CIGRÉ-134 2012 CIGRÉ Canada Conference

21, rue d’Artois, F-75008 PARIS Hilton Montréal Bonaventure

http : //www.cigre.org Montréal, Québec, September 24-26, 2012

Transient Stability Constrained Optimal Power Flow:

Methods and Challenges

B. JEYASURYA*
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
Memorial University
St. John’s, NL Canada

* [email protected]
SUMMARY

One of the goals of any electric power utility is to provide reliable and uninterrupted service
to its customers. Security is an important aspect of power system reliability. Security is the
ability of the power system to withstand sudden disturbances such as faults or unexpected loss
of system elements and move to an acceptable operating condition. Operation of the
interconnected power system presents many challenges. Building new generation and
transmission facilities are not easy due to economic and environmental constraints. Due to
this, power systems are operated close to their limits. The probability of blackouts during
contingencies is high when the power system is operating under stressed conditions. The
power system should be operated in such a way that the voltage limits and thermal limits of
equipments are not violated. In addition, the possibilities of transient stability and voltage
stability problems must also be considered. Transient stability analysis is an essential part of
power system security analysis. Maintaining the stability of the power system is an important
concern.

Preventive control is one of the useful strategies to enhance the security of the power system
with respect to transient stability. Utilities use optimal power flow (OPF) tools to achieve the
goal of economy in the operation of power systems. Transient stability preventive control can
also be considered as an optimization problem. The transient stability constraints which
satisfy a set of differential equations must be converted to equivalent algebraic equations, that
are suitable for any nonlinear optimization technique. Many different methods have been
proposed to solve the transient stability constrained optimal power flow problem (TSC-OPF)
recently.

This paper considers the available methods in three general categories : Integrating algebraic
and differential equations ; single machine equivalent based method and heuristic
optimization techniques. The focus of the paper is to present an overview of some of the
methods that have been proposed for transient stability constrained optimal power flow as
well as to discuss the challenges for practical implementation of the methods. Case studies
using the New England 10 machine 39 bus power system are presented. The study shows that
it is possible to reschedule generation in such a way to satisfy transient stability constraints

KEYWORDS

Power system transient stability, optimal power flow, preventive control

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I. Introduction

One of the goals of any electric power utility is to provide reliable and uninterrupted
service to its customers. Security is an important aspect of power system reliability. Security
is the ability of the power system to withstand sudden disturbances such as faults or
unexpected loss of system elements and move to an acceptable operating condition. Operation
of the interconnected power system presents many challenges. Building new generation and
transmission facilities are not easy due to economic and environmental constraints. Due to
this, power systems are operated close to their limits. The probability of blackouts during
contingencies is high when the power system is operating under stressed conditions. The
power system should be operated in such a way that the voltage limits and thermal limits of
equipments are not violated. In addition, the possibilities of transient stability and voltage
stability problems must also be considered. The report on the August 14, 2003 blackout in
Canada and U.S. [1] has pointed out that after the outage of a 345 kV transmission line the
power system has moved to an operating condition where it was unable to sustain additional
contingencies. The report highlighted the importance of implementing suitable corrective
actions to return the power system within its operating security limit. Transient stability
analysis is an essential part of power system security analysis.

Different methods have been proposed to solve the transient stability constrained optimal
power flow problem (TSC-OPF). The problem is formulated as an optimization problem
where the objective is to minimize the total fuel cost by rescheduling the available generation
while satisfying the operating constraints and other security constraints. The solution of the
optimization problem must ensure that the synchronous generators maintain stability in
response to a specified contingency and the post-fault operating condition satisfies the
operating limits of the power system. The key challenge of these methods is to include the
stability constraints which are governed by differential equations.

The focus of the paper is to present an overview of some of the methods that have been
proposed for transient stability constrained optimal power flow as well as to discuss the
challenges for practical implementation of the methods. This paper considers the available
methods in three general categories. One group of methods approximates the differential
equations to difference (or algebraic equations). Another group uses the Single Machine
Equivalent (SIME) method to represent the multi-machine system dynamics by a
corresponding One Machine Infinite Bus (OMIB) equivalent. The third group uses heuristic
optimization techniques like particle swarm optimization (PSO), differential evolution
algorithm etc. to solve the problem.

