IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. PWRS-2, No.

2, May 1987

505

SURVEY OF THE SECONDARY VOLTAGE CONTROL IN FRANCE: PRESENT REALIZATION AND INVESTIGATIONS
J.P. PAUL

J.Y. LEOST

J.M. TESSERON, Member IEEE

Electricite de France Direction des Etudes et Recherches Clamart, France

Abstract - The voltage control of the french power system is organized in three hierarchical levels, which concern distinct geographical areas and time constants. The rapid and random variations are compensated by local primary and automatic actions on the generators A.V.Rs, then the slow variations are regulated by the secondary (at regional level) and tertiary (at national level) actions. The paper gives a review of the present regional secondary voltage control, and the prospects for the evolution towards a co-ordinated system, based on a sensitivity matrix model, closed-loop pole assignment and adaptive techniques. Analog and digital simulations are presented.

actions in progress to cope with the evolutions to come and provide a convenient voltage control in the 1990's.

Principles of the french EHV voltage control

In order to achieve the regulation of the voltage within the allowed range, despite the unavoidable variations due to the modifications of demand and generation or to the topology changes, a continuous control of the generators voltage set-points and of the compensation means has been implemented on the french EHV power system. The possible actions have been organized in three hierarchical levels, which concern distinct geographical sizes and time
constants:
- the rapid and random voltage variations are compensated

INTRODUCTION The voltage profile of the french power system is the result of actions performed on voltage sources (generating units and synchronous compensators), and of voltage drops in the transmission lines and transformers, owing to reactive power transfers and reactive losses. Although it may seem quite ordinary to manage to maintain at every moment the voltage of such a large power system within acceptable limits, it is important to observe that such a situation is only possible because suitable decisions were made long before, including design of control systems, investments in local means of reactive power compensation, and elaboration of methods in order to optimize and co-ordinate the use of all possible means. Between today and the day when the decisions were made, the french power system has deeply changed, in particular with the commissionning of a large number of nuclear power stations and the associated development of the 400 kV power system. This evolution is still in progress, and the installed nuclear power capacity will thus increase from 35 GW in 1985 to 54 GW in 1990. zed location of large nuclear units (900 MW, then 1 300 MW, and 1 400 MW units in the future) result in an increase of the electrical distance between generation and loads, in particular when the thermal generating units located close to the loads are shut down owing to their lack of economic interest compared with nuclear power plants. In these conditions, in order to cope with power transfers, the length of the installed 400 kV circuits should reach 20 000 km in 1990, and correlatively a great number of capacitors must be installed at the H.V. bus bars of EHV/HV substations (about 2 000 Mvar have already been installed during the last years).

by local "primary" actions, which are automatically performed to ensure a fast adjustment, mostly by action of the generators automatic voltage controllers (A.V.R.); - the slow and large variations, which are likely to affect a large part of the power system, are dealt with by the coordinated "secondary" (at a regional level) and "tertiary" (at national level) actions. These actions co-ordinate the primary controllers in order to provide an optimized repartition of the production and generation of reactive power, taking security and economical aspects into account. More precisely, the secondary voltage system (french acronym: R.S.T.) dynamically manages the reactive power available in a regional "zone", with a time constant of about 3 minutes; the tertiary control allows a global static control at the national level, and is performed by remote manual action on the settings of the secondary voltage control.

Furthermore, the constraints imposed on the authori-

(R.S.T.), and an experimental integration of H.V. capacitors

in this system. Then, we will present the prospects for the evolution towards a new co-ordinated secondary control (french acronym: C.C.).

