Title:  Improving Energy Efficiency and Productivity in Industrial Plants using Dynamic Voltage Management

Committee:

Dr. Deepak Divan, ECE, Chair , Advisor

Dr. Thomas Habetler, ECE

Dr. Maryam Saeedifard, ECE

Dr. Benjamin Klein, ECE

Dr. Marilyn Brown, PUBP

Abstract: Conservation voltage reduction (CVR) is an established practice of having the distribution system loads operate at the lower end of the accepted limits based on the standard ANSI C84.1 to provide reduction in power consumption. This standard stipulates optimal voltage levels where the equipment is expected to operate with normal performance. CVR has been implemented traditionally by utilities by controlling the voltage on a distribution circuit to the lower end of the tolerance band defined by this standard. The effects of conservation voltage reduction are quantified by a metric called CVR factor (CVrf). Although utilities have tried to understand the cost and benefits of conservation voltage reduction (CVR), the practice has limited adoption. Some references have pointed out that utilities may have a concern about potential reduction in revenue they might incur due to conservation voltage reduction. CVR factor on an average at the distribution feeder level has been discussed to be 0.8.  The effects of CVR may be understood on the customer side of the meter. Existing published research studies have largely discussed utility projects and there is a gap in terms of quantifying the CVR factor, specifically for industrial and commercial loads. Industrial plants have continuous process changes, that happen throughout the day that lead to load changes making CVR factor assessment challenging. This research takes a detailed look at the approaches to extract CVR factor. Additionally, the requirements of a device for voltage management are explained. A device for voltage management is proposed that is shown to meet the detailed requirements. Existing solutions may have significant issues. Their limited fault handling capability makes them less robust to handle the forces and this may lead to destruction of the equipment or they may experience other issues including sluggish response or low efficiency.