Study on reducing the AT&C losses of Indian Public Power systems using Smart Grid Infrastructure

Aim: AT&C losses represent the combined percentage of technical losses and commercial losses in the power distribution process. India has historically faced significant AT&C losses in its power distribution systems, impacting the financial health of distribution companies, hindering investments in infrastructure, and leading to suboptimal utilization of generated power. The aim of this milestone is to review all the challenges related to power distribution systems in India, that cause significant AT&C losses.

Method: This milestone will encompass the literature review method. Review 25-30 recent studies (published no earlier than 2015) about the factors causing challenges in India’s power distribution systems and how they cause AT&C losses.

Structure: To achieve this milestone, write a 1000 words article in the below format.

• Introduction to AT&C losses
• Background of AT&C losses in India
• Regulatory framework governing the power sector in India
• Role of infrastructure challenges in AT&C losses
• Role of operational inefficiencies in AT&C losses
• Role of technological resistance, including smart grid infrastructure integration in AT&C losses
• Case study (any 1)
• Conclusion- the impact of AT&C losses for India’s power sector
• References

Aim: Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses represent the financial losses faced by the power sector of a country. They determine the financial sustainability, need for infrastructure upgradation, and power distribution efficiency. It is therefore important to minimize the AT&C losses. The aim of this milestone is to review secondary literature to determine the factors responsible for AT&C losses in the power sector.

Method: This milestone will encompass the literature review method. Review 25-30 recent studies (published no earlier than 2015) about the factors causing AT&C losses in any country’s power sector.

Structure: To achieve this milestone, write a 1000 words article in the below format.

• Introduction to the importance of minimizing AT&C losses in the power sector
• Factors causing AT&C losses
  • Technical factors
  • Non-technical factors
• Importance of reviewing these factors to minimize AT&C losses
• Conclusion
• References

Aim: Studying Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses of a country’s power sector is important as it determines its efficiency and financial stability. There are different monitoring systems used for calculating AT&C losses. They can be broadly classified on the basis of hardware, technologies, and methodologies. The article aims to explore the technologies, methodologies, and systems utilized by Indian utilities to monitor power losses, causing AT&C losses.

Method: Systematic review of past literature, i.e. research papers on power loss monitoring systems used in India. Review only those studies which contain some form of empirical analysis (i.e., primary data analysis) and were published in A category journals after 2016. Use PRISMA diagram to explain your studies selection criteria. Review at least 15 studies. The findings of these studies must be presented in the form of a table with the following columns:

• Author (year)
• Aim of the study
• Methodology
• Factors causing body image issues
• Limitations of the study

Structure: to achieve this milestone, write an article in the below structure.

• Introduction to significance of studying power loss monitoring systems in determining AT&C losses
• Methodology: Introduce your chosen methodology, i.e., systematic review of literature. Explain the element you will focus on, i.e., power loss monitoring systems used in India. Also briefly state the importance of choosing this method. The contents of this section will be:
  • Studies selection process: Clearly articulate the criteria used for selecting studies such as keywords used, and sources or libraries used.
  • Inclusion and exclusion criteria: explain the criteria employed to include or exclude studies, like year of publication, language, format, publication credibility, etc.
  • PRISMA diagram: Present the PRISMA diagram to visually depict the systematic review process and highlight the number of studies at each stage.
• Analysis: This is the main section presenting the systematic review. It will contain:
  • Hardware based systems (such as energy meters, sensors, and other monitoring equipment.)
    • Systematic review table (containing at least 6 studies)
    • Discussion paragraph
  • Smart grid technologies (such as smart meters, sensors, and communication networks)
    • Systematic review table (containing at least 6 studies)
    • Discussion paragraph
  • Technologies and methodologies (such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Data Analytics)
    • Systematic review table (containing at least 10 studies)
    • Discussion paragraph
  • Conclusion: summarize the key findings from the review.
  • References/ bibliography

Note 1: since this article is technical in nature, it is mandatory to have knowledge and experience of systematic reviews.

Note 2: Submit the soft copy (pdf) of all the studies used in the systematic review along with the Word document of the article.

 

Note 1: This milestone is in continuation of the previous milestone, i.e. ‘Power loss monitoring systems used in India for determining AT&C losses’. Therefore you cannot proceed with this milestone unless the previous one is completed.

Note 2: since this article is technical in nature, it is mandatory to have knowledge and experience of critical review method of writing.

Aim: In the previous milestone, i.e. ‘Power loss monitoring systems used in India for determining AT&C losses’, we reviewed the different power loss monitoring systems used in India’s power sector. However, a key problem of the sector is that it faces significant AT&C losses every year, and inefficient power loss monitoring systems are partly to blame. Therefore, the aim of this milestone is to critically review these monitoring systems used in India in order to justify their shortcomings.

