A fast method for detecting limit-induced bifurcation in electric power systems

In this paper, the foundations of limit-induced bifurcations (LIB), which usually occur with the violation of limits of reactive power generation, are revisited and further developed to derive a fast method for detecting their occurrence. A numerical scheme, which only requires simple algebraic manipulation and the computational cost of solving a linear system of equations, is proposed for fast computation of LIB. This scheme is combined with the look-ahead prediction method to provide a high quality approximation of load margin and fast assessment of voltage stability taking into consideration the possibility of occurrence of not only saddle-node bifurcations but also LIB. The proposed voltage stability assessment tool is evaluated on the IEEE 118-bus system with successful results. (AU)