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http://www.cigre.org 38-114
VOLTAGE STABILITY IN POWER SYSTEM: ASSESSMENT AND
CONTROL BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES
by
M. EREMIA* C. BULAC A.I. BULAC I. TRISTIU
University “POLITEHNICA” of Bucharest
(Romania)
Abstract The paper describes EXPERTUQ program
developed as a decision support for power system
stability evaluation and reactive power - voltage
control. The expert system uses two modules. The first
module is an algorithmic C++ module whose role is to
up-date the knowledge data-base. The second module is
a CLIPS heuristic module and its role is to infer the
facts. EXPERTUQ expert system has been tested on the
IEEE 30-bus system and Romanian HV network.
Keywords: Voltage stability, Voltage collapse, Expert
system
1. INTRODUCTION
Taking into consideration the fact that the instability and
voltage collapse phenomena represented the major
causes of severe failures that occurred in the electric
power systems of the United States, France, Belgium,
Sweden, Japan etc., the attention of specialists all over
the world has been focused during the latest decades,
both on defining and understanding these phenomena as
well as on finding high-performance analysis and
assessment means able to identify the most efficient
preventive measures.
The complex aspects related on one side to the
assessment of voltage stability and security and on the
other side to the U-Q specific control strategy, to their
interdependence lead to difficulties in the analysis
method based on digital integration of the differential
algebraic equations system related to the dynamic
model of a power system. Besides the classic methods
based on static models, heuristic techniques of expert
system type are used in compliance with the experience
and knowledge acquired by the specialists in the power
field. The practical advantages of the use of artificial
intelligence (AI) techniques in general and expert
systems (ES) in particular lie in the fact that these ones
* Spl. Independentei No.313, 77206 BUCHAREST
Session 2000
© CIGRÉ
J. TRECAT
Faculté Polytechnique de Mons
(Belgium)
will improve the classic methods contributing in this
way to the increase of computer use efficiency in the
automatic planning and operation activities of power
system.
Based on the theoretical instability and voltage collapse
mechanisms as well as on the specific analysis methods
that allowed the defining of some local and global
indices of voltage stability, the paper presents the
EXPERTUQ data processing system used both in the
research activity and didactic process. For its testing and
validation the paper used IEEE test diagram with 30
nodes, but it was used successfully on a 119 nodes
network (part of Romanian HV network).
2. ASSESSMENT INDICES AND ANALYSIS
METHODS
In a power system, the voltage instability and collapse
phenomena occur on one hand due to the existence of a
maximum power that the transmission network can
deliver to the consumption areas and on the other hand
due to the interactions between the load and the
transmission network. These ones can be modelled by a
differential algebraic equations system (DAE) as
follows:
•
x 1 = f 1 (x 1 , x 2 , u) (1)
0 = f 2 (x 1 , x 2 , u)
where x1 is the vector of the dynamic variables, x2 the
vector of the algebraic variables and u the vector of the
input variables and the parameters.
The equilibrium points are given by the solutions of the
algebraic equations system obtained from the DAE
model (1) by cancelling all derivatives with respect to
time, i.e.:
 f(x, u) = 0 (2)
where f=[f1,f2]t and x=[x1,x2]t.
It is obvious that an x solution of the algebraic equations
system (2) cannot exist for all of the possible values of
u vector components. Consequently, there is a D
domain limited by a hypersurface S, named critical
surface, outside of which there are no equilibrium
points. The points on surface S represent static
bifurcation points in the system evolution and they are
characterised by the Jacobian matrix singularity of
equations system (2) [1], [2].
The methods of voltage stability analysis aimed at
identifying on one side the vulnerable system points and
on the other side the measures necessary to be taken in
order to increase its reliability. Considering these
aspects, they must be sufficiently exact and at the same
time fast so that the operator could take the decisions in
due time during the operating activity. According to the
performed simulation and the test used in order to
estimate the existence of a voltage problem, the analysis
methods can be divided into dynamic and static ones.
Dynamic methods are based on numerical integration of
differential equations (1) in order to simulate the
dynamic behaviour of the power system. Although
offering the most exact results they are not used in the
operating activity of the power systems. Indeed they
require a very long calculation time, do not supply
information regarding the stability degree and reserves
and the results analysis and interpretation must be
performed by specialists in the field. They are used in
the operational planning of the system and development
or within some studies for checking and validation of
static methods for voltage stability assessment. Taking
into consideration the disadvantages of dynamic
methods as well as the slow dynamics specific to
voltage instability and collapse phenomena, static
methods of analysis have been developed[3]. They are
based on load-flow model modified for taking into
consideration the essential factors in the beginning of
voltage instability and collapse or on the dynamic model
linearized around an equilibrium point. They are
sufficiently exact, much faster than the dynamic
methods and they allow the defining of some local or
global indices for voltage stability assessment that can
be used in the operating activity. This paper uses the
mathematical model of the modified load-flow for the
development of EXPERTUQ data processing product
[4].