This report intends to describe the realization and the performances of the present Secondary Voltage Control

THE PRESENT SECONDARY VOLTAGE CONTROL (R.S.T.) Review of the control principles [1]

The principle of the R.S.T. is to share the power network into distinct geographical parts, called "zones", and Consequently, the purpose of this paper is first to to control the voltage profile separately in each zone by show what are the means used by EDF in 1985 for voltage automatic adjustments of the A.V.Rs of some units (called "controlling generators") located in the zone. These adjustcontrol and what are the obtained results, then to present the ments lead to variations of the reactive power supplied by the controlling units. The size of the adjustments is determined by the difference between a set-point value and the voltage value of a special node in the zone, called "pilotA paper recommended and approved 86 SM 344-6 node", which must be chosen so as to have voltage variations by the IEEE Power System Engineering Committee of representative of the voltage evolutions throughout the zone. the IEEE Power Engineering Society for presentation This condition is fulfilled if the electric distance between the at the IEEE/PES 1986 Summer Meeting, Mexico City, pilot-node and the other nodes is short. It must be stressed Mexico, Jtuly 20 - 25, 1986. Manuscript submitted that two other conditions must be fulfilled to ensure a good February 3, 1986; made available for printing control: April 25, 1986. - sufficient reactive power must be available in the zone; - the electric distance between the pilot node and the Printed in the UI.S.A. nearest adiacent zones must be large enough to prevent 0885-8950/87/0500-0505$01.00 1987 IEEE

506

GENERAL

PRINCIPLE OF CONTROL LOOPS

* N

oc

Vc -Vp dt+p Vc - Vp
Vn

VnElcrcls

Electrical

system te

Fig.

General principle of control loops

(1

400 kV lines 225 kV lines (not shown) * 400 kV pilot-node 225 kV pilot-node C Thermal power plant r Hydroelectric power stat Zone boundary
-

Fig. 2 Secondary voltage control zones

507

undesirable influence between different zones. This condition is generally easily satisfied, with regard to the voltage problem characteristic, which is to be a local problem.
Figure 1 shows how the control is performed. The reactive power of the controlling units is adjusted by two control loops, which are superimposed on the A.V.Rs of these generators. A control signal N (the "R.S.T. zone level") is elaborated from the difference between the pilot-node's measured voltage Vp and the set-point Vc (which can be determined by the tertiary control system), using a proportional integral law. The control signal is elaborated in a dedicated microcomputer located in the regional control centre; then it is transmitted to each controlling unit, to be used as the input of a second control loop (the reactive power loop) which modifies the A.V.R.'s set-point value, taking the possible participation factor Qr of the generator into account, in order to make its reactive power output equal to (N . Qr).

Another possibility, which is presently experimented, is to consider the capacitors as reactive power producers in the same way as the generators, and to include them in the secondary voltage control. To keep a large reactive margin on the generator, it is preferable to switch firstly the capacitors in a zone before modifying the reactive output of the generators, when the pilot-node evolution asks for reactive generation increase; this method provides a supplementary amount of immediately available reactive generation on the units, thus enabling to face more easily outages, which could otherwise lead to a voltage collapse when the generators reach their reactive limits.
An experimentation is presently carried out in a zone (in Normandy), equipped with four capacitors of 30 Mvar each. The control of the capacitors is performed by a dedicated microcomputer in the following way:

centre).

This intermediate control, performed through a reactive power loop, provides a simple co-ordination of the reactive outputs of the different controlling generators. But it must be mentionned that it can lead, under certain conditions, to an unwishable transient behaviour after a sudden disturbance, due to the effect of the time constants of the various control loops (mainly caused by the communication delays of the signals between the generators and the regional

E.H.V./H.V. substation characterized by the lowest voltage. After a time delay (3 minutes), other capacitors can be switched on by the control law if it is required. To counteract any control failure, the capacitors are locally monitored by
voltage relays.
In figure 3, recordings show: - the demand curve in the considered zone during 24 hours;

when the production of reactive power of the generators is near to its limit (this situation is indicated by a high value of the control signal N, with dN/dt positive), a signal is automatically sent to switch on the H.V. capacitor located in the

Behaviour of the R.S.T. in operation

After an experimental implementation which concerned one zone in 1974, Electricite de France decided in 1977 to extend the system to the control of the whole french power system, and the secondary voltage control was commissionned in the first zones in 1979. In 1985, almost the whole french power system has been equipped with the R.S.T., resulting in 27 zones with a total of some 100 thermal controlling generators and 150 hydroelectric ones (see figure 2). The total capacity of the reactive power involved in the secondary voltage control is approximately 30 000 Mvar.
The operating performances confirm the advantages of R.S.T., which are namely a better control of the voltage under normal conditions, and a good co-ordination of the reactive power generation of the controlling units, resulting in a reduction of the stresses on the generators.

