C I R E D 22 nd International Conference on Electricity Distribution Stockholm, 10-13 June 2013 Paper 0831 CIRED2013 Session 1 Paper No 0831 PORTABLE REGULATOR: AN INDUSTRIAL SOLUTION FOR VOLTAGE REGULATION AT LV NETWORKS Ricardo TUFANIUK Donorvan Rodrigo FAGUNDES Marcelo Aparecido PELEGRINI AES-Eletropaulo – Brazil AES-Sul – Brazil SINAPSIS - Brazil ricardo.tufaniuk@aes.com donorvan.fagundes@aes.com marcelo.pelegrini@sinapsisenergia.com Juan Carlos CEBRIAN Daniela Vinci KONDO Francisco da Costa SARAIVA Filho SINAPSIS - Brazil SINAPSIS - Brazil University of São Paulo - Brazil juan.cebrian@sinapsisenergia.com daniela.kondo@sinapsisenergia.com saraiva@fei.edu.br Silvio Xavier DUARTE Tiago Poles de SOUZA University of São Paulo - Brazil University of São Paulo - Brazil xavier@pea.usp.br tiagopoles@pea.usp.br ABSTRACT This article focuses on the developing of a Portable Voltage Regulator for Low Voltage Networks (PVRLVN), for single phase, two phases and three phases networks, which envisages meeting the regulations, given that the time established by the regulatory standards is a factor that limits the planning and the execution of corrective actions. The first PVRLVN was developed inside a Research & Development Project financed by AES Eletropaulo, an energy distribution company with more than 5.8 million customers in the greatest city of Brazil. This PVRLVN, with 30 kVA nominal demand, 115V + 115V, 60 Hz and with the portability to be installed on a pole near customers with voltage problems, was developed, designed and tested in a laboratory and also in a real grid to be a temporary equipment that would adjust the voltage of the grid continuously to the right level until a definitive solution be done by the utility, avoiding penalties. The developed regulators were installed in several different locations in actual network of the AES Eletropaulo and AES Sul, both Brazilian local distribution companies. INTRODUCTION Currently, PRODIST (Procedures for Electric Energy Distribution), standard developed by ANEEL (Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency) [1], reaffirms as a consumer right to request measure of voltage delivered from the utility always any consumer to believe his voltage is not within the legally established limits. PRODIST also defines a periodic program of measurements, which a sample is drawn to calculate voltage indicators. Measurements should have duration of 168 hours and intervals of 10 minutes, totaling 1008 records. Measurements should be made between phases and between phases and neutral. The doctrine of PRODIST about the compliance voltage is based on the comparison between the injury experienced by the customer due to incorrect voltage levels and the cost that the utility faces to reverse these critical voltage levels with improvement works. The PRODIST goal is not to become voltage ideal, but keeps it between a minimum and maximum relative to a reference value. The main challenge of ANEEL, to implement a regulatory approach, is the fact that associated injuries with poor voltage levels affect the client and, therefore, utilities are not motivated to invest in reducing this damage [2]. Thus, PRODIST imposes compensation in the bills of customers when the problems are not repaired in the deadlines set by PRODIST. PRODIST sets limits for voltage steadied levels: "Adequate", "Precarious" and "Critical". These limits are used to define terms and compensation to consumers if the boundaries for adequate services are not reached. According to PRODIST to make the necessary corrections, the utility have a boundary of 30 days after diagnosis of consumer problem to prepare and execute a corrective work. Of course, depending on the corrective work complexity, this period is not enough, resulting in the payment of severance amounts. This paper proposes to use electrical-electronic equipment for automatic voltage regulation in order to consider the voltage problem of consumers and insufficient time to carry out remedial works and to solve both problems. These devices were developed using as a base the prototype presented in [3] - [4], but some changes have been inserted in order to increase their functionality. DEVELOPED EQUIPMENT The developed apparatus are two Portable Voltage Regulators for Low Voltage Networks (PVRLVN), which are designed to operate in low voltage networks. The first is three phases of 30 kVA - 220/380 V and the second is phase-phase 2-wire 10 kVA - 220 V. The main feature of these devices is the portability. They are designed to be fast and effective solutions, but temporary,