to mitigate voltage violations. A data-driven model based on network information from measurement devices is implemented to formulate optimal control problems. Real-time optimal reactive power control is executed through cyber-physical co-simulation on various test distribution networks.

The thesis also introduces a real-time co-simulation framework that combines distribution network power flow simulations with real-time simulators, offering flexibility for simulation, prototyping, and real-time control, protection, and monitoring studies. The results emphasize the importance of optimal control for smart converters in regulating distribution network voltage profiles, minimizing system losses, and providing real-time monitoring and control services.

The research findings aim to assist power system operators, utility companies, researchers, and academics in addressing challenges associated with high DER integration in distribution networks. The proposed methods and insights contribute to real-time monitoring and control applications in smart distribution networks.

Veiledere / Supervisors:

Hovedveileder / Main supervisor: Associate professor Pawan Sharma, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

Medveiledere / Co-supervisors:

• Associate professor Charu Sharma, UiT The Arctic University of Norway,
• Associate professor Mohammad Amin, Department of Electric Power Engineering, NTNU.

Bedømmelseskomité / Evaluation committee:

• Associate professor Nadia Saad Noori, Department of Information and Communication Technology, UiA, Norway, 1st opponent
• Associate professor Amin Hajizadeh, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University, Denmark, 2nd opponent
• Professor Muhammad Shakeel Virk, Department of Industrial Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, leader of the committee.

Prøveforelesning og disputas ledes av prodekan for forskning, Svein-Erik Sveen /

The trial lecture and defense are led by Vice Dean of research, Svein-Erik Sveen.

De som ønsker å opponere ex auditorio kan sende e-post til Svein-Erik Sveen / Opponents ex auditorio should contact Svein-Erik Sveen.