Routing power flows in distribution networks using locally controlled power electronics

The power grid has gradually changed its operation during the recent decades. These developments have encouraged a shift from centralized to decentralized power flow control. A research has been carried out to investigate the possibilities to control power flows using the Smart Power Router (SPR) in distribution networks, where a large share of distributed generation (DG) is present. In this paper, the possible applications of the SPR have been explored in a laboratory test network. In particular, the SPR's control capabilities for both active and reactive power flows were enhanced to improve the system performance. An overview of the control of the SPR is presented. The effect of the power flow management with reconfigurations in the distribution network is considered. Furthermore, the possibilities for decoupled control of the active and the reactive power flow are elaborated.