Automation of Power Distribution

INTRODUCTION   

: Electric power utilities worldwide are increasingly adopting the computer aided monitoring, control and management of electric power distribution system to provide better services to electric consumers. The demand of reduced outage rates (both quality and duration) has led most electric companies to reconfigure their distribution networks from radial to normally opened looped, so once faulted section is isolated , power can be restored to the rest of the network from an alternative sources. This task is economically achieved by introducing distribution automation switches which are remotely controlled from a central control room. In this manner, quality and continuity of service to the customer are vastly improved as is user convenience. Therefore, the focus of electric research and development activities worldwide is to automate the electric power distribution system utilizing recent advancement in the area of Information Technology and data communication system.