Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Halpin, S. Mark

Committee Member

Younan, Nicholas H.

Committee Member

Grzybowski, Stanislaw

Date of Degree

5-8-2004

Original embargo terms

MSU Only Indefinitely

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Campus Access Only

Major

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Abstract

For many years some people have dismissed the idea that small generators placed close to loads could replace large central generation plants. In the near future, this idea will probably hold true. However, many companies today are producing small generators that will have a great impact on the power grid. These generators can be used to improve the overall service to a particular area. Also, these generators can also be used to save an electric utility or end-use customer a significant amount of money. However, there are a lot of concerns in using distributed generation. As a result, there are many different issues that need to be investigated when distributed generation is used. In this thesis, a guidebook is developed for an engineer to use when distributed generation is being considered. By following this guidebook an engineer should be able to investigate proper engineering and economic issues. The engineering issues the engineer should consider are coordination, application of protective devices, voltage control, transformer winding configuration, reduction of losses and islanding. By following this guidebook, the engineer should also consider certain economic issues that include the impact of distributed generation on generation, transmission and distribution companies, the impact of distributed generation on wholesale and retail rates, and the costs associated with installation, operation and maintenance of distributed generation. As an example application, the requirements found in the guidebook are applied to a particular scenario for an existing facility that is served by a distribution company.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/20612

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