Comparison Between Ring and Radial Configurations of the University of Trieste Campus MV Distribution Grid

Distribution systems are being pushed towards smarter architectures, management strategies, and controls. To develop new platforms and algorithms for distribution systems management, the University of Trieste is using its medium voltage MW-scale ring distribution system as a demonstrator. In addition to the installation of a real-time monitoring system, power system studies and analyses are required. The paper presents and compares some results concerning the power system operation in both closed (normal operation) and open (post fault operation) configurations, where the latter are identified by means of a quantitative dependability analysis. In particular, the voltage profile, the currents, and the losses in the system are studied, evaluating the impact of faults capable of opening the ring.