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The OPA (ORNL-PSERC-Alaska) model has been widely used in cascading failure simulations to predict likely and plausible sequences of cascading failures. This letter focuses on an algorithmic approach to enhance the OPA model whose main engine is based on quasi-steady-state models without considering the impact of collective transient dynamics of the entire system on the sequence of cascading failures. In particular, the enhanced OPA model incorporates dynamically induced cascading failures in fast time scales, which allows it to capture more realistic and detailed cascading scenarios. In this work, we outline the enhanced OPA model and provide simulation results to illustrate its feasibility with the realistic test network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of uncertain photovoltaics (PVs) and flexible loads leads to uncertainties in the power system dynamic simulation results. Furthermore, geographically close PV farms are correlated and may exhibit nonlinear correlations. This article proposes a copula-based sparse polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) framework for quantifying the impacts of uncertain dynamic PVs and loads on power system dynamic simulations and stability. The dynamics include both PV and load stochasticity and those governed by differential and algebraic equations. The copula statistics are utilized to accurately characterize the dependence structure of PVs and further used to develop the copula-PCE for quantifying the impacts of uncertain PVs and loads. A probabilistic TSI is also developed to assess the uncertainties from PVs and loads on the system stability. To address the cases, where both stable and unstable conditions coexist, a preprocessing step via sample classification is proposed. The effects of different dependence structures of PVs and different numbers of uncertain sources are investigated. Comparison results with other methods on the modified IEEE 39- and 118-bus systems, including the Monte Carlo method, Latin hypercube sampling, and traditional PCE without consideration of uncertain input correlations show that the proposed method is able to accurately quantify the uncertain dynamic simulations and transient system stability while being computationally efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we present a novel technique, based on a trust-region optimization algorithm and second-order trajectory sensitivities, to compute the extreme trajectories of power system dynamic simulations given a bounded set that represents parametric uncertainty. We show how this method, while remaining computationally efficient compared with sampling-based techniques, overcomes the limitations of previous sensitivity-based techniques to approximate the bounds of the trajectories when the local approximation loses validity because of the nonlinearity. We present several numerical experiments that showcase the accuracy and scalability of the technique, including a demonstration on the IEEE New England test system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast development of renewable energies leads to an increase in the power electronics penetration in transmission systems. This is particularly true if one considers a 100% renewable energies power system, where wind and solar photovoltaic energies, which make most of the renewable energies connections today, are connected to the grid through power electronics converters. Because power electronics-based generators and synchronous machines-based generators have very different dynamic behaviours, some approximations usually used to run transient simulations of transmission systems might not be optimal for future grids. The systematic use of the phasor approximation applied to the power lines, implemented in most of the Transient Simulation Programs, is indeed not relevant any more. To avoid the use of Electromagnetic Transient simulations, that are resource-demanding and time-consuming, this paper presents a novel Model Order Reduction technique for large grids with a high penetration of power electronic devices. Compared to the classical phasor approximation, this event-based state residualization approximation allows accurate transient simulations and at the same time an optimal reduction of the number of the system’s state variables depending on the observed variables, the considered events and the tolerated approximation error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel approach to dynamic phasor-based transient stability simulation. The proposed method is based on the modified nodal analysis (MNA) approach to circuit simulation, which is used to construct continuous differential-algebraic equations (DAEs). The proposed method makes use of the stamp technique, which makes it possible to construct a general purpose MNA-based simulator. Stamp-based models for common power system components are derived in this work. A new MNA-based synchronous machine model is presented, which represents machines as nonlinear inductances instead of subtransient equivalents. The resultant continuous DAEs are numerically solved using the general purpose variable step and variable order library IDA. Simulation results from the IEEE 68 bus test system, a real 400 bus power system, and the IEEE 39 bus test system with an embedded HVdc transmission system demonstrate that the proposed method is suitable for large ac networks with power electronic devices. The results demonstrate good agreement between the proposed method and electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation. The results also demonstrate that the proposed method is fast and scalable with CPU times that are up to 200 times faster than EMT simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power grid is transforming with large amounts of distributed energy resource (DER) integration that is impacting the bulk power system planning and operations. Grid regulators have identified that traditional power system analysis techniques are challenged under the changing grid conditions. Transmission and distribution (T&D) co-simulation is an effective methodology to accurately account for the changing power-grid. A scalable multitimescale T&D (SMTD) co-simulation framework is developed with commercial transmission system solver that can handle large-scale system models, and distribution system solver that can model the distribution systems in detail with dynamic models of load and DER. In this article, PSS/E and GridLAB-D are combined using a Python interface with Hierarchical Engine for Large-scale Infrastructure Co-Simulation software to enable T&D co-simulation. This framework is scalable and parallel computing compatible that enables large-scale system simulation and adoption of T&D co-simulation by the industry and utilities. The SMTD cosimulator is designed to integrate with existing