Electrical Systems and Safety

Electrical Systems Protection

Seminar Week-2
Per-Unit Method of Calculations
SEE 716

Unit Chair: Dr. Nasser Hosseinzadeh

School of Engineering, Deakin University, Australia
Per Unit System
• Analyzing interconnected power system having different voltage levels
requires transformation of all impedances to a single voltage level.

• This large computational work can be avoided by utilizing

the per unit system. Physical quantities such as power,
voltage, current and impedance are normalized versus base
quantities.
• The per unit value of any quantity is defined as
Actual quantity
Quantity in per unit = (1)
Base value of quantity
For example:
S V
S p.u = V p.u = I p.u =
I
SB VB IB

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Per Unit System in three-phase circuits
• Four base quantities are required : power, voltage, current and impedance.
However, two of these quantities are dependent on the other two.
• Usually, SB (or MVAB ) and the line to line voltage VB (or kVB ) are selected.
• Base current and Base impedance are then dependent on SB and VB and
must obey the circuit laws. These are given by
SB VB / 3
IB = (2) and ZB = (3)
3  VB IB

• Substituting for IB from (2), the base impedance becomes

ZB =
(V )
B
2

 ZB =
(kV )
B
2
(4)
SB MVAB

S pu = Vpu I *pu (5) Vpu = Z pu I pu (6)

• The phase and line quantities expressed in per unit are the same.
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Load expressed in per unit impedance
• Usually, load is expressed as P+jQ. We can express it by a per unit
impedance at its rated voltage.
If SL(3ø) is the complex load power, the phase voltage is Vp , and the load phase
current is Ip, then S = 3V I * (8)
L ( 3 ) P P

The phase current in terms of ohmic load impedance is

2 2
V V 3V V
IP = P and Z L = P = * P = L*− L (9) {Using Ip from equation (8)}
ZL I P S L( 3 ) S L( 3 )

Then, using (9) and (4), the load impedance in per unit is
2

Z pu
Z V
= L = L−L
SB
(10) ZB =
(VB )
2

ZB VB S L* (3 ) (4)
SB
2
V S
The load V pu V p.u = S p.u =
impedance: Z pu = * (11) VB SB
S L ( pu )

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Per Unit System – choose of Base values
• The impedance of individual generators and transformers, as supplied by the
manufacturer, are generally in terms of percent or per unit quantities based on their
own ratings.
• The impedance of transmission lines are usually expressed by their ohmic values.
• For power system analysis, all impedances must be expressed in per unit on a common
system base.

• To accomplish this, an arbitrary base for apparent power is selected; for example
100MVA. Then, the voltage is selected for a point in a system; the remaining voltage
bases are no longer independent; they are determined by the various transformer
voltage ratios. For example; if on a low voltage side of a 34.5/115 kV transformer the
base voltage of 36 kV is selected, the base voltage on the high voltage side must be
36(115/34.5) kV.
However, normally, nominal value of voltage at a point is selected as the base voltage for
that point, and other base voltages are determined based on the transformers’ voltage
ratios.

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Change of base – pu impedance in the new base
Let, Z old old old
pu be per unit impedance on the power base S B and the voltgae baseVB

ZL S Bold =
(VB )
2

Z old
pu = old = Z L old 2 (12) ZB
SB
ZB (VB )
▪ Expressing ZL to a new power base and a new voltage base, results in the
new per unit impedance

