THE HONG KONG

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___

Department of Electrical Engineering

CHAPTER 11 POWER OSCILLATION DAMPING

11.1. Introduction

Electromechanical oscillations cause oscillation of power. There are several types of power oscillations.
For example, intraplant mode oscillations occur on rotational electric generators on the same power
generation site. Local plant mode oscillation is one generator swings against the rest of the system to the
grid. Inter-area mode oscillations occurs in a large part of a power network. Control mode oscillations
occurs in generators when exciters, governors, HVDC converters and static VAR compensators are
poorly tuned.
Power oscillations in power transmission systems, mainly in terms of local plant mode oscillations and
inter-area power oscillations, are common phenomena in power transmission system with rotational
electric generators. The main causes of the power swings occurring transmission system are
electromechanical oscillations of rotational generators due to fault of systems, transmission line
switching, sudden change of output of generators and sudden change of critical loads. The oscillation
can last for 20 seconds with low frequency which is lower than 2Hz. Due to very low line resistive
characteristic, ability of oscillation damping of the transmission system internally is very low.
Variation of power can be large during power oscillations, P Damped Undamped
especially inter-area power oscillations. It cause the problems
of limitation of power flow, mechanical wear of power
generation systems and problems of power quality. Areas in
many countries faced wide-scale blackouts led by power
oscillation such as Western Australia in 1983 and Taiwan in
1985. As a result, power oscillation damping (POD) has to be t
achieved as fast as possible. Series-connected FACTS Fig. 11.1. Power Oscillation Damping
devices, including variable impedance and variable source
series compensators, with POD control can be applied for this purpose. Fig. 11.1 shows power swings
of a transmission system without POD and with POD by a series compensator.

11.2. Power Oscillation Damping by Variable Impedance Types Series Compensators

Power flow of a power transmission system Rotational
depends on line impedance of the power line. Generator V1 TCSC XC V2
Because power transmission lines have series C XL
reactance characteristic, variable impedance
types series compensators can be used for power L
oscillation damping (POD) such as gate-turn-off
thyristor controlled series capacitors (GCSC) and P
thyristor controlled series capacitor (TCSC). Fig. 11.2. A TCSC in a power transmission system with a
Obtaining POD, a variable capacitance type rotational generator
series compensator operates under closed-loop
POD control. It modulates series reactive compensation to vary the total series line reactance for
increasing or decreasing the transmitted power. Comparing the range of reactance, TCSC is more
suitable than GCSC for POD because TCSC can compensate in a range between capacitive and
inductive modes.
Fig. 11.2 shows a TCSC connected in a power transmission system with a rotational generator. During
power oscillation, the disturbed rotational generator is oscillating. The oscillating generator accelerates
and decelerates alternatively. Assuming V2 is stable, the transmitted power from V1, P, increases while

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 THE HONG KONG
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___
Department of Electrical Engineering

the generator accelerates and the phase difference of V1 and V2, δ, increases to compensate for the excess
mechanical input power. Balancing the insufficient mechanical input power, the generator decelerates
so that δ and P decrease. Equation of transmitted power in a power transmission system is:
V1V2 sin 
P (11.1)
X

Fig. 11.3 shows the waveforms of a TCSC damping power δ Phase Difference of V1 and V2
oscillation. The TCSC varies its compensating reactance,
XC, to vary the overall reactance of the transmission line, δ0
XC + XL. In this figure, δ is damped to be a steady state
angle, δ0, and P is damped to be its steady state level, P0.
The TCSC is in inductive mode when the generator is P t
accelerating, i.e., dδ/dt > 0. It becomes capacitive mode Transmitted Power
when the generator is decelerating, i.e., dδ/dt < 0. When
the TCSC changes the mode from capacitive to inductive, P0
P suddenly drops because of the increase in the total
inductive line reactance. The deceleration of the generator
decreases because of the reduction of P. Also, when the t
L Modes of TCSC
TCSC changes the mode from inductive to capacitive, P
suddenly increases because of the reduction of the total t
inductive line reactance. Hence, the acceleration of the
generator decreases. Decreasing the acceleration and C
deceleration of the rotational generator, POD is achieved. Fig. 11.3. POD by a TCSC

For smooth POD as the damped power in Fig. 11.1, closed-loop control has to be applied on the TCSC,
for example, using PID or lead-lag compensation control, to vary XC smoothly, and to regulate and
stabilise angular speed of the rotational generator.

11.3. Power Oscillation Damping by Variable Source Types Series Compensators

Previous chapters have mentioned that variable source Rotational P
series compensators, mainly static series synchronous V1 V2
Generator Vq
compensators (SSSC), are strong in not only power XL
flow control and line impedance compensation but
also power oscillation damping (POD). Fig. 11.4
SSSC

shows a diagram of an SSSC connected to a power

transmission line with a rotational generator for POD.
POD can be achieved with an SSSC by modulating the
series reactance of the power transmission line to
increase and decrease the transmitted power. The total
Fig. 11.4. An SSSC in a power transmission
line reactance is varied by injecting a closed-loop
system with a rotational generator
controlled variable compensating voltage, Vq, with 90°
lagging or leading to the line current, I. The SSSC is
in inductive mode when Vq is 90° leading to I for decreasing P, and is in capacitive mode when Vq is 90°
lagging to I for increasing P. The compensating reactance of the SSSC is:
Vq
XC   j for Vq is 90° leading or lagging to I (11.2)
I
Other than compensating line reactance of a transmission line, connecting the DC link of an SSSC to an
external power source, oscillating power can be damped by absorbing and supplying real power from the

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 THE HONG KONG
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___
Department of Electrical Engineering

power line. In this case, the SSSC acts as a virtual positive and negative real impedance, respectively.
Under suitable closed-loop control of the SSSC, the output power of the rotational generator increases
and decreases in an appropriate manner for damping the oscillating the generator and power. Illustrating
this method, the variable Vq is 180° out of phase with the line current as a virtual positive real impedance
for absorbing and decreasing real power so that P decreases. Vq is in phase with the line current for as a
virtual negative real impedance for supplying real power and increasing P. For ideal components of the
SSSC, the total output real power of the SSSC is zero in a whole POD process. Controlling both the
voltage level and the angle of Vq, the SSSC can damp power oscillation by using this real impedance
modulation method together with the line reactance modulation method.

11.4. Power Oscillation Damping by Unified Power Flow Controller

A unified power flow controller (UPFC) is constructed with a STATCOM and a SSSC sharing the same
DC link capacitor. Because of the SSSC, UPFC can be applied for POD. Fig. 11.5 shows a diagram of
an UPFC in a power transmission system with a rotational generator for POD. With the STATCOM part
balancing real power of the SSSC part, methods for POD with an UPFC are the same as those with an
SSSC.

Rotational P V2
Generator V1
Vq XL

UPFC
+

STATCOM SSSC
Fig. 11.5. An UPFC in a power transmission system with a rotational generator

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