Simulation package implementation for voltage stability problems in power systems

Abstract

The occurrence of instabilities during power system operation can be caused by different phenomena, but it is commonly associated to loss of synchronism among synchronous generators. This characteristic is influenced by the dynamic behavior of the corresponding rotor operation angles. However, instabilities can also occur due to voltage collapse. For instance, an induction machine powered by a long line can lead the grid to an unstable condition because of voltage control issues, despite the fact that the main synchronous generators remain stable concerning their rotor operation angles. In this context, the computational package MATPOWER, based on MATLAB, represents a good option to deal with these simulations in the academic level, because it is free and open-source software. Due to these reasons the MATPOWER has been widely used in the Power Systems Laboratory of UNICAMP to conduct power flow studies, in order to fulfill the objectives of the tematic project number 04/07567-7, granted by FAPESP. The objective of this project is to extend the usage of the MATPOWER to develop a simulation package for voltage stability studies, focusing on different phenomena related to the voltage stability problem. The MATPOWER provides open-source power flow routines that can be employed to develop this additional package. This package will also be an open-source free software that will be mainly used by the researchers in the Power Systems Laboratory and will be available to the academic power system community. Also, it can be adopted in undergraduate and graduate courses to improve lectures related to voltage stability. (AU)