Raising the level of distribution automation and making a good foundation for the development of smart grid

One of the keys to China's development of new energy is grid-connected power generation, and one of the best places for grid-connected power is the smart grid. Although the curtain of building a strong smart grid has been opened, it is not a matter of time to realize the informatization, automation, and interaction of the grid. Smart grid construction involves new energy access technologies, power dispatch, and large-scale resource allocation. In the future, it may include smart facilities such as traffic, buildings, and information systems. This article briefly discusses the current status, trends, market, and automation enterprise layout of distribution automation, which is one of the important foundations for realizing the smart grid.

Smart grid construction is fully rolled out

In order to cope with climate change and ensure energy security, countries in the world are paying increasing attention to the development of clean energy and improving energy efficiency. The world's energy development is showing a new trend of cleanliness, low carbonization, and high efficiency. At present, the smart grid has become a common trend in the development of the world's power grids. Smart grid research, pilot demonstrations, and planning and construction have been fully implemented.

With the growing dependence of various industries on electrical energy, the demand for Power Supply reliability and power quality is increasing. According to Ge Xubo, chief engineer of the State Grid Energy Research Institute, countries all over the world will invariably focus on grid construction and hope to build their own power grids into smart grids that are efficient, clean, safe, reliable, and interactive.

The development of smart grids in China depends on the development of clean energy. Hydropower, wind power, and solar photovoltaic power generation are the key factors for future access to smart grids, optimization of the country’s energy structure, and reduction of pollution emissions.

Jiang Liping, deputy director of the State Grid Energy Research Institute, said that one of the keys to China's development of new energy lies in grid-connected power generation, and one of the best places for grid-connected electricity is the smart grid. The smart grid has indeed received the attention of the government, and related companies have also invested a lot.

Under the leadership of the State Grid, China is vigorously building a strong grid with coordinated development of UHV power grids as backbone grids and grids at all levels, supported by communication and information platforms, and is highly integrated with information, automation, and interactive features. Fusion of modern power grids.

The level of distribution automation needs to be improved

Distribution network automation can realize more intelligent power distribution and further optimize the configuration of power resources. It is an important means to improve the reliability of power supply and the quality of power supply, expand the power supply capacity, and achieve an efficient and economical operation of the distribution network. It is one of the important foundations for the realization of a smart grid. Compared with the transmission grid, the distribution network's flexibility, automation analysis and control level are still insufficient. Advanced distribution automation will become an important part of the smart grid.

From the middle and late 1990s, China launched a pilot project for distribution automation and a large range of engineering implementation. However, due to many technical and management reasons, most of the early-built distribution automation systems did not reach expectations. effect.

Experts pointed out that distribution network automation is in its infancy in China, and the domestic city distribution network feeder automation rate is less than 10%. At present, the proportion of foreign distribution network automation has reached 60%-70%. The domestic market has still just started piloting, and the future market is vast.

It is understood that the distribution network as the last link of the transmission and distribution system, its degree of automation is closely related to the quality and reliability of power supply. With the continuous investment in the transformation of the two networks and the in-depth study of the distribution automation technology, a new round of upsurge in the automation of distribution network is emerging, which will further promote the construction and application of distribution automation in China.

In the field of distribution automation, the most widely used automation products are Siemens 3WN series products, ABB's F series products and domestic CWI series products. The intelligent switch cabinet composed of intelligent circuit breakers and fieldbus technology and the automatic distribution system formed by the host computer have the features of strong functions, complete systems, higher reliability, simple programming, simple control, and open communication protocols. The development, application and promotion of intelligent circuit breakers and their corresponding field bus technologies are the basis for the development of distribution automation in China, and also meet the needs of the development of China's modern distribution industry.

Distribution automation market is vast

In the smart grid investment, distribution network automation will account for about 40%, which is the top priority of smart grid investment. According to the national power grid plan, if China expands the smart grid in a large scale before 2015, it will require the country to vigorously construct the UHV backbone network and start the grid automation market on this basis. By then, there will be a huge space for secondary power equipment, and the transmission grid automation control and integrated dispatch system will become a hot spot in the market.

From the current perspective, the distribution network automation construction has entered a peak period from 2010 to 2011. It is estimated that nearly 10 cities will enter the pilot, and the entire market capacity will be around 10-20 billion. At present, the State Grid has started pilot projects in four cities.

It is reported that the first batch of smart grid pilot cities of the State Grid are Beijing, Hangzhou, Xiamen, and Yinchuan. The first batch of tenders has not yet begun; it is expected that the second batch of State Grid will be piloted in provincial capital cities and separately scheduled cities, and it is expected that there will be About 50 cities are piloted. After the pilot trials in Guangdong and Shenzhen, China Southern Power Grid will further expand the scope of pilot projects and it is expected that pilot projects will be conducted in cities such as Guiyang, Nanning, Haikou and Kunming in 2010.

According to an average of 50 million investment stations for each city, 20,000 collection terminals, and 20,000 yuan for each collection terminal, the total investment for automatic distribution network in each city will be 450 million. Conservative changes will be made in an average of 10 cities per year. It is estimated that the average annual market capacity will be around 4.5 billion yuan. It is expected that the next five years will be the peak period of investment in distribution automation.

Long-term layout of automation giants

As early as 2004, ABB established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Xiamen, Xiamen ABB Transmission & Distribution Automation Equipment Co., Ltd. The company is the regional headquarters of ABB's global distribution automation products business, providing distribution automation products and services for China and its surrounding markets, covering the entire value chain of R&D, design, production, sales and service. Currently has SPACOM100, REF542plus and Relion? Three production lines.

In 2008, Schneider Electric has set up a global research department to focus on the analysis and research work of smart grids, and in China, it has established the chief expert of smart grid, electric vehicle and new energy. At the same time, it actively participated in the National Grid Power Distribution Automation Demonstration Project, and continuously expanded the field of smart power distribution, providing key products and solutions such as intelligent primary power distribution equipment and distribution automation. In 2010, Schneider Electric integrated its expertise and experience in the five major fields of building construction, IT, security, power and industrial processes and equipment for the first time, integrating its high-quality products and solutions into a unified framework for companies. Customers save up to 30% in investment and operating costs.

In early 2010, the world’s three major electrical giants Alstom, Schneider Electric and Areva Communications will jointly acquire Areva’s power transmission and distribution business and participate in the research and development of the “smart grid” concept. Areva's power transmission and distribution business is currently ranked third in the world. After the acquisition, Alstom will take over the transmission business in Areva's transmission and distribution business, and the power distribution business, which accounts for approximately one-third of Areva's transmission and distribution business, will be operated by Schneider Electric.

In September 2010, IBM China Research Institute announced that it will work with the State Grid Power Research Institute to conduct joint research on new energy and smart transmission and distribution. In particular, it promotes the research and practice of key technologies for smart grids. The cooperation will carry out on-line monitoring of intelligent power transmission and transformation status, and construct an end-to-end “smart grid wireless communication and application system platform” to monitor and control the power grid in real time, improve the reliability of the power grid system, and remove spectrum interference by reducing the frequency of failures. Optimising spectrum resources to improve the utilization efficiency of transmission and distribution assets will ultimately ensure the safe, intelligent and efficient operation of the power system.

With the launch of smart grid construction in China, a huge national investment and attractive market will attract more and more companies to participate in it, and the market's competition will become fierce. We believe that only those products with far-sightedness, strong R&D strength, independent brands, and excellent quality can occupy a place in this wave of smart grid construction.