Distribution systems analysis employs a set of techniques to simulate, analyse, and optimise power distribution systems. Combined with automation, these techniques underpin the concept of the smart grid. In recent years, distribution systems have been facing growing challenges, due to increasing demand as well as the rising shares of distributed and volatile renewable energy sources.

For this new edition, the chapters of the first edition have been revised and updated, and the topics of distribution system analysis and distribution automation combined. Coverage includes smart grid,...

Large rural areas in some regions of the world are still grappling with the challenge of electrification. The optimal solution is to provide reliable energy without adding more fossil fuel plants by using distributed renewable generation.

Microgrids are part of that solution; they are small networks of electricity users, with a local generator that is attached to a centralized larger grid, but which is also able to function independently. They need to be robust and resilient in order to provide reliable power, including in harsh climates. For remote areas microgrids have the...

With the integration of more distributed or aggregated renewables, and the wide utilization of power electronic devices, modern power systems are facing new stability and security challenges, such as the weakly damped oscillation caused by wind farms connected through long distance transmission lines, the frequency stability problem induced by the reduction of inertia and the voltage stability issue resulting from the interactions between transmission systems and dynamic loads.

Meanwhile, synchronized phasor measurement technology developed very fast in the last decade, and more...

Capacitors are passive electrical components that store energy in an electric field. Applications include electric power conditioning, signal processing, motor starting, and energy storage. The maximum charge a capacitor can hold largely depends on the dielectric material inside. That material is the enabler for the performance. Ongoing development in fields such as high-power electronics, renewable energy, hybrid electric vehicles and electric aircraft, is posing an urgent need for more advanced electrostatic capacitor technology.

This book for researchers in industry and academia...

Polycrystalline thin-film solar cells have reached a levelized cost of energy that is competitive with all other sources of electricity. The technology has significantly improved in recent years, with laboratory cell efficiencies for cadmium telluride (CdTe), perovskites, and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) each exceeding 22 percent. Both CdTe and CIGS solar panels are now produced at the gigawatt scale. However, there are ongoing challenges, including the continued need to improve performance and stability while reducing cost. Advancing polycrystalline solar cell technology...

Power devices are key to modern power systems, performing essential functions such as inverting and changing voltages, buffering, and switching. The increasing complexity of power systems, with distributed renewable generation on the rise, is posing challenges to these devices. In recent years, several new devices have emerged, including wide bandgap devices, each with advantages and weaknesses depending on circumstances and applications.

With a device-centric approach, this book begins by introducing the present challenges in Power Electronics, emphasizing the relevance of this...

The need for a deep decarbonization of the energy sector and the associated opportunities are now increasingly recognized, with fossil fuel projects simultaneously becoming more risky business propositions. With large-scale wind and solar generation now being the cheapest options in many parts of the world, a deeply renewable electricity sector is predestined to become the main driver of this transition. Yet, misconceptions abound. In part, this can be traced back to the complexity of the electricity sector and the processes involved in its transformation, located at the intersection...

Generation of electricity from renewable sources has become a necessity, particularly due to environmental concerns. In order for renewable sources to provide reliable power, their sporadic availability under certain conditions and the lack of control over the resource must be addressed. Different renewable energy sources and storage technologies bring various properties to the table, and power systems must be adapted and constructed to accommodate these. Power electronics and micro-grids play key roles in enabling the use of renewable energy in the evolving smarter grids.

This book,...

Power and telecommunications systems are growing increasingly complex. This increases their vulnerability to lightning-related effects.

Due to the high requirements for the reliability of power and telecommunications systems and the associated sensitive equipment, protection against lightning is of paramount importance. Lightning-induced effects are to be quantified in order to assess the risks and design adequate protection. This can be done with the traditional approach, which is based on the transmission-line theory and an electromagnetic-field-to-conductor coupling model, as well...

Over the last three decades, the search for competitiveness and growth gains has driven the evolution of machine maintenance policies, and the industry has moved from passive maintenance to active maintenance with the aim of improving productivity. Active maintenance requires continuous monitoring of industrial systems in order to increase reliability, availability rates and guarantee the safety of people and property.

This book presents the main advanced signal processing techniques for fault detection and diagnosis in electromechanical systems. It focuses on presenting these...