system models and new ones. The article also highlights functional specifications for the T&D co-simulation solvers and models along with providing the algorithms for the steady state, quasi-steady state, and dynamic T&D co-simulation. In context of changing power grid, future power grid planning, validation of controls under critical contingencies and validation of various wide area monitoring and controls can effectively utilize the proposed framework that can capture the T&D interactions accurately. The SMTD cosimulator can also be used to generate realistic synthetic measurement-data with noise and packet drop for uncommon grid events enabling development and validation of power system data analytics and controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With continuing advances in high-performance parallel computing platforms, parallel algorithms have become powerful tools for development of faster than real-time power system dynamic simulations. In particular, it has been demonstrated in recent years that parallel-in-time (Parareal) algorithms have the potential to achieve such an ambitious goal. The selection of a fast and reasonably accurate coarse operator of the Parareal algorithm is crucial for its effective utilization and performance. This paper examines semi-analytical solution (SAS) methods as the coarse operators of the Parareal algorithm and explores performance of the SAS methods to the standard numerical time integration methods. Two promising time-power series-based SAS methods were considered; Adomian decomposition method and Homotopy analysis method with a windowing approach for improving the convergence. Numerical performance case studies on 10-generator 39-bus system and 327-generator 2383-bus system were performed for these coarse operators over different disturbances, evaluating the number of Parareal iterations, computational time, and stability of convergence. All the coarse operators tested with different scenarios have converged to the same corresponding true solution (if they are convergent) and the SAS methods provide comparable computational speed, while having more stable convergence to the true solution in many cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern power grid is being used under operating conditions of increasing stress, giving rise to grid stability issues. One of these stability issues is the phenomenon of inter-area oscillations. Simulations have demonstrated the advantages of Wide-area Measurement Signals (WAMS)-based Oscillation Damping Controls in achieving improved electromechanical mode damping compared to traditional, local signal-based Power System Stabilizers (PSS). This work takes an existing Phasor-based oscillation damping (POD) algorithm and uses it to implement a proof-of-concept, wide-area, real-time controller on National Instruments hardware. The developed prototype is tested in a real-time Hardware-in-the-loop setup (RT-HIL) using OPAL-RT's eMEGASIM real-time simulation platform and synchrophasor data from actual Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). The prototype and experiments provide insight into the feasibility and real-world limitations of wide-area controls. Further, it is demonstrated how the proposed control architecture has applications independent of the controlled power system device. Challenges faced, the solutions implemented together with the present prototype's limitations are also discussed.

Reliability and survivability of electric power systems (EPS) depend on transient stability assessment (TSA). One of the most effective way to TSA is time-domain simulation. However, large-scale EPS mathematical model contains a stiff nonlinear system of high-order differential equations. Such system cannot be solved analytically. At the same time, numerical methods are imperfectly applied for such system due to limitation conditions. To make it appropriate, the EPS mathematical model is simplified and additional limitations are used. These simplifications and limitations reduce reliability of simulation results. Consequently, their validation is needed. The most reliable approach to provide it is to compare the simulation results with the field data. However, in practice, there are not enough data for such validation. This paper proposes an alternative approach for validation - the application of a reference model instead of field data. A hardware-software system HRTSim was used as a reference model. This power system simulator has all the necessary properties and capabilities to obtain reliable information required for comprehensive validation of transient stability calculations in EPSs. Main disturbances leading to instability in EPSs are investigated to conduct the validation (processes in cases of faults, single-phase auto-reclosing operation and power system interconnection). Fragments of corresponding experimental studies illustrate the efficiency of the proposed approach. Obtained results confirmed the possibility of the developed approach to identify the causes of numerical calculation errors and to determine disturbances calculated with the significant error. In addition, experimental studies have revealed that numerical calculations error depends on disturbances intensity.

Moving towards low-carbon electricity systems through the massive deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) presents a unique opportunity to combat climate change, but it also poses enormous technical challenges, especially from a frequency viewpoint. To ensure a secure RES integration in terms of frequency stability, system operators worldwide have adopted new grid codes requiring RES to provide fast frequency response (FFR). However, if not properly justified, stringent requirements may pose an unnecessary barrier to further RES development and slow their network integration. In this context, this paper presents a methodological framework for systematically defining FFR requirements for RES to ensure system frequency stability. The proposal comprises: i) a model for simulating the dynamic response of system frequency following a contingency with reduced computational effort, ii) a model for reallocating contingency reserves with economic criteria to avoid loss of load following a contingency, and iii) novel indices for characterizing the dynamic performance of system frequency in terms of key operational characteristics, which are then used for defining frequency related grid codes. The benefits and practicability of our proposal are demonstrated in a case study on the Northern Interconnected System in Chile. We show how our proposal can be used to i) identify system operating conditions in which the contribution of RES with FFR is necessary to avoid loss of load and ii) to propose a technically and economically justified grid code that allows both to foster further RES integration while ensuring power system security.

