Power flow

Introduction

The power flow is a numerical analysis of the flow of electric power in an interconnected system, where that system is considered to be in normal steady-state operation. Power flow or load flow studies are important for planning future expansion of power systems as well as in determining the best operation of existing systems. The principal information obtained from the power flow study is the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage at each bus, and the real and reactive power flowing in each line. In this page we’ll go into some details about what are the inputs and outputs of a load flow simulation, what is expected from a power flow result, how the validation feature of PowSyBl works, what power flow implementations are compatible with PowSyBl, and how to configure PowSyBl for the different implementations.

Inputs

The only input for a power flow simulation is a network and optionally a set of parameters.

Outputs

The power flow simulation outputs consists of:

  • A network, which has been modified based on the simulation results. The modified variables are the active and reactive power at the terminals, the voltage and angle at all buses and taps.
  • A global status which is equal to true if at least one of the component of the network has converged, false otherwise.
  • Detailed results per synchronous component: a convergence status, the number of iterations (could be equal to -1 if not relevant for a specific implementation), the selected slack bus (the bus at which the power balance has been done) and active power mismatch at slack bus.
  • Some metrics regarding the computation. Depending on the load flow implementation the content of these metrics may vary.
  • Logs in a simulator specific format.

Implementations

The following power flow implementations are supported:

Configuration

You first need to choose which implementation to use in your configuration file:

load-flow:
  default-impl-name: "<IMPLEMENTATION_NAME>"

Each implementation is identified by its name, that may be unique in the classpath:

  • use “OpenLoadFlow” to use PowSyBl OpenLoadFlow
  • use “DynaFlow” to use DynaFlow implementation

Parameters

Then, configure some generic parameters for all load flow implementations:

load-flow-default-parameters:
    dc: false
    voltageInitMode: UNIFORM_VALUES
    distributedSlack: true
    balanceType: PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_P_MAX
    countriesToBalance:
      - FR
      - BE
    readSlackBus: false
    writeSlackBus: false
    useReactiveLimits: true
    phaseShifterRegulationOn: false
    transformerVoltageControlOn: false
    shuntCompensatorVoltageControlOn: false
    connectedComponentMode: MAIN
    twtSplitShuntAdmittance: false
    dcUseTransformerRatio: true
    dcPowerFactor: 1.0

The parameters may also be overridden with a JSON file, in which case the configuration will look like:

{
  "version": "1.8",
  "dc": false,
  "voltageInitMode": "UNIFORM_VALUES",
  "distributedSlack": true,
  "balanceType": "PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_P_MAX",
  "countriesToBalance": ["FR", "BE"],
  "readSlackBus": false,
  "writeSlackBus": false,
  "useReactiveLimits": true,
  "phaseShifterRegulationOn": false,
  "transformerVoltageControlOn": false,
  "shuntCompensatorVoltageControlOn": false,
  "connectedComponentMode": "MAIN",
  "twtSplitShuntAdmittance": false,
  "dcUseTransformerRatio": true,
  "dcPowerFactor": 1.0
}

Available parameters

dc
The dc property is an optional property that defines if you want to run an AC power flow (false) or a DC power flow (true).
The default value is false.

voltageInitMode
The voltageInitMode property is an optional property that defines the policy used by the load flow to initialize the voltage values. The available values are:

  • UNIFORM_VALUES: \(v = 1pu\), \(\theta = 0\)
  • PREVIOUS_VALUES: use previous computed value from the network
  • DC_VALUES: \(v = 1pu\), \(\theta\) initialized using a DC load flow

The default value is UNIFORM_VALUES.

distributedSlack
The distributedSlack property is an optional property that defines if the active power mismatch is distributed over the network or not.
The default value is true.

balanceType
The balanceType property is an optional property that defines, if distributedSlack parameter is set to true, how to manage the distribution. Several algorithms are supported. All algorithms follow the same scheme: only some elements are participating in the slack distribution, with a given participation factor. Three options are available:

  • If using PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_P_MAX then the participating elements are the generators. The participation factor is computed using the maximum active power target \(MaxP\) and the active power control droop. The default droop value is 4. If present, the simulator uses the droop of the generator given by the active power control extension.
  • If using PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_P then the participating elements are the generators. The participation factor is computed using the active power set point \(TargetP\).
  • If using PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_REMAINING_MARGIN then the participating elements are the generators. The participation factor is computed using the difference between the maximum active power target \(MaxP\) with active power set point \(TargetP\).
  • If using PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_PARTICIPATION_FACTOR then the participating elements are the generators. The simulator uses the participation factors of the generators given by the active power control extension.
  • If using PROPORTIONAL_TO_LOAD then the participating elements are the loads. The participation factor is computed using the active power \(P0\).
  • If using PROPORTIONAL_TO_CONFORM_LOAD then the participating elements are the loads which have a conform active power part. The participation factor is computed using the load detail extension, which specifies the variable and the fixed parts of \(P0\). The slack is distributed only on loads that have a variable part. If the extension is not available on a load, the whole \(P0\) is considered as a variable.

