This paper presents a control philosophy for multiterminal DC grids, which are embedded in the main AC grid. DC transmission lines maintain higher power flow at longer distances compared with AC lines. The voltage losses are also much lower. DC power transmission is good option for Russian north. Arctic seashore regions of Russia don't have well developed electrical infrastructure therefore power line lengths are significant there. Considering above it is possible to use DC grids for supply mining enterprises in Arctic regions (offshore drilling platforms for example). Three different control layers are presented in an hierarchical way: local, primary and secondary. This whole control strategy is verified in a scaled three-nodes DC grid. In one of these nodes, a modular multilevel converter (MMC) is implemented (five sub-modules per arm). A novel model-based optimization method to control AC and circulating currents is discussed. In the remaining nodes, three-level voltage source converters (VSC) are installed. For their local controllers, a new variant for classical PI controllers are used, which allow to adapt the values of the PI parameters with respect to the measured variables. Concerning the primary control, droop control technique has been chosen. Regarding secondary level, a new power flow technique is suggested. Unbalance conditions are also verified in order to show the robustness of the whole control strategy.

The paper considers the influence of harmonics on the operating of electrical energy meters in a network with nonlinear loads. It is shown that electronic static meters of active energy are tested in the presence of distortions, and electronic static meters of reactive energy accuracy requirements do not take into account the possible presence of harmonics. It is revealed that the maximum influence on the error in active energy metering is exerted by the number of harmonics taken into account and their amplitude, and the error in reactive energy metering is additionally influenced by the phase angle at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies, which has been confirmed in laboratory conditions. Additionally, experimental studies of the capacitor bank’s influence on reactive energy metering has been carried out in the presence of nonlinear electrical loads. It is shown that when capacitor banks are connected, the error in reactive energy measurement and variation range of the phase shift angle of harmonics significantly increases. The assessment of the computational error of reactive power metering according to various equations were carried out based on the field measurements. If the voltage and current distortion values do not exceed the permissible values, the error can be estimated at, at most, 5–7%.

The article provides an analysis of the existing methods of identifying the consumer’s contribution to voltage distortion at a point of common coupling. The considered methods do not allow correctly and fairly determining the source of harmonic distortions, or they have limited application and difficulties in implementation. The paper proposes new methods for determining the source of high harmonics. The developed methods and techniques are based on the analysis of the grid operation modes with two connected consumers using compensating devices, such as reactive power compensation devices and passive harmonic filters. It is shown that the most promising method is the application of harmonic filters, which allows determining the share of the consumer’s contribution to the voltage distortion. The present research is carried out using a computer simulation of the existing electrical grid, to which consumers with nonlinear electric load are connected. These methods can be implemented to assess the power quality and the shareholding of different consumers connected at the point of common coupling. Furthermore, such methods appear to be feasible, as almost every enterprise currently has such facilities in operation.

В статье рассматриваются вопросы выявления местоположения нелинейной нагрузки в электрических сетях, вносящей основной вклад в искажения несинусоидальности напряжения и тока в распределительной сети промышленного предприятия, включая предприятия горнодобывающей отрасли. Рассмотрены существующие методы определения местоположения источника высших гармонических составляющих в напряжении и токе, выявлены их преимущества и недостатки. К основным недостаткам применяемых методов следует отнести невысокую точность и некорректность их использования на действующих предприятиях. При разработке нового метода перед авторами стояла задача простоты его использования в условиях промышленной эксплуатации электрооборудования и безусловной корректности полученных результатов. Предложенный метод выявления источника высших гармоник основан на варьировании параметров энергосистемы, в частности, изменении сопротивления силовых трансформаторов с учетом коэффициента их трансформации. Показано, что при варьировании коэффициента трансформации при регулировании под нагрузкой изменяется суммарный коэффициент гармонических составляющих напряжения. На основании построенных зависимостей проанализировано изменение производной данной функции при различных вариациях параметров источников высших гармоник и разработан метод, позволяющий определить долевой вклад потребителей в суммарный коэффициент гармонических составляющих напряжения.

Cuba is traditionally considered a country with an underdeveloped industry. The share of the mining and metallurgical industries in the gross industrial production of the republic is small – about 3 % of GDP. The development of deposits and the extraction of nickel ores is an important sector of the economy of the Republic of Cuba, since the largest reserves of nickel and cobalt on the North American continent are located on the territory of the country. The development of the country energy system can serve as a growth factor in this sector of the economy. Due to climatic features and impossibility of integrating new capacities into the energy system through the construction of hydroelectric power plants, solar energy is a promising direction. Determining the feasibility of using solar tracking systems to increase the generation of electricity from solar power plants is one of the main challenges faced by engineers and renewable energy specialists. Currently, there are no solar tracking systems in Cuba that can provide information to assess the effectiveness of this technology in the country. The lack of the necessary technologies, as well as the high cost of developing solar power plants with tracking systems, limit the widespread introduction of such complexes. Hence follows the task of creating an inexpensive experimental model that allows assessing the effectiveness of tracking systems in specific weather conditions of the Republic of Cuba. This model will allow in future to increase the efficiency of electrical complexes with solar power plants, which provide power supply to the objects of the mineral resource complex and other regions.

The power supply system is affected by external disturbances, so it should be stable and operate normally in compliance with power quality standards. The power supply system goes into abnormal modes operation when, after a short-term failure or disturbance, it does not restore normal mode. The electrical complex, which includes a wind power plant, as well as a battery and a diesel generator connected in parallel, is able to provide reliable power supply to consumers which meets the power quality indicators. The article develops an algorithm that is implemented by an automatic control system to select the operating mode depending on climatic factors (wind) and the forecast of energy consumption for the day ahead. Forecast data is selected based on the choice of the methods, which will have the smallest forecast error. It is concluded that if the energy consumption forecast data is added to the automatic control system, then it will be possible to increase the efficiency of the power supply complex. In the developed algorithm the verification of normal and abnormal modes of operation is considered based on the stability theory. The criteria for assessing the normal mode of operation are identified, as well as the indicators of the object’s load schedules for assessing the load of power supply sources and the quality standards for power supply to consumers for ranking the load by priority under critical operating conditions and restoring normal operation are considered.