The paper presents accurate and simple dynamic model of a supercapacitor bank system for power system dynamics studies. The proposed model is derived from a detailed RC circuit representation. Furthermore, a complete control system of the supercapacitor bank is also presented. The proposed model is easy to integrate in any power system simulation software and consists of only up to four standard datasheet parameters. The performance of the proposed model in grid frequency control and low-voltage ride through is illustrated on IEEE 14-bus test system in DIgSILENT PowerFactory. It is shown that in case of transient stability simulations the ideal (simplified) model of the supercapacitor can be used while in case of frequency control the ideal representation may not always be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the frequency stability of ac grids in the presence of non-dispatchable generation and stochastic loads. Its main goal is to evaluate conditions in which the system is robust to large, persistent active power disturbances without recurring to time-domain simulations. Considering the ongoing energy transition to more renewable sources, defining robustness boundaries is a key topic for power system planning and operation. However, much of the research on long-term studies has not dealt with robust dynamic constraints, while short-term analyses usually depend on time-consuming simulations to evaluate nonlinearities. To bridge this gap, the authors derive an algebraic equation that provides sufficient conditions for robust frequency stability in ac power systems and a relationship among four key quantities: the maximum active power perturbation, the minimum system damping, the steady-state and the transient frequency limits. To achieve this goal, it uses a nonlinear average-model of the ac grid and Lyapunov's direct method extended by perturbation analysis requiring only limited knowledge of the system parameters. The algebraic calculations are validated using time-domain simulations of the IEEE 39-bus test system and results are compared to the traditional Swing Equation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart grid technologies are deepening the interdependence of electric power and communication systems, but that interdependence is difficult to quantify. In the case of microgrids, communication systems can be essential to maintaining stability during islanded operations. Though many power system studies assume the presence of perfect communication networks, detailed modeling of power and communication systems for dynamic studies of microgrids is rare. This article develops a framework, for power and communication system co-simulation, to study the effects of communication systems on microgrid stability. An operational use case is examined, in which a battery energy storage system operates to offset the loss of generation in an islanded microgrid. The framework is evaluated for different communication technologies, network structures, and communication media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes a computationally efficient and robust method for estimating impulse or frequency response in the context of black-box multiple-input-multiple-output linear model identification of large power systems from simulations. The proposed approach is validated in conjunction with two realization algorithms – ERA method that is based on the established Ho-Kalman procedure for minimal realization, and the relatively new Loewner matrix based method. Practical aspects of identification in presence of numerical noise and nonlinearities are discussed. Study cases presented in the article include a linear model equivalent of a large-scale power system and the full-scale nonlinear transient model of the Eastern Interconnection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development and validation of a new oscillatory component load (OCL) model for a measurement-based real-time estimation of dynamic load model parameters. The proposed OCL model has been derived from a second-order differential equation that considers three necessary components, namely static, exponential recovery, and damped oscillatory components. The performance evaluation of the proposed OCL model has been demonstrated through DIgSILENT PowerFactory-based dynamic power system simulations, real-time substation data captured from phasor measurement units located at the primary substations of Leadenham, Holwell, and Regent Street cities, and real-time transient voltage events data provided by the EirGrid. Further, the effectiveness of the proposed OCL model has been assessed by comparing its performance with that of the existing exponential recovery load model. A new flexible and efficient SynchroHub platform, developed at the University of Manchester for real-time data acquisition, processing and visualization, has been used for the real-time estimation of dynamic load model parameters. The validation results revealed the efficacy of the proposed OCL model in tracking both the first as well as the subsequent oscillations of dynamic load model response of the power system for both the steady state as well as transient operating conditions accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to develop and analyse a variable speed hydropower (VSHP) model that can aid the design of controllers that maximize the utilization of power plant for the provision of ancillary services, considering the limitations given by the hydraulic system. The model is tested and analysed with more or less conventional controllers to identify critical modes, adverse interactions or other limitations that must be taken into account in the future design of potentially multivariable or more advanced controllers for VSHP. Dynamic tests are performed by simulating step responses in power demand and by comparing responses of the model with the VSHP and with a conventional hydropower plant. A participation factor-based interaction analysis shows that there are no strong dynamic couplings between the hydraulic system of the VSHP and the rest of the grid. This simplifies the tuning of the control system. However, the analysis concludes that some oscillatory modes associated with the hydraulic system become significantly more excited when operating at variable speed; which is due to the larger deviation in turbine rotational speed. Extra awareness when designing the control system is therefore needed to keep the hydraulic system variables within their limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes synchronous generator self-excitation during power system restoration, caused by a large capacitive load and the impact of generator voltage control on the voltage rise. The paper analyzes