This default value is PROPORTIONAL_TO_GENERATION_P_MAX.

countriesToBalance
The countriesToBalance property is an optional property that defines the list of ISO-3166 country which participating elements are used for slack distribution. If the slack is distributed but this parameter is not set, the slack distribution is performed over all countries present in the network.

readSlackBus
The readSlackBus is an optional property that defines if the slack bus has to be selected in the network through the slack terminal extension.
The default value is false.

writeSlackBus
The writeSlackBus is an optional property that says if the slack bus has to be written in the network using the slack terminal extension after a load flow computation.
The default value is false.

useReactiveLimits
The useReactiveLimits property is an optional property that defines whether the load flow should take into account equipment’s reactive limits. Applies to generators, batteries, static VAR compensators, dangling lines, and HVDC VSCs.
The default value is true.

phaseShifterRegulationOn
The phaseShifterRegulationOn property is an optional property that defines whether phase shifter regulating controls should be simulated in the load flow.
The default value is false.

transformerVoltageControlOn
The transformerVoltageControlOn property is an optional property that defines whether transformer voltage regulating controls should be simulated in the load flow.
The default value is false.

shuntCompensatorVoltageControlOn
The shuntCompensatorVoltageControlOn property is an optional property that defines whether shunt compensator voltage regulating controls should be simulated in the load flow.
The default value is false.

connectedComponentMode
The connectedComponentMode property is an optional property that defines if the power flow has to be computed over all connected component (choose ALL mode) or just on the main connected component (choose MAIN mode).
The default value of this parameter is MAIN.

twtSplitShuntAdmittance
The twtSplitShuntAdmittance property is an optional property that defines whether the shunt admittance is split at each side of the serie impedance for transformers.
The default value is false.

dcUseTransformerRatio
The dcUseTransformerRatio property is an optional property that defines if ratio of transformers should be used in the flow equations in a DC power flow.
The default value of this parameter is true.

dcPowerFactor
The dcPowerFactor property is an optional property that defines the power factor used to convert current limits into active power limits in DC calculations.
The default value is 1.0.

Specific parameters

Some implementation use specific parameters that can be defined in the configuration file or in the JSON parameters file:

Validation

A load flow result is considered acceptable if it describes a feasible steady-state of a power system given its physics and its logics. More practically, generations of practitioners have set quasi-standard ways to describe them that makes it possible to define precise rules. They are described below for the different elements of the network.

Buses

The first law of Kirchhoff must be satisfied for every bus for active and reactive power:

\[\begin{align*} & \left| \sum_{branches} P + \sum_{injections} P \right| \leq \epsilon \\ & \left| \sum_{branches} Q + \sum_{injections} Q \right| \leq \epsilon \\ \end{align*}\]

Branches

Lines and two windings transformers are converted into classical PI models:

    V1*exp(j*theta1)     rho1*exp(j*alpha1)             r+j*x              rho2*exp(j*alpha2)   V2*exp(j*theta2)
        (P1,Q1)->      ____O/O__________________________-----__________________________O/O_____     <-(P2,Q2)
                                            |           -----           |
                                  g1+j*b1  |_|                         |_| g2+j*b2
                                            |                           |
                                           _|_                         _|_
                                            _                           _
                                            .                           .
  • Power flow results:
    • \((\|V_1\|, \theta_1)\) and \((\|V_2\|, \theta_2)\): Magnitude (kV) and angle (\(°\)) of the voltage at the sides 1 and 2, respectively.
    • \((P_1, Q_1)\) and \((P_2, Q_2)\): Active power (MW) and reactive power (MVAr) injected in the branch on each side.
  • Characteristics:
    • \((\rho_1, \alpha_1)\) and \((\rho_2, \alpha_2)\): Magnitude (no unit) and angle (\(°\)) of the ideal transformers ratios on each side.
    • \((g_1, b_1)\) and \((g_2, b_2)\): Complex shunt impedance on each side (S).
    • \((r, x)\): Complex series impedance \((\Omega)\).

