ENGINEERING ARTICLES

It depends on what is limiting the power flow and how much of an increase is needed to solve the problem. In most circumstances, power flow limits are the result of concerns over electrical phase shift, voltage drop or thermal effects in lines, cables or substation equipment. SURGE IMPEDANCE LOADING LIMITS As power flows along a transmission line, there is an electrical phase shift, which increases with distance and with power flow. As this phase shift increases, the system in which the line is embedded can become increasingly unstable during electrical disturbances. Typically, for very long lines, the power flow must be limited to what is commonly called the Surge Impedance Loading (SIL) of the line. Surge Impedance Loading is equal to the product of the end bus voltages divided by the characteristic impedance of the line. Since the characteristic impedance of various HV and EHV lines is not dissimilar, the SIL depends approximately on the square of system voltage. T...

In order to prevent over voltages at light loads, it is necessary to have devices for absorbing reactive power (like shunt reactors) not only at either end of a long line but even at intermediate points. Generators connected at the ends of the line have limited reactive power absorption capability as defined by their capability curves. If transmission redundancy exists (i.e., parallel transmission paths exist), then a very lightly loaded long line may be tripped to avoid overvoltage. However this may be detrimental to system security if some additional line trippings take place due to faults. If shunt reactors are permanently connected, they result in large sags in the voltage under heavy loading conditions. Moreover, reactive power demanded by long transmission lines under these situations may be excessive and may lead to system-wide low voltage conditions. Compensation of a line involves changing the effective line parameters by connecting (lumped) capacitors in series and shun...

As the network becomes complex, application of Ohm’s law for solving the networks becomes tedious and hence time consuming. For solving such complex networks, we make use of Kirchhoff’s laws. Gustav Kirchhoff (1824-1887), an eminent German physicist, did a considerable amount of work on the principles governing the behaviour of electric circuits. He gave his findings in a set of two laws: (i) current law and (ii) voltage law, which together are known as Kirchhoff’s laws. KIRCHHOFF'S CURRENT LAW The first law is Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL), which states that the algebraic sum of currents entering any node is zero. Let us consider the node shown in Figure 1. The sum of the currents entering the node is -i a +i b -i c +i d =0 Or i a -i b +i c -i d =0 Which simply states that the algebraic sum of currents leaving a node is zero. Alternately, we can write the equation as i b +i d =i a +i c Which states that the sum of currents entering a node is equal to the s...

An active two-terminal element that supplies energy to a circuit is a source of energy. An ideal voltage source is a circuit element that maintains a prescribed voltage across the terminals regardless of the current flowing in those terminals. Similarly, an ideal current source is a circuit element that maintains a prescribed current through its terminals regardless of the voltage across those terminals. These circuit elements do not exist as practical devices, they are only idealized models of actual voltage and current sources. Ideal voltage and current sources can be further described as either independent sources or dependent sources. An independent source establishes a voltage or current in a circuit without relying on voltages or currents elsewhere in the circuit. The value of the voltage or current supplied is specified by the value of the independent source alone. In contrast, a dependent source establishes a voltage or current whose value depends on the value of the ...

A SCADA System typically provides the following functions: • Comprehensive monitoring of primary and secondary plant • Secure control of primary plant • Supervision of secondary plant • Operator controlled display of non-SCADA data • Alarm management • Event logging • Sequence of events recording • Trend recording All functions must be provided with a high level of security and reliability. The control system itself must be highly self-monitoring and problems brought immediately to the operator’s attention. Operator access must also be protected by a security system. In addition, certain performance standards are required, for both data acquisition and the user interface. For example, time recording of events to one millisecond resolution is now possible. Whilst user interface performance is less critical, operators expect that their actions will result in display delays measured in only a few seconds: for example, from the execution of a circuit breaker control...

The slack or swing bus is usually a PV-bus with the largest capacity generator of the given system connected to it. The generator at the swing bus supplies the power difference between the “specified power into the system at the other buses” and the “total system output plus losses”. Thus swing bus is needed to supply the additional real and reactive power to meet the losses. Both the magnitude and phase angle of voltage are specified at the swing bus, or otherwise, they are assumed to be equal to 1.0 pu and 0 0 , as per flat-start procedure of iterative solutions. The real and reactive powers at the swing bus are found by the computer routine as part of the load flow solution process. It is to be noted that the source at the swing bus is a perfect one, called the swing machine, or slack machine. It is voltage regulated, i.e., the magnitude of voltage fixed. The phase angle is the system reference phase and hence is fixed. The generator at the swing bus has a torque angle and excitati...

Each bus in the system has four variables: voltage magnitude, voltage angle, real power and reactive power. During the operation of the power system, each bus has two known variables and two unknowns. Generally, the bus must be classified as one of the following bus types: 1. SLACK OR SWING BUS This bus is considered as the reference bus. It must be connected to a generator of high rating relative to the other generators. During the operation, the voltage of this bus is always specified and remains constant in magnitude and angle. In addition to the generation assigned to it according to economic operation, this bus is responsible for supplying the losses of the system. 2. GENERATOR OR VOLTAGE CONTROLLED BUS During the operation the voltage magnitude at this the bus is kept constant. Also, the active power supplied is kept constant at the value that satisfies the economic operation of the system. Most probably, this bus is connected to a generator where the voltage i...