measurements from a recent self-excitation incident in the Finnish 400-kV transmission system, models the system using an electromagnetic transient model and a linear d-axis generator model, validates the models using the measurements and analyzes the impact of generator voltage control during self-excitation. Self-excitation is rare during a normal system operation but may occur in a weak system during system restoration after a blackout. Since high voltages caused by the self-excitation may delay the restoration or even damage the equipment, self-excitation should be taken into account in restoration planning. This paper shows that the voltage controller and especially the under-excitation limiter settings of the generator have significant impact on the voltage during self-excitation. This paper also shows that details in the excitation system response influence the simulations significantly and reference measurements from the specific generator are required for detailed modeling. However, all measured incidents with digital static excitation systems are important references for simulations. In addition, special attention should be given to protection relays during the restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel approach for power system dynamic simulation based on the differential transformation (DT). The DT is introduced to study power systems as high-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems for the first time, and is able to avoid computations of high-order derivatives with nonlinear differential equations by its transform rules. This paper, first, proposes and proves several new transform rules for generic nonlinear functions that often appear in power system models, and then uses these rules to transform representative power system models such as the synchronous machine model with trigonometric functions and the exciter model with exponential and square root functions. This paper also designs a DT-based simulation scheme that allows significantly prolonged time steps to reduce simulation time compared to a traditional numerical approach. The numerical stability, accuracy, and time performance of the proposed new DT-based simulation approach are compared with widely used numerical methods on the IEEE 39-bus system and Polish 2383-bus system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homotopy analysis method (HAM) is a popular semi-analytical method used widely in applied sciences. It stands out from the rest of the semi-analytical methods as it provides a family of solutions to nonlinear equations, including ordinary differential equations (ODEs), partial differential equations, etc. The convergence characteristics of the solutions can be varied by changing an auxiliary parameter ($\hbar$) in HAM. The convergence region of solution of ODEs using HAM can be improved by applying it over multiple intervals of time, which is referred to as multi-stage HAM (MHAM). In this paper, MHAM models for the IEEE Model 2.2 synchronous machine, IEEE Type-1 excitation system, first-order governor and first-order turbine models have been developed. The applicability of MHAM for power system dynamic simulations has been investigated in this paper using seven widely used test systems ranging from 10 generators 39 bus systems to 4092 generators 13 659 bus systems. The effect of number of terms, $\hbar$ and the time step on the accuracy and stability of the solution has been studied. The effectiveness of MHAM has been compared with the modified Euler (ME) and midpoint Trapezoidal (TrapZ) methods. The accuracy of MHAM has been found to be comparable with ME and TrapZ methods for the values of $\hbar$ between $-$ 1.05 and $-$ 0.95. The best accuracy is obtained for $\hbar$ = $-$ 1.0, which is a special case of MHAM called multi-stage homotopy perturbation method (MHPM). In this paper, it is also shown that MHPM is equivalent to multi-stage adomian decomposition method, which has been recently explored for large power system simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a comprehensive dynamic-phasor-based small-signal model for the modular multilevel converter (MMC) system under unbalanced grid conditions, which takes into consideration the dynamics of the MMC system under a balanced grid condition as well as the other emerging internal harmonics produced by the unbalanced grid components and more complex controllers. The small-signal model is validated by comparing the time-domain responses from a detailed electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation in PSCAD/EMTDC. Based on the eigen-analysis and PSCAD-based time-domain simulation studies, this paper reveals the poorly damped modes that cause unstable oscillations in MMC system under the unbalanced grid conditions. From the results, more poorly damped modes involved in the internal harmonics are emerging under unbalanced grid conditions compared with the modes under the balanced grid conditions, and can highly impact the system dynamic behaviors by the selection of the control parameters. It is also shown that, under the unbalanced grid conditions, the feasible region of the control parameters of the vector current control gets narrowed indicating the reduction of the stability margin, smaller (larger) value of proportional (integral) gain of the circulating current suppressing controller can enhance the system stability, and larger values of the proportional and integral gains of the negative-sequence current suppressing control can result in the harmonic instability of the MMC system. Besides, the parameters of multiple complex-coefficient filters for positive- and negative-sequence components extraction also have a big impact on the small-signal stability of the MMC system and are required to be properly selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-domain simulation is the basis of dynamic security assessment for power systems. Traditionally, numerical integration methods are adopted by simulation software to solve nonlinear power system dynamics for any given contingency under a specific operating condition. An alternative simulation approach promising for online applications is to offline derive a semi-analytical solution (SAS) for power system differential equations and then online evaluate the SAS over consecutive time windows regarding the operating condition and contingency until the simulation result over a desired period is obtained. This paper proposes a general semi-analytical approach that derives and evaluates an SAS in the form of a power series in time to approximate the true solution. This paper provides an error-rate upper bound of the SAS for reliable use of adaptive time windows in evaluation of the SAS. To extend the semi-analytical