Method:  Use the critical review method. Critical review does not only mean negative criticism. Your critique must be sufficiently substantiated and supported with facts. For example, if you think that a particular recommendation does not work then give proof with figures and references to justify your point.

In case of this milestone, select 15 journals which have explored the problems with India’s power loss monitoring systems and how they contribute to the significant AT&C losses the country faces every year. Perform an in-depth critical review of the articles. Emphasis should be laid on relative merits and demerits of these strategies. Furthermore, only those articles to be included which are dated 2018 and post that. Examples of some articles are here, here, here.

Structure: To achieve this milestone write a 1000 words article in the following format:

• Introduction- Introduction to the findings of the previous milestone (power loss monitoring methods used in India) and the aim of this milestone
• Critical review of positive aspects of power loss monitoring systems used in India
  • Integration of smart grid technologies
  • Advanced metering infrastructure
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Enhanced efficiency and reliability of power distribution networks
  • Enhanced accuracy in billing
  • Improved real-time decision making and system optimisation
• Critical review of shortcomings/ challenges of power loss monitoring systems used in India
  • Technological challenges (costs, lack of training, etc)
  • Resistance to change
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data management related challenges
• Gaps in India’s power loss monitoring systems as compared to rest of the world
• Conclusion
• References

Note 1: This is the first milestone of Goal 2. It is in continuation of the previous milestone ‘Critical review of power distribution monitoring systems used in India for containing AT&C losses’. Therefore you cannot proceed with this milestone unless all the milestones in the previous goal have been completed.

Note 2: This milestone is technical in nature. It is mandatory to have knowledge and experience of Simulink and MATLAB applications for this milestone.

Note 3: You need to have Simulink and MATLAB applications on your system for this milestone.

Note 4: You will have to mine the required data to perform this milestone.

Aim: in the previous goal we studied why the AT&T losses in India are so high as compared to other countries. We also critically reviewed the challenges faced in implementing power distribution monitoring systems which play a critical role in minimizing AT&T losses. Finally, we reviewed the different power distribution monitoring systems which are implemented in India. The purpose of this milestone is to perform a simulation experiment on the top 3 systems and evaluate the best performing one, which can minimize the AT&T losses.

 

Method: This experimental study will have several steps. Follow the below methodology.

• Method selection- Study the top 3 monitoring methods. They are likely to be AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), Distribution Management systems (DMS) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) but verify it from the findings of the previous goal’s milestones to be sure.
• Model development- Utilize Simulink to develop simulation models that utilize each of the selected monitoring methods in the Indian Smart Grid. In this step, it is necessary to define system components (like sensors, communication network, distribution system components and data analytics if applicable), parameters (device parameters, distribution system parameters, communication parameters, and data analytics parameters if applicable), and relationships (like Connection between Monitoring Devices and Distribution System, communication relationships like sensors and fault detection systems) within the Simulink environment.
• Establish the simulation setup in Simulink considering time span for simulations, initial conditions and system states, and inputs representing various scenarios (e.g., technical losses, power theft, load variations).
• Scenario Design: Develop different scenarios to test the performance of each monitoring method, such as variations in technical losses, power theft occurrences, and different load profiles.
• Data Generation: Use Simulink to generate synthetic datasets that mimic real-world conditions. Ensure the datasets are representative of the challenges faced by the Indian power distribution system. Use open source databases like Kaggle to obtain the datasets and if needed, collaborate with the electricity department to obtain real time data distribution system.
• Integration with MATLAB Analytics for data analysis within Simulink. This can include applying machine learning algorithms, statistical analysis, or any other relevant analytical techniques.
• Define Performance Metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of each monitoring method. Like accuracy in identifying losses, response time, and scalability.
• Simulation Execution: Run simulations for each monitoring method under different scenarios. Monitor and record simulation results, including system states, responses, and any anomalies detected.
• Data Analysis: Use MATLAB to analyze simulation results. Evaluate the performance of each monitoring method against predefined metrics. Compare and contrast the results to identify strengths and weaknesses of each method.
• Sensitivity Analysis: Conduct sensitivity analysis to assess how changes in parameters and conditions affect the performance of the monitoring methods.
• Validation against Real-World Data (if available): If real-world data is available, validate the simulation results against this data to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the simulation models.
• Security: If real time data is used, ensure data security and privacy of the sensitive power grid data.

 

Structure: To achieve this milestone write a 1500 words article in the below structure.

