Abstract:
In Ghana, Ghana Grid Company, GRIDCo has experienced huge power losses due to poor
maintenance and management practices. For this reason persistent power outage has plunged
the country‟s economy into a huge set back in the last four years. Power quality problems are
common in most commercial, industrial and utility networks. The specific objectives of this
thesis were to study the role of automation in improving transmission systems, evaluate
maintenance performance in transmission systems through benchmarking. It also assessed the
performance of substation equipment in improving power quality and reliability, identified
the best management practices, procedures and structures in the organization. Remedial
Action Scheme (RAS) was employed and has two approaches to mitigate power quality
problems. These are load conditioning (Model for composite ac–dc Transmission), which
ensures that the equipment is less sensitive to power disturbances, allowing the operation
even under significant voltage distortion. The other solution is to install line conditioning
systems that suppress or counteracts the power system disturbances (Automation switching
control). Simulation using MATLAB program was carried out using signals with and
without fault conditions and how the waveform magnitudes for voltage, current, active P and
reactive Q powers reacted. The system recovered from its disturbance as the system
conditioners (rectifier and inverter) reacted swiftly to stabilize the system. It is recommended
that extension of this research work should be to incorporate the views of external
stakeholders like researchers, high-tech equipment dealers, financial organizations,
government etc. on the barriers and drivers for improving power maintenance and
management in Ghana‟s energy sector.
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION, Faculty of TECHNICAL EDUCATION, submitted to School of
Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba, in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of Master of Technology in (Electrical/Electronic
Technology Education) degree.
OCTOBER, 2017