ZL S new
=
(VB )
2
new
Z pu = = Z L
B
(13)
ZB
SB
Z Bnew (V ) B
new 2

▪ From (12) and (13), the relationship between the old and the new per unit
values is
2
S new
 VBold 
new
Z pu = Z pu
old B
old
 new  (14)
S B  VB 
▪ If the voltage bases are the same S Bnew
new
Z pu = Z pu
old
(15)
S Bold
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Advantages of Per Unit system
• The per unit system gives us a clear idea of relative magnitudes of
various quantities, such as voltage, current, power and impedance.
• The per unit impedances of equipment based on their own ratings fall
in a narrow range regardless of the rating of the equipment. Whereas
their impedance in ohms vary greatly with the ratings.
• The per unit values of impedance, voltage and current of a
transformer are the same regardless of whether they are referred to
primary or secondary side. This is a great advantage since different
voltage levels disappear and the entire system reduces to a system of
simple impedance.
• The per unit systems are ideal for the computerized analysis and
simulation of complex power system problems.
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Tutorials
▪ Question-1
The reactance (Xg) of a generator is given to be 0.25 p.u. based on the
nameplate rating of 18 kV ( L to L) and 500MVA (3 phase).
However, the base values used for Network calculations are 20kV (L to
L) and 100MVA ( 3phase). Answer the following:

a. Convert Xg into actual value

b. Express Xg in p.u. using the network (new) base
c. Verify the result using the equation for change of bases
d. Calculate the inductance value (Lg) in p.u. on the network bases

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Solution Q-1
▪ Calculating actual value of Xg:
(a)
The base values based on the rating of the generator are given
below:
S3phase = 500MVA, VLLbase = 18 kV

Zbase = (VLLbase)2/(S3phase) = (18kV x 18kV)/500MVA = 0.648 Ω

The actual reactance of the generator (Xg-act) = 0.25 x 0.648 =

0.162 Ω

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Solution Q-1
▪ Xg in per unit in the new base
(b)
The given base values for the network are:

S3phase = 100MVA, VLLbase = 20 kV

Zbase = (VLLbase)2/(S3phase) = (20kV x 20kV)/100MVA = 4.0 Ω

The generator reactance in p.u. based on network base is

Xg-pu(new) = Xg-actual /Zbase = 0.162/4.0 = 0.0405 p.u.

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Solution Q-1
▪ Verification of the formula
(c)
Let us use the generator ratings as ‘old’ base and
the network base values as ‘new’ bases. Hence,
we can calculate the per unit impedance values
based on network (new) bases
𝑋𝑔−𝑝𝑢(𝑛𝑒𝑤) =
= 0.25 (100/500)(18/20)2 =0.0405 p.u.

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Solution Q-1
▪ Determining Lg in per unit
(d)
Consider operating frequency is 50Hz, therefore actual value of inductance is
X L = L = 2fL
Lg-act = Xg-act /(2πf) = 0.162/(314.16) = 0.00051566 H L=
XL
2f

Similarly, the network base value for inductance is given by

1 1
XC = − =−
C 2fC
1
Lbase = Zbase /(2πf) = 4.0/(314.16) = 0.01273 H C=−
2fX C

Hence per unit value of inductance is given by:

Lg-pu = Lg-act/Lbase = 0.00051566/0.01273 = 0.040507 p.u.

▪ It is interesting to note that per unit value of reactance is same as
per unit value of inductance.

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Tutorial: per unit calculations for a power system
▪ Question-2
The single line diagram of a three phase power system is shown in the
figure. Select a common base of 100 MVA and 22 kV on Bus 1. The
manufacturers’ data for each device is given as follows:

Fig. Single line diagram

The three phase load at bus 4 absorbs 57 MVA, 0.6 power factor lagging at 10.45 kV.
Line 1 and line 2 have reactances of 48.4 Ω and 65.43 Ω, respectively.
Draw an impedance diagram with all impedances (including the load
impedance) marked in per unit.

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Solution Q-2
▪ Determining voltage bases for all sections of the network
▪ VB1 = 22 kV

V1 N1
=
V2 N 2

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Solution Q-3
▪ Calculating per-unit reactances in the system base

are

If the voltage bases are same

S Bnew
Z new
pu =Z old
pu
S Bold

2
S Bnew  VBold 
Z new
=Z old
 
S Bold  VBnew 
pu pu

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Solution Q-3
▪ Line and load per unit impedances

ZB =
(VB )
2

SB

 ZB =
(kVB )
2

MVAB

(Using Eq. (11) in Slide 31)

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Solution Q-3
▪ Final answer

Per unit equivalent circuit

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