• Introduction to the findings of Goal 1 and overview of top 3 monitoring methods
• Aim of this milestone
• Methodology
  1. Why Simulink using MATLAB for this experiment
  2. What is the goal of the experiment?
  3. What are the steps involved in the experiment? (describe all the steps in the ‘Method’ section above. Do not copy paste. Explain it from your own understanding after you actually conduct the experiment. Some of the steps may change. Include diagrams for visual representation)
  4. Dataset characteristics (variables, volume, frequencies, sources)
  5. Expected outcome of the experiment
• Experiment findings
  1. Findings of method 1 (include screenshots and explain the findings using text)
  2. Findings of method 2 (include screenshots and explain the findings using text)
  3. Findings of method 3 (include screenshots and explain the findings using text)
• Findings of sensitivity analysis
  1. Sensitivity analysis findings of method 1 (include screenshots and explain the findings using text)
  2. Sensitivity analysis findings of method 2 (include screenshots and explain the findings using text)
  3. Sensitivity analysis findings of method 3 (include screenshots and explain the findings using text)
• Conclusion- which method shows most optimal findings and why?

Note: Your submission must include the following:

• MATLAB/ Simulink files
• MS Word containing the article
• Dataset (if created separately)
• Notepad/ MS Word containing links to the source/method of collection of the datasets

Note 1: This milestone is in continuation of the last milestone of Goal 1 i.e., ‘Critical review of power distribution monitoring systems used in India for containing AT&C losses’. Therefore you cannot proceed with this milestone unless all the milestones in the previous goal have been completed.

Note 2: This milestone contains survey analysis. Obtain the dataset as well as the questionnaire from the Module Creator to analyze the survey responses.

Aim: In Goal 1, we reviewed secondary data to understand the types/ methods of power distribution monitoring systems used in India. we also reviewed the challenges faced by power grids in implementing them. The purpose of this milestone is to gain a first-hand understanding of the same points by conducting a survey of on-site staff and/or R&D engineers working on the maintain the distribution systems of at least 4 metropolitan cities in India, and Indian electrical board management teams of the same power grids. This will help us in filling any loopholes that we might missed and learn about any information that isn’t publicly available.

Method: Follow the below process.

• Review the findings of the previous milestones and the questionnaire.
• Obtain the survey findings from the Module Creator.
• Create frequency analysis pie charts to represent the frequencies of questions using MS Excel or SPSS or a similar software.
• Critically explain the findings- why did a certain response receive the maximum frequencies? Connect it to secondary data findings from the previous milestones.

Structure: To achieve this milestone write a 1500 words article in the below format.

1. Introduction to the findings of Goal 1 and the purpose of this milestone
2. Research methodology
   1. Goals of the survey
   2. Research type (primary)
   3. Data type (quantitative, survey method)
   4. Target populations
   5. Sample respondents’ profiles
   6. Questionnaire details
3. Data analysis
   1. Findings of all questions under Section 1 of the questionnaire (include graphs with the statistical distribution of the data and explanations of the findings. Do not repeat what is already being shown in the charts. Connect the findings to secondary research and explain why a certain trend is seen.)
   2. Findings of all questions under Section 2 of the questionnaire (include graphs with the statistical distribution of the data and explanations of the findings. Do not repeat what is already being shown in the charts. Connect the findings to secondary research and explain why a certain trend is seen.)
   3. Findings of all questions under Section 3 of the questionnaire (include graphs with the statistical distribution of the data and explanations of the findings. Do not repeat what is already being shown in the charts. Connect the findings to secondary research and explain why a certain trend is seen.)
   4. Findings of all questions under Section 4 of the questionnaire (include graphs with the statistical distribution of the data and explanations of the findings. Do not repeat what is already being shown in the charts. Connect the findings to secondary research and explain why a certain trend is seen.)
4. Overall findings- tie the findings to our research goal
5. Conclusion
6. References

Note 1: This is the last milestone of the study. It is in continuation of all the previous milestones. Therefore, you cannot proceed with this milestone unless all the milestones in this study have been completed.

Note 2: Since the previous milestones involved technical analysis, it is mandatory to have knowledge and experience of Simulink and MATLAB applications for this milestone.

Aim: In the study so far, we performed secondary data analysis to review the reasons for AT&C losses in India’s power distribution process, challenges in implementing power distribution loss monitoring methods, and comparison of top three power distribution loss monitoring methods using simulation. This is the concluding milestone of the study, where we will tie the findings of secondary and primary studies to the goals of this study.

Method: Review all the previous milestones in this study. Note down the findings from secondary and primary studies. Identify the best of the three methods reviewed and establish your justification for the same- which parameters of the simulation indicate that that method is the best performing one? How does it fare in comparison to the performance from other countries? What can be done to improve the AT&C losses using that method in India?

Structure: To achieve this milestone, write a 1000 words article in the below format.

• Introduction to the findings of previous milestones (‘Survey of user expectations and implementation problems in India’s power distribution monitoring methods’ and ‘Experimental study on the top three monitoring methods used for power distribution monitoring systems used in India’)
• Purpose of this article
• Findings from secondary studies
• Findings from primary studies in comparison to secondary studies
• Which parameters of the simulation indicate that that method is the best performing one?
• How does it fare in comparison to the performance from other countries?
• Suggested framework: What can be done to improve the AT&C losses using that method in India? include a diagram.
• Suggestions for further research
• References