VALIDATION OF LOADABILITY CURVES IN PLANNING CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS

Nhlanhla Mbuli, Silence Sithole, Tony Britten, Sunetra Chowdhury, and Shyamapada Chowdhury

Keywords

Surge impedance loading, loadability, loadflow, voltage stability, servitude

Abstract

Continuously utilities have to assess the possibility of connecting new, radial loads to their networks. One important consideration here is selection of the voltage at which these supplies will be constructed. The amount of power transmitted over a transmission line is a direct function of system voltage, and the correct selection of voltage is critical to ensure that the number of lines to be commissioned is optimized. The number of lines and by extension the voltage selected at which to construct them, influences the number of servitudes required. The acquisition of servitudes is usually a legislated process that requires public participation, amongst other things. It is becoming a challenge because of challenges from public, lack of space to build lines in future, cost of acquisition, lead times to obtain authorization, etc. The line voltage also influences the infrastructure costs. It is therefore important to construct assets that will not only be the least to meet the requirements, but also that will be best utilized. This paper presents the results on the work done to demonstrate the effectiveness of loadability curves in deciding on the appropriate voltage for building lines to supply new loads.

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