A non-communication methodology for distributed network topology recognition

© 2017 IEEE. With the rise of smart grids in distribution level, the new service of automatic network reconfiguration is established. Consequently, the power system topology may experience multiple changes during any day of operation. However, many services and applications require for reliable operation knowledge about the actual topology state which is provided by network control center. Even in case of communication disturbance, the reliable operation of crucial services such as protection must be upheld. This works presents a novel non-communication methodology that allows distributed devices within the power system to recognize the network topology with local measurements only. Thereby, a sine wave pulse is injected and the energy equivalent of its reflection pattern analyzed. As proof of concept a laboratory setup provides experimental data. The performance of the proposed topology recognition scheme is evaluated for the IEEE 34 node test distribution feeder in simulation.