Therefore, by using the sensitivities analysis method,
the following local indices are computed[5]:
• Sensitivity of nodal voltage to the variation of
reactive power consumed in the node - SU c Qc . Tacking
into consideration the P-V characteristic, the power
system seen from a consuming node c is controllable
and therefore stable, if:
∂Uc
SU Q = <0 (3)
c
∂ Qc
c
• The sensitivity of the reactive power delivered by
the generators to the variation of the reactive power
consumed in a load node:
ng
S Q Q = å ∆Q g , k
g c
(4)
k =1
where ng is the number of the system generators,
represent a local index of the voltage stability.
If the sum of reactive powers additionally delivered by
the generators after an increase of the reactive power
consumption by 1 Mvar in a load node is greater but
close to 1, then the operating point is far from the
critical point. On the other hand if the operating point is
in the vicinity of the critical point, this sum is very
great, practically tending to infinity.
In the EXPERTUQ program, the values SUcQc and SQcQg
are used to assess the controllability of the power
system as well as the risk of reaching the voltage
instability and collapse phenomena, as follows:
− if there is at least a positive value SU Q then the c c
transmission network is not controllable;
− if there are values S Q Q greater than a pre-set
g c
threshold value, then the risk of reaching the voltage
instability and collapse phenomena is high.
Taking into consideration the fact that the occurrence of
voltage instability and collapse phenomena is
characterised by the singularity of the Jacobian matrix as
well as the tight coupling U-Q, the method of the lowest
singular value of the Jacobian reduced matrix
σ min [J R ] [6], was used, for defining a global index able
to monitor the power system. Due to the quasi-
symmetrical structure of this matrix, the set of singular
values and singular associated vectors is practically
identical to the set consisting of its eigenvalues and
eigenvectors related to them. Under these conditions, the
lowest singular value and the singular associated vector
define the most dangerous type of variation U-Q in the
system, and the participation factors of the load nodes at
this variation type is determined by the relation
Pci = u ci v ic where uci and vic are the components of the
singular vectors respectively left and right [1]. Although
the lowest singular value σmin( JR ) represents a global
index of the voltage instability proximity, is presents the
disadvantage that it doesn't offer a precise information
referring to how close is the system to the critical border.
Within the EXPERTUQ system, the singular minimum
value σ0min( JR ) is also calculated for the no load condition
considered to be the most stable [7] and the Voltage
σ (J )
Stability Index VSI = min R is defined. A value of
σ 0 min ( J R )
the VSI index close to 0 points out the fact that the system
is in the vicinity of the critical border, while a value close
to 1 points out the facts that the system is far from it.
Besides the local indices SU Q and S Q Q , other voltage
C C g c
safety indices of the distance type in active power DP
and reactive power DQ, between the current operating
point and the critical surface are also used. In order to
find these distances the consumed active and reactive
nodal powers and the generated active powers are
incremented step by step until the system becomes
instable. The consumption increase can be achieved in a
node, in an area or in the whole system in a predefined
manner, representing the most likely scenarios of the
consumption evolution and the increase of active power
supplied by generators is achieved in compliance with
their participating factors values to covering the
consumption.
In order to determine the power distances in a certain
direction, the standard Newton-Raphson method and a
locally-parameterized continuation method[8] are used
in a complementary manner [1]. The Newton-Raphson
method is used for the calculation of equilibrium points
until a divergent regime is obtained. Further on, the
method of the locally-parametrized continuation is used
for obtaining the critical equilibrium point. From the
point of view of the power system security, within the
operation activities, a special interest is also represented
by distances in power up to the closest critical point.
The method used for their determination relies on the
fact that in the points located on the critical surface, the
Jacobian matrix of the mathematical model used for the
load-flow calculation by Newton-Raphson method has a
null (it is singular) singular value and the left
eigenvector, identical to left eigenvector corresponding
to it, indicates the normal direction at the critical
surface.
At a certain moment, the voltage instability and collapse
phenomena can be determined by the power network
incapability to transmit the power surplus requested by
several consumers due to the fact that it operates in the
vicinity of the maximum transmissible power limit.
Taking into consideration these aspects, an important
stage in the analysis of voltage stability is represented
by the definition of U-Q control areas and the
identification of vulnerable links.
A U-Q control area consists of an area with load and
generating nodes that respond with a similar behaviour,
from the voltage point of view, to disturbances
determined by the load variation. Such an area is
controllable in voltage as long as it disposes of reactive
power reserves and it becomes uncontrollable when all
available U-Q control means reached their limits. In
order to define the control areas, the concept of
vulnerable link is used [9]. In a transmission network, a
vulnerable link is either a line with high impedance, or
an interconnection line that operates in the vicinity of
the maximum transmissible power (highly loaded line).