- the pilot-node voltage variations (with the set-point Vc in dotted line); - the variations of level N and the capacitors switching

operations;

- the reactive power supplied by a 600 MW unit belonging to the zone.

It can be noticed that the pilot-node voltage is well maintained around its set-point. The capacitors are respectively switched on and off when the load increases and decreases, thus preserving a substantial reactive margin on the generator, as the maximum reactive power supplied by this unit is only 100 Mvar, to be compared with the 290 Mvar maximum possible supply.

Typical results obtained with the present R.S.T. will be presented in the next part of the document, and compared with the performances expected from a new control system, called Co-ordinated Control.
Experimentation of H.V. capacitors control through the
R.S.T. As the capacitors located on the H.V. french power system also play an important part in the control of the voltage and in the compensation of the reactive power, it is interesting, and sometimes necessary, to be able to switch these capacitors on and off, and to co-ordinate these operations with the voltage control, in order to avoid any undesirable interaction between the controlling units and the capacitors.

Finally, this actual in-situ recording emphasizes the good behaviour of the present R.S.T., and the ability to enlarge the R.S.T. action by integrating the H.V. capacitors control.
Needs for an improved regulation
In the present R.S.T., the voltage control areas (the

independant monovariable sub-systems (i.e. the zones). This condition has been fulfilled up to now, which resulted in a good R.S.T.'s behaviour, as was shown previously.

"zones") are assumed to be decoupled; if this condition is fulfilled, the multivariable system (i.e. the french power system) can be dealt with as an aggregation of separate and

On the french power system, the H.V. capacitors can presently be switched either manually, by remote control, or automatically, by using a local criterion such as:
-

getting increasingly dense, simulations have shown that it would become difficult by 1990 to define appropriate zones in some regions, with sufficient homogeneity and independance with regard to voltage control.
The main principle of the present R.S.T. becoming questionnable, E.D.F. has carried out new studies in order to
take the multivariable aspect into account. First, an automatic determination of the control zones is under development, as well as the automatic determination of the best pilotnodes, by using algorithms based on the concept of electrical distance and statistical classification.

However, as the mesh of the french power system is

voltage of the substation where the capacitor is installed;

reactive power losses on the H.V. system and lines feeding the substation.
on

the E.H.V.

508

Secondly, new voltage control algorithms have been studied so as to take the interactions between zones into account, when it is necessary. The result of these second studies, referred to as Co-ordinated Control (C.C.), will now be examined further on in this document.
seeg
7500
--l

THE CO-ORDINATED CONTROL (C.C.)

Functional requirements
Let us consider an area consisting of several zones strongly coupled, which must be co-ordinated. Each zone includes a pilot-node and a number of controlling units.

/- n
I

With:

7000. 650a.
6000, 5520 5000
4500

Vc: vector of set-point values of pilot-nodes Q: vector of reactive power outputs U: vector of generators AVR set-points z: number of pilot-nodes (and zones)
g: number of units gi number of units in
1.
i
A

Vp : vector of voltages at pilot-nodes

zone

4002

'a

.,

, -,.

7.

;..-

Regional demand

curve

(MW)

versus

time (h)

following functional requirements R.:

The new Co-ordinated Control must meet the four

Rl : The pilot-nodes voltages Vp must be regulated around their set values Vc, with controlled dynamics, characterized by an absence of offset and by an aperiodic response, with a fixed time constant chosen between I and 3 minutes in order to avoid any interaction with the primary voltage control. In addition, a decoupling between the voltage Vp evolutions must be ensured.
R2 :The C.C. must warrant an equilibrated distribution of reactive power outputs between the various sets of one zone, with identical dynamics. Namely, the different controlling units of a considered zone must supply an identical per unit reactive power.

233 -' 9
238

i > ro

48

Pilot-node voltage (kV) versus time (h)

R3: The system must take the generators limits into account. In case of lack of reactive power, requirement R 1 has priority, trying to keep a minimum distance between the variables and their set-points.