approach for solving general power system differential-algebraic equations, this paper also proposes a dynamic bus method to efficiently link the SAS for dynamic components with the numerical solution of the network algebraic equations. Case studies on the New England 39-bus system and the Polish 2383-bus system test the performance of the proposed approach, compare it with other methods, and show the potentials of the proposed semi-analytical approach for online simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of new sensors and devices on electric distribution systems is increasing the awareness of phenomena characterized by intermittent periods of highly dynamic activity that occur within extended periods of relatively static behavior. The deployment of new devices has enabled the observation of these phenomena; however, the currently available simulation methods cannot accurately reproduce the entire system behavior. Existing simulation methods, and their associated models, are able to capture portions of these phenomena, but there is not a method for efficiently modeling the entire event in a single simulation. This paper presents a novel method of adaptive simulation that enables automated transitions between quasi-static time-series and electromechancial simulation modes, as necessary to capture relevant system dynamics. The transitions between the simulation modes are triggered automatically during the running simulation based on the evolution of the system variables, utilizing multistate modes for generators and motors. This method allows for a single simulation that spans the entire time-frame, has the ability to capture dynamic events, and includes all relevant power system controls. The method of adaptive simulation can support the direct analysis of dynamic power system events, co-simulation of transmission and distribution systems, the development of control systems, and the development of reduced-order models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system frequency response (SFR) model describes the average network frequency response after a disturbance and has been applied to a wide variety of dynamic studies. However, the traditional literature does not provide a generic, analytical method for obtaining the SFR model parameters when the system contains multiple generators; instead, a numerical simulation-based approach or the operators’ experience is the common practice to obtain an aggregated model. In this paper, an analytical method is proposed for aggregating the multi-machine SFR model into a single-machine model. The verification study indicates that the proposed aggregated SFR model can accurately represent the multi-machine SFR model. Furthermore, the detailed system simulation illustrates that the SFR model can also accurately represent the average frequency response of large systems for power system dynamic studies. Finally, three applications of the proposed method are explored, with system frequency control, frequency stability, and dynamic model reduction. The results show the method is promising with broad potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interarea power oscillation damping enhancement in large interconnected power systems is often accomplished using supplementary controls at the synchronous machines involved and with the use of flexible ac transmission system devices. The power system literature has demonstrated that wide area signals could be more effective than the local signals for these controllers. In some cases where phasor measurement units are used, all the required control signals may not be available. To alleviate these cases, control signals are obtained using estimated signals from a “dynamic state estimator,” and a robust supplementary controller is deployed. In this paper, the cited strategy is illustrated using a static var compensator. The feasibility of the proposed method has been demonstrated on the IEEE 50-generator test system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to define and develop an optimal hierarchical demand-side power-system primary-frequency control structure in order to provide a reliable complement to generator inertia and governor response while improving inter-area oscillation damping. This resilient optimal load control strategy utilizes both wide-area and local signals to guarantee that the system remains stable in the case of communication failures. In the device layer, we deal with demand-response and frequency regulation by minimizing the total disutility of consumers subject to power balance and frequency regulation over the network. In the supervisory layer, we handle the power system's electromechanical oscillations using an linear-quadratic regulator (LQR)-based state feedback scheme with sparsity promotion to achieve the necessary tradeoff between complexity and performance. Since the wide-area feedback loops are built on top of an existing decentralized load control strategy, this design approach creates a decentralized/hierarchical demand-side load-control structure with significant advantages in terms of reliability and operational flexibility. Our study clearly shows by simulation that a demand-side hierarchical load-control strategy has a significant potential for improving the dynamic performance of power systems, even when implemented with a limited number of measurement units and controlling less than $1\%$ of the total base load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change in the network structure or operating condition in a power system affects the impedance as calculated by the distance relay during fault. Such changes may lead to malfunction of the distance relay at times. In this paper, an adaptive distance relay setting method using local data is proposed to prevent zone-1 malfunction following structural and operational changes. The performance of the proposed adaptive setting method is tested on a 39-bus New England system and a generic 12-bus power system using PSCAD/EMTDC simulation data, and a comparative assessment is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an approach for the calculation and estimation of control interactions between asynchronous power systems coupled via multi-terminal high-voltage direct current grids using static analysis methods. This aims at possible application within online security assessment where, as of today, static analysis methods are still a common practice. Therefore, the postcontingency power flow is evaluated using an integrated approach for the solution of AC and DC systems in the power-flow algorithm. Thereby, equations for DC voltage control and AC frequency control of converter stations, generators, loads as well as wind turbines with frequency support