The paper is organized as follows: Section II gives an overview of problem. The three
categories of methods are discussed briefly in section III to V. Section VI presents some
studies using a small power system model. Section VII discusses the possible challenges in
implementation of the proposed methods for on-line security assessment and preventive
control applications. Concluding remarks are provided in section VIII.

II. Problem Formulation

Optimization methods and their applications for power system problems is well-documented
in literature [2, 3]. One of the earliest applications is Optimal Power Flow (OPF). In OPF, the
goal is to adjust power system controls to optimize an objective function while satisfying a set

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of nonlinear equality and inequality constraints. There has been considerable interest in
including transient stability constraints as a part of the OPF problem. The focus is to adjust
the controls of the power system to achieve a specific objective while satisfying transient
stability constraints. In the formulation discussed below, the differential equations that define
the dynamic response of the synchronous generators are converted into equivalent algebraic
equations suitable for the optimization algorithm. The transient stability problem in a power
system is described by the solution of a set of differential-algebraic equations [4]. In the study
presented in this paper, classical generator model is used The synchronous generator is
characterized by a constant voltage E behind a transient reactance Xd’. The load is modeled
by a constant impedance and the equivalent load admittance is included in the admittance
matrix which relates the generator currents and generator internal voltage E. The swing
equation set for generator ‘i’ is

dδ i
= ωi (1)
dt
2 H i d 2δ i
= Pmi − Pei (2)
ω 0 dt 2

In the above equations ωi and δI are the rotor speed and angle of the ith generator; ω0 is the
nominal system frequency in radians per second; Hi is the inertia constant of the ith
generator; Pmi is the mechanical power input which is assumed constant throughout the
simulation period. The electrical power output of the generator Pei depends on the rotor angle
of the generator and other system parameters. Specifically for the optimization problem, the
constraints must be modeled algebraically. Using trapezoidal rule, the equivalent swing
equation set for (1) and (2) are obtained as

n +1 n h n +1 n
δi − δ i − (ω i + ωi ) = 0 (3)
2
h *ω
n+1 n 0 n +1 n
ωi − ωi − ( − Pei + Pei ) = 0 (4)
2 * 2H
i

In (3) and (4) h is the integration step length and n is the integration step counter. The initial
values of the rotor angles must satisfy the basic equations that relate the generator real and
reactive power output to the terminal voltage.

E iVi sin(δ i1 − θ i ) − Pgi X di' = 0 (5)

Vi − EiVi cos(δ − θ i ) + Q gi X
2 1
i
'
di =0 (6)
Pgi and Qgi are the real and reactive power output of the generator ‘i’, Vi is the corresponding
terminal voltage and θi is the angle of terminal voltage with reference to the reference bus. In
considering the dynamic response of the generators, inertia center as a reference frame is
used. The position of the center of inertia (COI) is defined as
ng

∑H δ k k
δ COI = k =1
ng
(7)
∑H
k =1
k

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The summation in (7) is over the total number of generators present in the power system. The
transient stability constraint for each generator is expressed as

δ iCOI
n
= δ in − δ COI
n
≤ 100 ο (8)

Using the above set of equations and the equations corresponding to the steady state operation
of the power system, the Transient Stability Constrained Optimal Power Flow (TSC-OPF) is
formulated as below.

Minimize f (Pg ) (9)

Subject to

Equality constraints

P g − PL − P(V , θ ) = 0 (10)
Q g −Q L − Q(V , θ ) = 0 (11)
and equations (3) to (6) above.

Inequality constraints

S (V , θ ) − S M ≤ 0 (12)
V m ≤V ≤V M (13)
Pg ≤ Pg ≤ Pg
m M
(14)

Qg ≤ Qg ≤ Qg
m M
(15)
and equation (8) above.

