Sensitivity Analysis in Medium Voltage Distribution Systems

This paper presents a sensitivity analysis of radial distribution systems, with a focus on medium voltage distribution systems in Morocco, The proposed analysis can offer an analytical tool able to quantify how the network conductors characteristics and how the variation in active and reactive power loads and distributed generation connected to a medium voltage distribution systems may affect the voltage plan of the network. Obviously, any change in a system input impact the system performance. However, some inputs may have more impacts whereas others inputs may have less or more influence impacts. Voltage plan of radial systems is a function of their conductors' characteristics and connected active/reactive power. The main aim of this paper is to compute a sensitivity coefficient to quantify the impact of active and reactive power on the voltage plan, this type of sensitivity information is useful for estimating the expected voltage changes, and may also be used for choosing the optimal placement of distributed generation, reactive compensation and voltage control actuator. The proposed analysis had been applied to a radial distribution of 16 bus, this application had lead to know how a distributed generation can affect the voltage plan, and how changing its connected point, may lead to increase or decrease its impacts on the network performances. Also a comparison with several conductors characteristics with real underground cable and overhead lines information is presented in this paper, such a comparison had proved that network reinforcement can also be a choice for voltage control and had also lead to know the most impacted in underground and overhead networks by distributed generations integration and the migration from a passive to an active mode.