are embedded into the extended system Jacobian. The results show that by using the proposed approach, the post-contingency power-flow situation can be accurately determined and the frequency changes in each subsystem can be sufficiently tracked. Using an application example of an offshore power system with frequency support by offshore wind turbines, all results have been validated against dynamic simulation, while simulation models and controllers are provided. It is shown that active power balancing controls of AC and DC systems could have a high impact on line loadings and need to be respected for security analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A frequency-dependent transmission line model for multi-scale simulation of diverse transients over a wide range of frequencies is developed, implemented, and validated. It makes use of the concept of frequency-adaptive simulation of transients in which the Fourier spectra are adaptively shifted in the frequency domain to reduce the discretization time-steps in the time domain. The transients are modeled through dynamic phasors comprising the real and imaginary parts of analytic signals to facilitate the frequency shifting. In the proposed line model, all mathematical operations such as numerical recursive convolutions are, therefore, expressed in terms of analytic signals. A modal decomposition is performed to attain decoupled modes for the multi-phase case. The transition from the representation of electromagnetic traveling waves with time-steps below the wave propagation time to the tracking of slower electromechanical transients at time-steps above the wave propagation time is achieved by the automatic insertion of a $\pi$-segment to represent the galvanic coupling within one time-step. Accurate and efficient simulation of both electromagnetic and electromechanical transients within a simulation run is so supported. The validation is verified through comparison with a staged field test covering the diverse transients of line energization, transient recovery voltage, and steady state. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the transition toward a smart grid, the power system has become strongly intertwined with the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. The interdependency of both domains requires a combined analysis of physical and ICT processes, but simulating these together is a major challenge due to the fundamentally different modeling and simulation concepts. After outlining these challenges, such as time synchronization and event handling, this paper presents an overview of state-of-the-art solutions to interface power system and ICT simulators. Due to their prominence in recent research, a special focus is set on co-simulation approaches and their challenges and potentials. Further, two case studies analyzing the impact of ICT on applications in power system operation illustrate the necessity of a holistic approach and show the capabilities of state-of-the-art co-simulation platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

POWER plants are subject to introduce disturbances in the power grid, resulting from interactions with the dynamical behavior of the energy source subsystem. In the case of hydropower plants when used to compensate for variations of power generation and consumption, instabilities or undesirable disturbances may arise. They may be caused by phenomena such as part load vortex rope pulsations in the draft tube of Francis turbines. This may affect the dynamical behavior of the power plant and lead to troublesome interactions with the grid. This paper presents a case study of an existing hydropower plant that illustrates the effects of pressure pulsations due to vortex rope precession on the draft tube of Francis turbines. It also showcases possible solutions to the mitigation of the effects of this disturbing hydraulic phenomenon over the operation of the generators and electrical system. The investigated system is a 1-GW hydropower plant (4 × 250 MW units). The assessment of the power swings is performed through modal analysis combined with frequency-domain and time-domain simulations, which are then compared with onsite measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two largest interconections in Chile (SIC and SING) are about to become interconnected. As power balance is a concern in the operation of a power system, it is important to understand the operation of AGC while systems become interconected. In this sense, the performance of the AGC systems after the interconection may change, and the new operating condition may require a change in the parameters of the AGC controllers to comply with performance standards. This work presents an analisis to determine the parameters of the AGC systems in the two interconection to comply with frequency control perfromance standards and minimize the required reserves. In the absence of a Chilean secondary frequency control performance standard, the North American standards are considered. To validate the results, empirically-validated frequency response models of SING and SIC are considered to obtain numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a computational platform for dynamic security assessment (DSA) of large electricity grids, developed as part of the iTesla project. It leverages high performance computing to analyze large power systems, with many scenarios and possible contingencies, thus paving the way for pan-European operational stability analysis. The results of the DSA are summarized by decision trees of 11 stability indicators. The platform’s workflow and parallel implementation architecture is described in detail, including the way commercial tools are integrated into a plug-in architecture. A case study of the French grid is presented, with over 8000 scenarios and 1980 contingencies. Performance data of the case study (using 10 000 parallel cores) is analyzed, including task timings and data flows. Finally, the generated decision trees are compared with test data to quantify the functional performance of the DSA platform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The classical time-invariance assumption is often not (exactly) met in real-life applications. As a natural extension of the frequency response function (FRF), the time-variant FRF (TV-FRF) provides quick insight into the complex dynamics of time-variant systems. Recently, a procedure has been proposed to estimate nonparametrically the TV-FRF from known input, noisy output measurements of time-variant systems operating in open loop. However, in many applications, feedback is present either due to an explicit control action or due to the interaction between a nonideal actuator and the system under