Topic: Power Flow (or Load Flow) Studies

Module Name: Electrical Power Systems Modelling

Module Code: EEU 070303

Module Leader: Dr. G. G. Moshi

Email: godfrey.moshi@dit.ac.tz
February 1, 2017

Introduction to Power Flow Studies

Power Flow Studies
Power Flow Studies (or Load Flow Studies) is computational proce-
dures (numerical algorithms) required to determine the steady state
operating characteristics, i.e. magnitude and phase angles of the
voltage at each bus, real power and reactive power owing in each
line, of a power system network from the given line and bus data.
Note that:
Power ow is a steady-state analysis tool.
Power ow solves a set of simultaneous non-linear algebraic
power equations for the two unknown variables (|V | and )
at each bus in a system.
Power ow study determines the operating state of the system
for a given (existing or contemplated) condition of normal op-
eration.
Requires all the necessary models we've studied.
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 2 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology
 Generation and Transmission Plan (TZA-2035)

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 3 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Why Power Flow Studies?

Power Flow Studies are essential in the planning the future

development of the system

The reasons for this are:

System planner study power system in 10 to 20 years in the
future.
Satisfactory operation of the system depends on knowing the ef-
fects of interconnections with other power systems, new loads,
new generating stations, new transmission line, in advanced be-
fore they are installed.
A power company must know far in advance the problems asso-
ciated with the location of the plant and the best arrangement
of lines to transmit the power to load centers that do not exist
at the time the planning is done.
Results from power ow studies are used for the studies of nor-
mal operating mode, contingency analysis, outage security as-
sessment, and optimal dispatching and stability.
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 4 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology
 Data for Power Flow Studies
One-line diagram of the system,
Values of series impedances and shunt admittances of transmis-
sion lines,
Transformer ratings and impedances,
Transformer tap settings,
Shunt capacitors,
Specied operating conditions:
I Net Real Power into the network
I Net ow of Reactive Power into the network
I Magnitude of the voltage
Note that at each bus a decision is required whether the voltage
magnitude or the reactive power is to be maintained constant.

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 5 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Net Injections

Considering bus i, we can write the real and reactive power

balance equations
The convention is that Net Injections Pi and Qi are positive
(i.e., generation is positive, loads are negative)
X
Pi = PGi PDi = Pij (1a)
ji
X
Qi = QGi QDi = Qij (1b)
ji
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 6 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology
 Specied Variables
Four variables (V , , P and Q ) are required to be known
to fully dene the power ows in the system.
Often, power injections at the buses are known (e.g. measured
or estimated loads or dispatched generation at the bus) and are
therefore specied.
However, it is not always the case that specied variables are
the same for every bus!
Thus we need to classify types of buses based on the specied
variables.
Three common types of buses:
1. Load, or Constant power, or PQ bus
2. Voltage controlled or PV bus
3. Swing (or slack) bus

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 7 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Load, or Constant power, or PQ bus

Typically, in load busses, we know
I The real power withdrawn P and
I The reactive power withdrawn Q
This is why such busses are also called PQ busses
NOT all load busses are PQ busses, and NOT all PQ busses are
load busses, even though this is the most common modelling.
For example, generators working at constant power and power
factor can be modelled as PQ-type
For each PQ bus,
I as the voltage is completely unknown, both voltage magnitude

and phase are primary unknowns

I as both real and reactive power injected are input data, there

are no secondary unknowns

Used to represent constant power loads (e.g. residential, in-
dustrial), where it is assumed that P and Q injections are not
aected by small variations in bus voltages (at steady state).
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 8 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology
 Voltage Controlled or Generation or PV Bus
PV buses are typically used to represent generators where the
active power injected is the generator dispatch power and an
automatic voltage regulator controls the bus voltage magnitude
to a specied value.
Typically, in generation busses, we know
I the injected real power P controlled by the turbine and

I the voltage magnitude V, because a voltage regulator (AVR) is

assumed to be in operation
This is why such busses are also called PV busses
NOT all generation busses are PV busses, and NOT all PV
busses are generation busses, even though this is the most com-
mon case
I Switched shunt capacitors,

I Static Var Systems (SVCs)

I OLTC controlled busses: in this case, the tap is computed as a

result; also for tap-changers, limits must be accounted for

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 9 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Voltage Controlled or Generation or PV Bus

For each PV bus,
I as the voltage magnitude is already known, the only primary
unknown is the voltage phase
I as the real power injected is an input, the reactive power is an
unknown, called secondary unknown because it can be obtained
once all primary unknowns are obtained
Most controlling devices have technical limits are limited, in real
world: in that case, when the maximum Q limit is hit, the bus
must be switched to PQ busses, so losing voltage control

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 10 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

 Swing or slack Bus
Why do we need a dierent type of bus model?
From the real power point of view, in ALL the bus model previ-
ously considered, we know the real power injections
Should not exist any other bus type, then losses would be xed a
priori, and this could be not compatible with all other constraints
of the PF problem
From the reactive point of view, this requirement is not so strin-
gent, because all PV busses are actually "reactive slack busses",
i.e. Q is an unknown
Therefore, it is necessary to assume that, for at least one bus,
the real power is not given as an input but it is an unknown
Moreover, as in all the PF equations the phases are present as
voltage angle dierences, it is necessary to dene a reference
angle: for that bus, the angle must be an input, and not an
unknown
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 11 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Swing or slack Bus. . .