2I

R4: The system must be able to face the network disturbances, including the slow ones (load changes) and the sudden ones (topology changes), without any degradation of the previous specifications respect.
Modelling
tcopocilors Soiitchiug operaton 0l6/OFF|

,,9 octOber

0otoc

Level variations (p.u.)

versus

time (h)

A20
-20
-60

---,

tA
power

The basic necessity of avoiding any interaction between the primary and secondary voltage control implies to ensure a hierarchical decoupling between A.V.R. control and Co-ordinated Control; this is achieved by a temporal decoupling between these actions. Consequently, the A.V.R. transients must be ignored by the co-ordinated control. As a digital processing of the C.C. algorithms is realized, this remark leads to choose a time sampling period To between 5 and 10 seconds, in order that the network and units evolutions might be expressed in terms of gains only. It must be noticed that this choice of the To value permits to reduce the communication system requirements, and nevertheless to meet the specifications, regarding the slow dynamics of C.C. We will now proceed with the description, for one area, of the power system evolutions around a feasible working point, by using the sensitivity matrixes Cv and Cq, which give, for a first order development and for fixed loads, the variations of reactive output Q and of pilot-nodes voltages Vp, following a variation A U of the A.V.R. set-points. Therefore, we have:

1 -

Havre 2 reactive

output (Mvar) versus time (h)

(1)

AVp = Cv AU

Fig. 3

R.S.T. action in-situ recordings H.V. capacitors switching experiment

AQ= CqAU

This set of equations (1), using the control variable U, will lead to a system design where the reactive loop can be suppressed. The system can be settled in a dedicated area

509
computer, which will directly adjust the A.V.R. set-points of all the controlling units, to meet the functional requirements Ri.

Further to this simplified control law, we must in fact cope with steady-state and transient group limits to reach the objective R3. These limits are expressed as:

Let us underline that the previous model (1) simplifies the network equations, particulary concerning the effects of active power variations or load variations, which appear to the C.C. system as disturbances, in the same way as topology changes. The experience obtained with present R.S.T. allows to think that this does not create deep difficulties.

Qi (Qio, Ui, Pi) S Qi S: Qi (Qio, Ui, Pi), i = I...g

Aui
au

'Aui

Nevertheless, to meet the R4 specification (respect of transient and steady-state specifications R1 and R2 in the largest domain), adaptive techniques have been chosen, in order to impose the on-line identification of Cq and Cv. Although the on-line reliability of adaptive algorithms has long been a critical point, such a solution is now possible without reduction of the C.C. reliability, thanks to the recent progress in stabilization of adaptive technique algorithms (detailed information can be found in reference [2]).
We will now explain the control law principles, based on the estimations Cq and Cv of the matrixes Cq and Cv.

The coefficients AUi and A Ui, and those involved in functions Qi and Qi, depend on units characteristics, and on auxiliaries and units transformers taps. All theses terms are available in the computer, except Pi and Qi which are transmitted at each step.

computation becomes a quadratic minimization problem under these constraints for all units.

To take these bounds into account, the control law

Control law principle

We will assume that the area computer receives the units active and reactive outputs and pilot-node voltages under control.

Finally, to cope entirely with R3 specification, the reactive equations are no more taken into account when a generator reaches its reactive bounds. In these conditions, when there are active constraints, we privilege the voltage aspect, allocating the available reactive power in the best way to minimize IIVc -VP II. RESULTS OBTAINED WITH DIGITAL AND ANALOG MODELLING OF THE POWER SYSTEM
The above algorithms have been tested in two different ways, by using digital and analog modelling of the power system area to be controlled.

To meet the Rl and R2 requirements, the regulator must control the following variables: z pilot-node voltages Vpi, i varying from 1 to z. (g - z) reactive power unbalance variables qilj = Qij Qil where i varies from 1 to z, and j from 2 to gi.
-

Digital modelling The algorithm of the C.C. system has been implemented in the CODYSIL model [3], which is the digital program used by E.D.F. to simulate the long term dynamic response of the power system (this program, which can represent the power system evolution during about one hour, uses a time step of one second). The power system network used to perform the simulations represents the centre of France, where three strongly coupled zones will appear in the early 90's (see figure 4).