test. The extension of the open-loop approach to noisy input, noisy output measurements of time-variant systems operating in closed loop requires the deconvolution of the time-variant impulse response of the cascade of two time-variant systems. In this paper, this nontrivial problem is solved for a particular class of time-variant systems. The robustness of the approach with respect to the system assumption is demonstrated via simulations and measurements on an electronic circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a protection scheme that applies two supervisory zones on each distance relay in the transmission system and timers in order to avoid undesirable Zone 3 operations under voltage-stressed system conditions. The speed at which the apparent impedance trajectory crosses the two supervisory zones is measured by the relay in order to determine the rate of change of the apparent impedance. Zone 3 modifications based on the normalized rate of change of the apparent impedance are applied: 1) Zone 3 operating area is reduced by using circle or straight line blinders when the instability is clearly recognized; 2) Zone 3 is blocked when there is no enough time to identify the cause of the apparent impedance transition; and 3) no measure is applied for a fault or a power swing. Simulations performed in a test power system show the effectiveness of this method in mitigating system blackouts due to cascaded outages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A mathematically rigorous framework combining diffusion map analysis techniques with simulation data from electromagnetic transient programs is proposed to characterize the collective dynamics of transient processes. The framework can be used to compress and analyze large and complex data sets obtained from transient simulations. Through this formulation, the structures that dominate the system response, and the global measurements that contribute most to this response can be directly calculated. The resulting coordinates can be correlated with the time scales of specific motion or be effectively used to extract spatiotemporal features of high-dimensional data. The application of the method is illustrated on both, electromagnetic transient simulations and transient stability data. Simulation studies reveal that diffusion-map data-analysis techniques generate accurate estimates of modal parameters even in the presence of measurement noise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents the development and validation of an accurate and computationally efficient wideband reduced-order dynamic equivalent model for the Type-3-based wind power plant (WPP). The proposed Type-3 WPP equivalent model reproduces the dynamic behavior of the WPP in response to an electromagnetic transient in the host power system and is composed of two parts: 1) a static frequency-dependent network equivalent model which represents the response of all passive components of the WPP in a wideband frequency range, and 2) a dynamic low-frequency equivalent model that represents the aggregated dynamic model of the doubly-fed asynchronous generator (which is also referred to as doubly-fed induction generator) wind turbine generators, their local controls, and the WPP supervisory control. The proposed model significantly reduces the hardware/software computational burden and the computation time, as compared to the WPP detailed models, without compromising the accuracy of the simulation results. The proposed model is incorporated as a software module in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment and its computational efficiency and accuracy are verified based on comparing the results with those of a detailed model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Semi-analytical simulation (SAS) is a methodology that derives power series as an approximate solution in power system steady-state or dynamic analysis. Padé approximation is able to further improve the efficiency of SAS, while its computation for large-scale power systems is time-consuming. This letter proposes a vectorized fast algorithm for computing Padé approximation of a large-scale SAS. The Levinson algorithm is used to reduce the temporal and spatial complexities. Considering the structural homogeneity of computation, a vectorized version of Levinson algorithm is realized to achieve instruction-level parallelism. The novel approach is tested on the SAS of Polish 2383-bus system, which verifies the advantage of Levinson algorithm and vectorization in boosting the computation speed of SAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new approach in adaptive out-of-step (OOS) protection settings in power systems in real time. The proposed method uses extended equal area criterion (EEAC) to determine the critical clearing time and critical clearing angle of the system, which are vital information for the OOS protection setting calculation. The dynamic model parameters and the coherency groups of the system for EEAC analysis are determined in real time to ensure that the newly calculated settings suit with the prevalent system operating condition. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated in simulated data from a 16-machine 68-bus system model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a new method for measurement-based modeling of nonlinear loads in power systems. The proposed method includes a combination of a binary tree algorithm with nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) identification. This paper demonstrates that the new method performs well without any prior knowledge of the system structure. In contrast to other load modeling methods, which are typically aimed for particular studies or load types, the proposed method can be used with any load type and for any study. Accurate load modeling is particularly important for studies of industrial networks and grids. In the study described, a field data set was collected at a mine site from a large electrical rope shovel. This data set has been used to develop a model of the rope shovel based on the proposed binary tree—NARX algorithm. When compared to other known methods, such as wavelet and sigmoid networks, the proposed method has shown the fastest training time and the highest accuracy. Finally, the modeling results have been verified against another set of field measurements from an existing network and have shown a very good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper documents the effort to perform dynamic model validation for the U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI) by modeling the governor deadband. The Western Electricity Coordinating Council-modified 1981 IEEE type 1 turbine governor model (WSIEG1) was added to