Thanks to Kirchhoff laws (see the line and 2-winding transformer documentation), estimations of powers are computed according to the voltages and the characteristics of the branch:

\[(P_1^{calc}, Q_1^{calc}, P_2^{calc}, Q_2^{calc}) = f(\text{Voltages}, \text{Characteristics})\]

Three-windings transformers

To be implemented, based on a conversion into 3 two-windings transformers.

Generators

Active power

There may be an imbalance between the sum of generator active power setpoints \(\text{targetP}\) on one side and consumption and losses on the other side, after the load flow optimization process. Note that, if it is possible to modify the setpoints during the computation (for example if the results were computed by an Optimal Power Flow and not a Power Flow), there should be no imbalance left.

In case of an imbalance between the sum of generator active power setpoints \(\text{targetP}\) on one side and consumption and losses on the other side, the generation \(P\) of some units has to be adjusted. The adjustment is done by modifying the generation of the generators connected to the slack node of the network. It may also be done by modifying the loads connected to the slack node. The slack node is a computation point designated to be the place where adjustments are done.

This way of performing the adjustment is the simplest solution from a mathematical point of view, but it presents several drawbacks. In particular, it may not be enough in case of a large imbalance. This is why other schemes have been developed, called “distributed slack nodes”.

Generators or loads are usually adjusted proportionally to a shift function to be defined. Three keys have been retained for the validation (\(g\) is a generator): Usual ways of defining this function, for each equipment that may be involved in the compensation (generator or load), read:

  • proportional to \(P_{max}\): \(F = f \times P_{max}\)
  • proportional to \({targetP}\): \(F = f \times targetP\)
  • proportional to \(P_{diff}\): \(F = f (P_{max} - targetP)\)

\(f\) is a participation factor, per unit. For example, a usual definition is: \(f\in\{0,1\}\): either the unit participates or not. The adjustment is then done by doing: \(P <- P \times \hat{K} \times F\) where \(\hat{K}\) is a proportionality factor, usually defined for each unit by \(\dfrac{P_{max}}{\sum{F}}\), \(\dfrac{targetP}{\sum{F}}\) or \(\dfrac{P_{diff}}{\sum{F}}\) depending on the adjustment mode (the sums run over all the units participating to the compensation).

Voltage and reactive power

If the voltage regulation is deactivated, it is expected that:

\[\left| targetQ - Q \right| < \epsilon\]

If the voltage regulation is activated, the generator is modeled as a \(PV\) node. The voltage target should be reached, except if reactive bounds are hit. Then, the generator is switched to \(PQ\) node and the reactive power should be equal to a limit. Mathematically speaking, one of the following 3 conditions should be met:

\[\begin{align*} |V - targetV| & \leq && \epsilon && \& && minQ & \leq & Q \leq maxQ \\ V - targetV & < & -& \epsilon && \& && |Q-maxQ| & \leq & \epsilon \\ targetV - V & < && \epsilon && \& && |Q-minQ| & \leq & \epsilon \\ \end{align*}\]

Loads

To be implemented, with tests similar to generators with voltage regulation.

Shunts

A shunt is expected not to generate or absorb active power:

\[\left| P \right| < \epsilon\]

A shunt is expected to generate reactive power according to the number of activated sections and to the susceptance per section \(B\): \(\left| Q + \text{#sections} * B V^2 \right| < \epsilon\)

Static VAR Compensators

Static VAR Compensators behave like generators producing 0 active power except that their reactive bounds are expressed in susceptance, so that they are voltage dependent.

\(targetP = 0\) MW

  • If the regulation mode is OFF, then \(targetQ\) is constant
  • If the regulation mode is REACTIVE_POWER, it behaves like a generator without voltage regulation
  • If the regulation mode is VOLTAGE, it behaves like a generator with voltage regulation with the following bounds (dependent on the voltage, which is not the case for generators): \(minQ = - Bmax * V^2\) and \(maxQ = - Bmin V^2\)

HVDC lines

To be done.

VSC

VSC converter stations behave like generators with the additional constraints that the sum of active power on converter stations paired by a cable is equal to the losses on the converter stations plus the losses on the cable.

LCC

To be done.

Transformers with a ratio tap changer

Transformers with a ratio tap changer have a tap with a finite discrete number of position that allows to change their transformer ratio. Let’s assume that the logic is based on deadband: if the deviation between the measurement and the setpoint is higher than the deadband width, the tap position is increased or decreased by one unit.

As a result, a state is a steady state only if the regulated value is within the deadband or if the tap position is at minimum or maximum: this corresponds to a valid load flow result for the ratio tap changers tap positions.

Going further

To go further about the power flow with PowSyBl, check the following pages: