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Section 1.4 Computers in Power System Engineering

Digital computers and computer programs are used to assist power system engineers in planning. These programs include power flow, stability, short-circuit, and transients programs. Power flow programs compute voltage magnitudes, phase angles, and transmission line power flows under steady state conditions. Stability programs study power systems under disturbance conditions to determine if generators remain synchronized. Short-circuits programs compute fault currents to select circuit breakers and relays. Transients programs compute transient overvoltages and currents from lightning and switching to determine insulation and protection requirements.

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49 views

Section 1.4 Computers in Power System Engineering

Digital computers and computer programs are used to assist power system engineers in planning. These programs include power flow, stability, short-circuit, and transients programs. Power flow programs compute voltage magnitudes, phase angles, and transmission line power flows under steady state conditions. Stability programs study power systems under disturbance conditions to determine if generators remain synchronized. Short-circuits programs compute fault currents to select circuit breakers and relays. Transients programs compute transient overvoltages and currents from lightning and switching to determine insulation and protection requirements.

Uploaded by

Goyal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SECTION 1.

4 COMPUTERS IN POWER SYSTEM ENGINEERING 23

normal and abnormal operating conditions, peak and o¤-peak loadings, and
present and future years of operation. A large volume of network data must
also be collected and accurately handled. To assist the engineer in this power
system planning, digital computers and highly developed computer programs
are used. Such programs include power-flow, stability, short-circuit, and tran-
sients programs.
Power-flow programs compute the voltage magnitudes, phase angles, and
transmission-line power flows for a network under steady-state operating con-
ditions. Other results, including transformer tap settings and generator reactive
power outputs, are also computed. Today’s computers have su‰cient storage
and speed to e‰ciently compute power-flow solutions for networks with
100,000 buses and 150,000 transmission lines. High-speed printers then print
out the complete solution in tabular form for analysis by the planning engi-
neer. Also available are interactive power-flow programs, whereby power-flow
results are displayed on computer screens in the form of single-line diagrams;
the engineer uses these to modify the network with a mouse or from a key-
board and can readily visualize the results. The computer’s large storage and
high-speed capabilities allow the engineer to run the many di¤erent cases nec-
essary to analyze and design transmission and generation-expansion options.
Stability programs are used to study power systems under disturbance
conditions to determine whether synchronous generators and motors remain
in synchronism. System disturbances can be caused by the sudden loss of a
generator or transmission line, by sudden load increases or decreases, and by
short circuits and switching operations. The stability program combines
power-flow equations and machine-dynamic equations to compute the angu-
lar swings of machines during disturbances. The program also computes crit-
ical clearing times for network faults, and allows the engineer to investigate
the e¤ects of various machine parameters, network modifications, distur-
bance types, and control schemes.
Short-circuits programs are used to compute three-phase and line-to-
ground faults in power system networks in order to select circuit breakers for
fault interruption, select relays that detect faults and control circuit breakers,
and determine relay settings. Short-circuit currents are computed for each
relay and circuit-breaker location, and for various system-operating con-
ditions such as lines or generating units out of service, in order to determine
minimum and maximum fault currents.
Transients programs compute the magnitudes and shapes of transient over-
voltages and currents that result from lightning strikes and line-switching oper-
ations. The planning engineer uses the results of a transients program to deter-
mine insulation requirements for lines, transformers, and other equipment, and to
select surge arresters that protect equipment against transient overvoltages.
Other computer programs for power system planning include relay-
coordination programs and distribution-circuits programs. Computer pro-
grams for generation-expansion planning include reliability analysis and
loss-of-load probability (LOLP) programs, production cost programs, and
investment cost programs.

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