(qiI )are0.

The set-points of

(Vpi) are (Vci) and the

set-points of

The control law for these g variables is a closed-loop pole assignment. Assume the estimations Cq and Cv are correctly determined, we obtain an aperiodic response without steady-state offset for V and Q variables, with decoupled outputs and a determined time constant, generally chosen around 80 s for To = 8 s.

M1

studied area VERGE : pilot-nodes

Fig. 4: Network used for Co-ordinated Control studies

510
42C0.0 419.0-

419.6-

19.

41901

40

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560 0

'319.2 1

418.2-

416.
0.0 70.0

418.4 2

408.0

146.0

210.0 2C 0 0

380.0

42.0

40 0

- 030 .0

7.10

418.0
00

70

14.0

210.0

20.O

-------35.0 4. 4101

50

.0

7X1

PNl voltage (kV)

423.5422 420.5-

versus

time (s)
625.01

PNl voltage (kV)

versus

time (s)

A23.5
42 .020.0 41.0

419.0417.5-

416.0-

414.
413i.01-

414.5
413.0

411.5
410.0
4

1.0

7.0

14o0.0

200.0

000.0

350.0

I, ,

4 0.Q

480.0

5000

630.0

700.O

0.0

70.0

140.0

210.0

PN2 voltage (kV)

415.0414.0-

versus

time (s)
414.0
413.0

TEMPS EN SECONDES

080.0

350.0

420.0

400.0

560.0

630.0

7O1.

PN2 voltage (kV)

versus

time (s)

413.0-

412.U-__l 41 ]

412.041110
410.0-

I.0

-----a
-

L-a-

410.0409.0-

406.0

4L090

40.0
407.0
480.0-

40.0 400

480.00.0

70.0

140.C0

10.0

200.0

350)0.0

4.19

490.0

e6.0

60300

7031

O. 0

7Q.0

160.0

210.0

2 .0.0

00.0

4MC.

4%4.C

51, 0

10

720.0

PN3 voltage (kV) versus time (s)

PN3 voltage (kV)

versus

time (s)

Fig. 5a:

Pilot-node voltages evolutions after lines outage Secondary Voltage Control

Fig. 5b:
-

Pilot-node voltages evolutions after lines outage Co-ordinated Control

The studied network consists mainly of five 900 MW units belonging to the three zones (Table I):

TABLE I Description of the studied region

Zones I
2

Figure 5a exhibits clearly the coupling between the different system outputs which would occur during the transient behaviour, if the zones remained equipped with the present R.S.T. The voltages are led back to their set-points after 6 minutes;
on the other hand, the coupling is completely removed by using the adaptive C.C. (figure 5b), which also enables to meet the dynamics requirements (output decoupling, time constant, dynamic performances).

Groups

Pilot-nodes Tabarderie

Dampierre
Belleville
Chinon 2

St Laurent

Verger
Distre

Analog modelling
The algorithms of the co-ordinated control have also been implemented in a real time minicomputer to assess their capability of working in a noisy environment, coping with perturbation arising from power system transients. For this aim, simulations have been performed with the E.D.F.'s Micronetwork (in french, MICRORESEAU), which is an actual small scale model of an electric power system, where the generating units (up to 14) are represented by 3 phase A.C. bv D excitatioh are mnachingesoiteveral kVADoower, driven ne an C. motors and wnere m iIerenT reguia ors tur
o

objective, which is to maintain the voltages of the pilotnodes as close as possible to their set-points. For example, let us compare the voltage evolutions of the three pilot-nodes after a line outage:

Figure 5 shows that the C.C. system meets its first

represented by analog computers.

In this case, the studied power system consisted of three generators (GI, G2, G3), 15 transmission lines, and two pilot-nodes PNI and PN2.

For this example, the general requirements Ri become the particular ones:
-

voltages at the pilot-nodes are to be equal to their setpoints; Gl and G2 have to supply the same reactive level, relating to zone 1.

