Control system for voltage regulation device

1. A system for an electrical power distribution network that receives electricity from one or more distributed energy resources, the system comprising:

a voltage regulation device configured to maintain a voltage in the electrical power distribution network within a range of voltages, the voltage regulation device comprising a voltage sampling module configured to obtain an indication of a voltage in the electrical power distribution network; and

a control system coupled to the voltage regulation device, the control system configured to:

determine a metric related to a time rate of change of the voltage in the power distribution network based on at least two samples of the voltage in the electrical power distribution network obtained at different times; and

change at least one operating parameter and/or an operating mode of the voltage regulation device based on the determined rate of change of the voltage.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metric related to the time rate of change of the voltage in the power distribution network comprises an amount of change in the voltage in the power distribution network between two different times.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein

one of the one or more operating parameters of the voltage regulation device comprises a time delay that defines a time period during which the voltage regulation device does not perform a voltage regulation operation and after which the voltage regulation performs the voltage regulation operation, the voltage regulation operation being an operation performed by the voltage regulation device to adjust the voltage in the electrical power distribution network,

the time delay is associated with a counter, and

the control system is configured to change a value of the counter by amount that is based on the determined metric related to the time rate of change of the voltage.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein control system is configured to change the value of the counter by an amount that is: a default incremental value if the determined metric related to the time rate of change is zero, more than the default incremental value if the determined metric related to the time rate of change is greater than zero, and less than the default incremental value if the determined metric related to the time rate of change is less than zero.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein

the one or more operating parameters of the voltage regulation device comprise the voltage range, a set voltage, and a time delay,

the set voltage is a voltage within the voltage range and, in operational use, the voltage regulation device is configured to maintain the voltage of the portion of the electrical power distribution network at the set voltage,

the time delay defines a time period during which the voltage regulation device does not perform a voltage regulation operation and after which the voltage regulation performs a voltage regulation operation, the voltage regulation operation being an operation performed by the voltage regulation device to adjust the voltage in the electrical power distribution network, and

the control system is configured to change any of the voltage range, the set voltage, and a value of a counter associated with the time delay based on the determined metric related to the time rate of change.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulation device comprises a load tap changer comprising a plurality of taps and a tap selecting device, the load tap changer having an output voltage that is controllable by positioning the tap selecting device on a particular tap or set of taps, and the voltage regulation operation comprises positioning the tap selecting device to control the output voltage of the load tap changer.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine an updated value for one or more operating parameters based on the determined metric related to the rate of change of the voltage, and to determine an updated operating mode based on at least one of the updated values, and the controller is configured to change the operating mode of the voltage regulation device based on the updated value for the one or more operating parameters.

8. A method of controlling a voltage on a distribution path of an electrical power distribution network that receives electricity from one or more distributed energy resources, the method comprising:

determining that a voltage on the distribution path is outside of a voltage range;

determining a time rate of change of a voltage on a distribution path of the electrical power distribution network from at least two voltage measurements, each of the at least two voltage measurements representing the voltage on the distribution path at a different time;

incrementing a value of a counter associated with a time delay parameter of a voltage regulation device by an amount that is based on the determined time rate of change of the voltage on the distribution path;

determining whether the value of the counter is equal to or exceeds a maximum counter value;

if the value of the counter is equal to or exceeds the maximum counter value and the voltage on the distribution path is outside of the voltage range, providing a command signal to a voltage regulation device and resetting the value of the counter to an initial value; and

if the value of the counter is less than the maximum counter value, determining another the time rate of change of the voltage on the distribution path.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein incrementing a value of a counter associated with a time delay parameter of a voltage regulation device by an amount that is based on the determined time rate of change of the voltage on the distribution path comprises incrementing the value of the counter based on a sign of the determined time rate of change.

10. A control system for use with a voltage regulation device, the control system comprising:

one or more electronic processors; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic processors to:

determine, from a voltage measurement obtained by the voltage regulation device, that a voltage on a distribution path is outside of a voltage range;

determine a time rate of change of the voltage on the distribution path, the time rate of change being determined based on at least two samples of the voltage at the distribution path obtained at different times; and

change at least one operating parameter and/or an operating mode of the voltage regulation device based on the determined rate of change of the voltage.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein

one of the one or more operating parameters of the voltage regulation device comprises a time delay that defines a time period during which the voltage regulation device does not perform a voltage regulation operation and after which the voltage regulation performs the voltage regulation operation, the voltage regulation operation being an operation performed by the voltage regulation device to adjust the voltage in the electrical power distribution network,

the time delay is associated with a counter, and

the control system is configured to change a value of the counter by amount that is based on the determined metric related to the time rate of change of the voltage.

12. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the electronic storage further stores default values for at least one operating parameter and a default operating mode, and

the control system further comprises an input/output interface configure to accept input from a user of the control system, and the instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic processors to receive input from the input/output interface and to update the default value of the at least one operating parameter or the default operating mode.