Implementing self-healing distribution systems via fault location, isolation and service restoration

BC Hydro and Powertech have developed a real-world outdoor integration and interoperability test yard for distributed automation technologies at Powertech Labs referred to as the Smart Utility Test Center (SUTC). The SUTC contains live 25kV power distribution equipment, telecommunications, data collection and management systems interconnected with a commercial Distribution Management System (DMS). FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration) is a Distribution Management System feature to support implementation of self-healing power distribution systems. This presentation will provide an overview of the FLISR as well as the practical aspects of modeling power system networks to support FLISR functions. This paper also discusses how the DMS power system models and FLISR applications are optimized in the SUTC environment to improve the accuracy and performance of self-healing configurations. A sample case study of improvement in SAFI and SAIDI is presented based on an outage simulation with and without self-healing.