511 Furthermore, the new synthetic voltage profile control provided at regional level by the Co-ordinated Control would constitute a useful dynamic tool for a future steady-state voltage optimization of third level. Namely, an automatic tertiary control of the Optimum Reactive Power Dispatch type [4] could periodically determine the set-points of a reliable secondary level (which would be the Co-ordinated Control), in order to optimize economy of the power system with respect of security constraints. In such a scheme, the secondary level, performed by the Co-ordinated Control, would contribute to increase the system security between the optimizations, facing all the network disturbances by setting up regularly the set-points of the units AVRs.
This complete voltage control organization, briefly described above, is presently under studies.

Experiments similar to the previous ones were carried out; the obtained results confirm the digital simulations and assess the merits of the new co-ordinated control. For example, let us compare the voltage evolutions of the pilot-nodes and of the reactive power outputs of the units, following a 5 % step applied to PN2 set-point. Figure 6 shows that PN2 reaches its new set-point value after 3 minutes, while PNI voltage is not altered; regarding the reactive power outputs, it is to be noticed that the evolutions of Gl and G2 (which belong to the same zone) are identical, with dynamics similar to those of voltage evolutions.
0. 601

CONCLUSION
The voltage control plays an important role with regard to the economy and reliability of a power system. In particular, the present french Secondary Voltage Control (R.S.T.), which co-ordinates the primary controllers at regional level, gives the dispatchers an easy and reliable means to observe and adjust the voltage profile in a whole geographic zone. Furthermore, integrating the H.V. capacitors into the Secondary Control action could still improve security, by keeping a larger reactive margin on the controlling units of a given zone; such an experiment is presently in progress.

O.030

PN2

O.1d0
I.V

H
. '-I@v--f-

.PNI

a1d
-d.d20

IV EPZI

e arwa 7.-LA s-&

I..
00.0d

... ..

..

.f .

.f .f

- fI Ia

..

...

... 1 ....IIII-

- -,

I0.

170.00

200.00

330.00

410.00

PN1 and PN2 voltages (p.u.)

Ft. 520

versus

time (s)

P. 440
0.

360

Nevertheless, E.D.F. has engaged investigations in secondary voltage control evolution, in order to cope with the increasingly dense mesh of the power system in the early 90's. The aim of the investigated Co-ordinated Control is to take the interactions between adjacent zones into account. The studied algorithm, which includes use of adaptive techniques, provides an efficient means for transient voltage and reactive power control, so as to face normal and outage conditions; this can be performed without needing precise and reliable information about the power system topology, nor voltage measurements in many substations. Simultations have shown that the specifications seem to be met. If these conclusions were confirmed by an experiment in a zone, which might be decided in 1987, the Co-ordinated Control could be an interesting evolution of the present R.S.T. in the regions where this system will reach its functional limits. REFERENCES

0.200

0P. 200
1

0.040
-0.040
-0
1

[1] J.P. Barret, F. Maury, G. Cotto, "Reglage de la tension",

CIGRE
-

IFAC, Florence 1983.

.,i
10.00

[2] E. Irving, "Commande adaptative", Ecole Superieure

90.80

170.00

250.0.

33

.0

410

00R

d'Electricite 1985.

Gl, G2, G3 reactive

power

outputs (p.u.) versus time (s)

Fig. 6:

Temporal evolution for a 5 % PN2 set-point step MICRORESEAU simulation

[3] G. Pioger, G. Testud, "Long term dynamic behaviour of the network. Quality of supplied energy sollicitations supported by power plants", IFAC, Calcutta 1979. [4] J.L. Carpentier, "Optimal Power flows: uses, methods and developments", IFAC, Rio de Janeiro 1985.

A great number of other digital and analog simulations have been carried out, and their results confirm the C.C.'s ability to meet the functional requirements Ri.

VOLTAGE CONTROL. EVOLUTION

As it was previously stressed, the voltage control calls for a co-ordinated use of all the reactive resources available on the power system. A global strategy is presently studied by E.D.F. The delayed action of switchable H.V. capacitors could be probably easily integrated in the Co-ordinated Control, in a way similar to what was described above for R.S.T. Other means, such as static var compensators, could also be included in the global strategy.