the EI model. A frequency response sensitivity study is conducted to look at the impacts of a few major factors. The significance of modeling governor dead band is evident. Simulated frequency responses are adjusted and validated against the measurements collected by the frequency monitoring network. Two actual events are replicated in a 16 000-bus EI dynamic model. This paper demonstrates the need for a comprehensive effort on governor dead band modeling by the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A method of modifying existing grid-connected inverter models for use in droop-controlled microgrids is presented. The modification involves combination with a model of a grid-forming inverter to accurately represent the coupling between complex power, bus voltage, and frequency. The combination is performed after the individual models are linearized, adding little in terms of computational complexity. The method is applicable to any three-phase inverter operating in a grid-supporting capacity and is scalable for any number of parallel inverters at the same point of connection. To examine the modification process and its effect on model performance, a generic grid-tied inverter model is derived and used as a test case. The newly derived model is modified according to the proposed method. The validity of this process is assessed through comparisons of model predictions—both from before and after modification—to results of hardware experiments. A simple design example is given to demonstrate the application of this process in the design of inverters in distributed-generation-based microgrids. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Dynamic response of loads has a significant effect on system stability and directly determines the stability margin of the operating point. Inherent uncertainty and natural variability of load models make the stability assessment especially difficult and may compromise the security of the system. We propose a novel mathematical “robust stability” criterion for the assessment of small-signal stability of operating points. Whenever the criterion is satisfied for a given operating point, it provides mathematical guarantees that the operating point will be stable with respect to small disturbances for any dynamic response of the loads. The criterion can be naturally used for identification of operating regions secure from the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation. Several possible applications of the criterion are discussed, most importantly the concept of robust stability assessment (RSA), that could be integrated in dynamic security assessment packages and used in contingency screening and other planning and operational studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new multi-agent control system (MACS) is proposed for smart distribution networks. It can: 1) eliminate the feeders' congestion, 2) globally correct voltage violations, and 3) coordinate the operation of reactive power control devices. In performing its functions, the MACS must prevent overstress on the substation voltage regulator tap changer under all operating conditions, and avoid selective active power curtailment from DG units. This can help to improve reliability, economic revenue, and power quality. A fuzzy rule-based system is employed for decision-making support in MACS. The proposed MACS can achieve the self-healing requirement of smart distribution network. It eliminates feeders' congestion by properly reconfiguring the distribution network. Meanwhile, it amends most of voltage violation problems by coordinated operation of voltage control devices in the distribution system. The MACS overcomes the severe voltage violation problems via distribution network reconfiguration. It is applied to the IEEE 33-bus test feeder. A full dynamic model is constructed using a parallel MATLAB-JADE simulation arrangement. Comparative performance evaluations of the MACS and other schemes are presented under various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper generalizes previous work on automatic generation control (AGC) gain in a single balancing authority system. In previous work, a control performance standard 1 (CPS1)-compliant AGC gain for a single balancing authority interconnection was proposed, assuming that frequency response can be decoupled from AGC dynamics by widening governor dead bands. However, current practices suggest that widening dead bands may not be a wise course to take as it may deteriorate primary frequency response. This paper formulates sufficient conditions for the adequacy of the joint operation of AGC control and primary frequency response to be consistent with frequency response adequacy. Historical data and a simulation of ERCOT are presented to show numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes a multi-agent-based power system hybrid dynamic state estimator (PSHDSE) that uses field measurements from remote terminal units (RTUs) as well as phasor measurement units (PMUs). The standard cubature Kalman filter (CKF) process is modified to make it suitable for PSHDSE execution, and software agents are utilized to receive data and run PSHDSE for the RTU and PMU measurements separately. PSHDSE is solved by utilizing the CKF, the extended Kalman filter (EKF), and the unscented Kalman filter (UKF). The relative performances of the EKF, UKF, and CKF in executing PSHDSE are established through simulations on the IEEE 30 bus and practical 246-bus Indian test systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term voltage stability is an increasing concern in today's power systems due to the growing penetration of induction motors. This paper proposes a systematic method for optimal placement of dynamic VAR support against short-term voltage instability. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization model minimizing two conflicting objectives: 1) the total investment cost and 2) the expected unacceptable short-term voltage performance subject to a set of probable contingencies. STATCOM is employed for its stronger dynamic VAR support capability. Indices for quantifying the short-term voltage stability and the related risk level are proposed for problem modeling. Candidate buses are selected based on the concept of trajectory sensitivity. Load dynamics are fully considered using a composite load model containing induction motor and other typical components. A relatively new and superior multi-objective evolutionary algorithm called MOEA/D is introduced and employed to find the Pareto optimal solutions of the model. The proposed method is verified on the New England 39-bus system using industry-grade models and simulation tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]