In the above formulation,

f is the cost function (in this paper it is the total fuel cost),
Equations (10) and (11) are the active and reactive power flow equations,
Pg and Qg are generator active and reactive power with upper and lower limits,
PL and QL are real and reactive load power demand,
S(V,θ) is a vector for the apparent power flowing through the transmission lines,
The voltage and power must be within specified limits.

The algebraic equations (both equality and inequality constraints) that describe the steady
state response of the power system must be satisfied during the post-fault period as well as in
the steady state prior to the occurrence of the fault. Since most of the equality and inequality
constraints must be considered for each of the integration interval, the above problem poses a
great challenge for the optimization algorithm. Section IV and V present an overview of some
of the alternate approaches to solve this problem.

III. Methods Integrating Algebraic and Differential Equations

One of the earliest researches in this area is reported in [5]. The dynamic equations are
converted to numerically equivalent algebraic equations and then integrated into the standard
OPF formulation. In this approach, the stability constraints such as rotor angle limit, tie-line

5
stability limits etc. can be conveniently controlled in the same way thermal limits are
controlled in the context of conventional OPF. This methodology is built upon the state-of-
the-art OPF and step-by-step integration techniques. To reduce the computation time, specific
implementation techniques are proposed in this paper.

Dynamic security-constrained rescheduling of power systems using trajectory sensitivities is

proposed in [6]. The trajectory sensitivities for each contingency are computed along with the
state of the system dynamics. For each contingency the machine which is vulnerable is
identified and generation is shifted to the least vulnerable generator. Test results based on 2
small power systems show that the proposed technique corrects the dynamically unstable or
marginally stable systems to the stable systems for a set of contingencies. Since this method is
model-independent, it can be applied to systems with any detailed modelling level.

A method that integrates both transient stability and steady state security constraints is
proposed in [7]. This research was motivated by the fact that some methods provide an
optimal solution where the system is secure with respect to stability problems but the resulting
operating condition may not satisfy steady state constraints. Test results are provided using
small power system models. However, only a specific contingency can be considered at a
time to reduce the overall computational requirement.

A recent work [8] proposed a stability constrained generation rescheduling approach for a set
of severe but credible contingencies. The rescheduling is described by a nonlinear
programming problem with stability constraints expressed by a heuristic angle-based
performance index. A technique named ‘backward integration’ is proposed to evaluate the
gradient of the performance index. The stability constraints are expressed by linear
inequalities. The algorithm iteratively solves the programming problem. Study results are
presented for a 1669 bus, 155 generator practical power system.

IV. Single Machine Equivalent (SIME) Method

This method reduces the multimachine system angle trajectories to a single one-machine
infinite bus (OMIB) equivalent angle trajectory. In this model, it is only necessary to stabilize
a single trajectory representing the whole system dynamics. The following section
summarizes the main contributions in this area.

A new global transient stability-constrained OPF approach to transient stability preventive

control of multi-machine power systems is proposed in [9]. The advantages are in the
reduction of the programming problem size and complexity with respect to other approaches.
In this method only a single stability constraint is required. The maximum threshold value to
sustain power system synchronism is updated according to the actual OMIB angle deviation
given by sensitivity analysis. The terms of Jacobian and Hessian are computed analytically,
and their inclusion into the conventional OPF problem is straight forward. The authors expect
the application of this approach to online transient security assessment and control of large
power systems with detailed modelling to be possible.

Another methodology to ensure transient stability is proposed in [10]. It relies on an OPF

model with the transient stability constraints included. These constraints are based on the
SIME method and ensure transient stability of the system against major disturbances. The
OPF model includes discrete time equations describing the time evolution of all the machines

6
in the system and a stability constraint on the OMIB defined by SIME. The prposed method is
investigated on a real-world 1228 bus power system containing 292 synchronous machines.

V. Heuristic Optimization Techniques applied to TSC-OPF

Recently there has been significant interest in the application of heuristic optimization
techniques [11] for power system problems. Particle Swarm Optimization and Differential
Evolution algorithm have been applied for transient stability constrained OPF.

Reference [12] applies particle swarm optimization technique. The particle swarm
optimization concept (PSO) originated as a simulation of a simplified social system. The
potential solutions called particles are then flown through the problem space. The particle
swarm optimization concept consists of, at each time step, changing the velocity
(accelerating) each particle toward its best locations. The constrained poblem is transformed
to an unconstrained one, by penalising the constraints and building a single objective
function, which is minimized using an unconstrained optimization algoithm (PSO in this
case). This reference shows that the run time of the PSO based approach is smaller than that
of a Genetic Algorith base approach.

Differential evolution (DE) algorithm for transient stability constrained optimal power flow is
proposed in [13]. DE has a strong ability in searching global optimal solutions of highly
nonlinear problems. This work proposes a hybrid method for transient stability assessment,
which combines time-domain simulation and transient energy function method. To reduce the
computational burden, several strategies are proposed for the initialization, assessment and
selection of solution individuals in the evolution process of DE.

VI. Case Studies

The single line diagram of the 10 generator, 39 bus power system is shown in Figure 1 [14].
Two separate faults are considered. Fault 1 is a 3 phase fault at bus 29. The fault is cleared in
0.1 seconds (6 cycles) and the transmission line between bus 29 and bus 26 is open in the
post-fault configuration. Fault 2 is a 3 phase fault at bus 21. This fault is cleared in 0.16
seconds and the transmission line between bus 21 and bus 22 is open in the post-fault
configuration. Since the focus of this paper is to provide an overview of different methods,
the results have been taken from a research paper authored by the author and the author’s
graduate student [7]. The goal is to show the difference between conventional OPF and TSC-
OPF with respect to transient stability.
G
28
37
G 29
30 25 26
38
27
G
2 18 24

1
17 16
G

3 35

15
4 21 22
G
39 14
5
6
12 19 23
7
9
31 20 36
11
G 13 33
34 G
8 10
32 G G

Figure 1: The 10-generator, 39-bus system

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A time-domain simulation software [15] is used to determine the variation of the generator
angles. Figure 2 shows the response of the generators close to the fault. Figure 2 shows that
the power system is unstable for the faults considered under the generation schedule given by
focusing on only minimum cost. In addition, it was also noticed that in the post-fault
configuration, the power flow in some of the transmission lines, violate the line limit. For
these studies, the constraints with respect to transient stability and post-fault power flow in
the line are included and a new generation schedule is obtained. This study shows that the
power system is stable for the generation schedules given by the TSC-OPF program even
though the fuel cost is higher compared to the OPF case. Similar results are obtained for fault
2 also.

Figure 2 : Response of Generator at Bus 38 for Fault 1

VII. Challenges for online implementation

Some of the challenges for implementing transient stability constrained OPF in an online
environment are mentioned below.
• For large power systems, the computational requirements of the different methods
significantly increaseince since the number of equality and inequality constraints are
large.
• A solution may satisfy transient stability constraints, but may not be acceptable
considering the stady state performance of the power syatem.
• The solution may be acceptable for one specific contingency but may not give
acceptable solution for other contingencies.
• Since a contingency may not be known ahead of time, developing a method which
gives a satisfactory solution for any of the potential contigencies is a very difficult
task.
• Since most of the equality and inequality constraints must be considered for each of
the integration interval, the above problem poses a great challenge for the optimization
algorithm.
• Many of the methods require parallel computing capabilities to determine an
acceptable solution. The cost for these facilities should be considered as well.
• Most of the research in this area are based in an academic environment. Participation
and contribution by utilities will be valuable for advancing research and applications
in this area.

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VIII. Conclusion

This paper has presented an overview of some of the methods that have been proposed for
transient stability constrained optimal power flow. This is an important topic in the area of
power system dynamic security assessment and preventive control. Some of the possible
barriers to make these methods suitable for online implementation are also discussed.

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) of Canada. The contribution of the author’s Graduate student D. Layden is
gratefully acknowledged.

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