Novel models of power system components for implicit solution of the adjusted power flow problem

The solution of the adjusted power flow problem involves handling power system components whose control characteristics possess operational limits. Examples include generator reactive power limits, tap-changing and phase-shifting transformers, and FACTS devices. While the conventional method involves checking for limit violations in an outer loop drawn around the unadjusted power flow problem being solved by the Newton-Raphson (NR) method, for iterative processes, it is desirable to have smooth, continuously differentiable models implicitly handled within a single loop. A novel formulation for a subset of devices is presented for implicit handling within power flow. The steady state characteristics of tap-changing and phase-shifting transformers, and FACTS devices SVC and STATCOM, can be described using the “cut function”, a piecewise linear function traditionally employed in neural networks. A new approximation of the cut function is used for formulating novel equations describing the steady state characteristics. An augmented set of equations is formed and solved by the NR method, eliminating the need of an outer loop. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated by employing it for plotting bus voltage profiles and determining maximum loadability of test systems. Comparisons with the conventional method show that significant savings in computation can be achieved.