Since network losses are not known a priori, a swing bus is re-
quired where the voltage magnitude(1.0 p.u.) and angle (usually
0 ) are specied, but the active power injected into the bus is
unknown.
The swing bus is usually designated as the voltage reference for
the system.
In practice, the swing bus would be analogous to a large gener-
ator responsible for load-frequency control or the point of com-
mon coupling to a larger external grid.
There is only one such bus in the system.

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 12 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

 Summary and Equation Balance

Type Specied Pri' Un- Sec' Un- No. of No of

of Bus Variables knowns knowns Busses Equations

PV PV Q g g

PQ PQ V ,  u 2u

Slack V  Q 1 

Finally, we have
I 2u+g equations
I 2u + g primary unknowns
Therefore, the nonlinear problem can be solved

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 13 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Review of Complex Power

= V p Ip
Positive means that
V is leading I
Q is positive if
I injected and induc-
tive(overexcited
generator)
V p = Vp ejV p (2a) I withdrawn and ca-
pacitive
I p = Ip ejIp (2b)
Q is negative if
j(V p Ip )
Sp = V pI p = Vp Ip e (2c) I injected and capac-
S p = Vp Ip ej (2d) itive
I withdrawn and in-
S p = Vp Ip (cos + j sin ) (2e) ductive (load)
S p = Pp + jQp (2f)

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 14 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

 The Complex Power Injections
I p is injected
V p = Vp ejV p (3a) current at bus p
n
X Y pq are the el-
I p = Ip e jIp
= Y pq Vq (3b) ements of bus
q=1 admittance ma-
S p = V p I p (3c) trix related to
X n bus p
Sp = V p Y pq V q (3d) Vq voltages of
q=1 other busses
n
X connected to
S p = Pp + jQp = V p Y pq V q (3e)
bus p
q=1

Two alternative formulations are possible: polar and rectangular

(Cartesian) form.
We adopt polar form!!

By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 15 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

Polar form of Complex Power Injections

n
X V p = p

S p = Pp + jQp = V p Y pq V q (4a) V q = q
q=1
pq angle
V p = Vp ejp V q = Vq ejq (4b)
of element
Y pq = Ypq ejpq (4c) pq of the
n
X admittance
S p = Vp e jp
Ypq ejpq Vq ejq (4d) matrix
q=1
n
(4f) & (4g)
are non-linear
X
S p = Vp Ypq Vq ej(p q jpq ) (4e)
q=1 (cosine and
n
X sine)
(4f)


Pp = V p Ypq Vq cos p q jpq (4f) & (4g)
q=1
are Power
n
X Flow Equa-
(4g)


Qp = Vp Ypq Vq sin p q jpq
tions
q=1
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 16 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology
 The Power Flow Equations
The power ow equations which you should understand from
now on are given by:

n
X
(5)


Pp = Vp Ypq Vq cos p q jpq
q=1
Xn
(6)


Qp = Vp Ypq Vq sin p q jpq
q=1

(5) & (6) are in polar form

One could write them in rectangular form and end up with non-
linear relationship with quadratic terms
Other formulations are possible by adopting mixed notations:
polar for voltages and cartesian for admittances
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 17 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology

General Solution Procedure to PF Problem

1. Formulate the network Ybus matrix
2. Select a swing bus for the network
3. Identify other types of remaining busses (i.e. PQ or PV) and
specify the known variables
4. Select initial voltages and angles for all buses. Commonly, a at
start is used where all voltages are initialised at 10 = 1 + j0
pu. Alternatively, a previously calculated power ow solution
("solved case") can be used.
5. Calculate the power mismatch vector by using the initial voltages
in Step 4 and the specied power injections in Step 3.
6. Apply an iterative method (e.g. Gauss-Seidel, Newton-Raphson,
etc) to get next iteration of bus voltages
7. Re-calculate the power mismatch vector and check if the power
mismatches are within a pre-specied error tolerance, e.g. 0.001pu.
If so, then the solution has been reached successfully. If not,
then continue iterating (Step 6-7) until the solution is reached
or stop after a maximum number of iterations.
By: Dr. G. G. Moshi ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 18 / 18 Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology