ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGIES AND THEIR INTEGRATION IMPACT ON ACTIVE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Abstract

The increasing sales of Electric Vehicles (EVs) presents both opportunities and significant challenges for active distribution networks (ADN). Challenges include increased peak demand, voltage drop and power quality issues. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how EV integration impacts the distribution network and propose a controlled charging scheme; active management of resources and real-time status is crucial for sustainable EV integration. This dissertation focuses on EV charging strategies and their integration impact on ADN . Furthermore, the dissertation investigates the impact of EVs on the voltage profile, transformers and feeder overloading caused by uncontrolled and controlled charging strategies. The impact assessment of EV integration is carried out based on various factors such as the percentage of EV penetration, different ratings of EV chargers, charging time, different networks (IEEE standard and integration actual network) and different methods of EV modelling. The impact assessment of EVs is investigated through load flow analysis using Power Factory and MATLAB Softwares. The impact of uncontrolled EV charging causes the voltage drop and overloading of transformers and feeders. Moreover, the impact of uncontrolled EV charging can be mitigated by proposing unique reward charging schemes and network reconfiguration. Furthermore, the power distribution networks can integrate renewable sources to mitigate voltage drops and support both active and reactive power demands. In addition, advanced sensors, metering, communication networks, and advanced network management are needed to coordinate different renewable sources. Coordinating active DG sources can support the distribution network in managing voltage rise and drop issues through the Centralized Supervisory Voltage Controller Scheme (CSVC). Lastly, the proposed method to evaluate the hosting capacity for EVs (HCEVs) in the distribution network is carried out for the integration of EVs and proper utilization of grid resources.