Such a link can cause the reaching of voltage instability
phenomenon when the power conveyed through it
increases and from this point of view it represents a
weak structural point of the power system.
After the U-Q control areas have been established their
first analysis has to be performed. Under these
conditions, the following have to be determined for
every area: the balance of reactive powers at the border
(the algebraic sum of reactive powers that circulate on
the links with the neighbouring areas) and the reactive
power reserves (the sum of differences between the
maximum powers and the delivered powers of all
reactive power sources in the area: generators,
synchronous compensators, capacitors batteries, static
var compensators).
According to the reactive power balance at the border,
the areas can be classified in areas that export or import
reactive power and according to the reactive power
reserves in controllable areas (with a sufficient reserve of
reactive power), less controllable areas (where the
reactive power reserves are small) and uncontrollable
areas (where there are no reactive power reserves).
3. EXPERTUQ DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM
The EXPERTUQ data processing system is implemented
to assist operators in the sub-area power dispatcher or
National Power Dispatcher in the assessment of voltage
stability and help to take the most efficient decisions
regarding the U-Q control actions that are necessary as a
result of events occurring in the system, e.g. load
increase or network topology modification. It has a
hybrid structure that includes the algorithmic calculation
model, the heuristic model, the interface between them,
the interfaces with the user and the knowledge engineer
as well as the specific data base -primary data bases,
calculation data base and knowledge base (fig.1).
The algorithmic calculation module is implemented in
the programming language C++ and is created to supply
by means of specialised interfaces, the information
regarding the system condition when the analysis is
performed, both to factual knowledge bases related to
the heuristic module and to the user.
Under these conditions, by using the primary data base
that includes information input by the user or directly
acquired from the system by calling specific functions, it
determines:
(i) the operating load-flow conditions using the
Newton-Raphson method;
(ii) the values of the local stability indices SUcQc and
SQcQg;
(iii) the value of global index for the assessment of
voltage stability VSI;
(iv) the nodes participation factors type PQ at the most
dangerous mode of variation U-Q in the system;
(v) the distances in active and reactive power up to
critical surface;
(vi) the control areas U-Q and the vulnerable links.
The heuristic module is created by means of CLIPS
environment for the development of expert system
application type. Besides a high performance inference
engine, forward chaining type, it also allows the
possibility to create relatively easily the interface with
the algorithmic calculation module written in the
programming language C++, as well as the definition of
its own strategies by the knowledge engineer.
It infers the facts from the knowledge base using a
system based on production rules and it has to fulfil the
following tasks:
 Fig. 1. The EXPERTUQ structure

Task S1: Assessment of the voltage stability and risk of and if necessary it requires from the algorithmic model
reaching the voltage instability and collapse to recalculate the values of the sensitivities.
phenomena, using the local stability indices.
Task S2: Establishment of the control areas number and 4. CASE STUDY
their characteristics.
By using the reactive powers balance at the border, the In order to test the ability of EXPERTUQ system to
reactive power reserves in areas and the condition of the assess the voltage stability and solve a voltage problem,
control means U-Q together with the set of specific the IEEE network with 30 nodes [10] presented in fig. 2
rules, the areas are classified in importing or exporting has been used, by considering:
areas of reactive power as well as controllable and • vulnerability factor α = 0.075 ;
uncontrollable areas. • allowable voltage limits under normal and
Task S3: Identification of the vulnerable nodes and the
emergency conditions: U min = 0.95U n ,
variation mode U-Q
According to the values of nodes participation factors of U max = 1.05U n , U min
e
= 0.9U n and U max
e
= 1.1U n ;
a PQ node they are classified as vulnerable and non
vulnerable nodes. If the vulnerable nodes are distributed
into several control areas U-Q the variation mode is said
to be dispersed else is said local.
Task S4: Identification and classification of voltage
problems
By comparing the nodal voltage values to the admissible
value under normal conditions, Umin and Umax and
e e
emergency conditions U min and U max , the heuristic
module identifies the voltage problems nodes as well as
their nature and severity degree.
Task S5:Selection of the control means for the solution
of voltage problem
This task is activated according to the severity degree of
the voltage problem. For its fulfilment a complex set of
rules based on the priority of activating the control
means, their availability and effects, is used.
Consequently, the control means existing in the node
with the severest problem are firstly analysed, then the
analysis is focused on those in the area where the node
is located and finally those in the neighbouring areas.
Within EXPERTUQ, the quantification of these aspects
is achieved by means of a heuristic function, the Fig 2. IEEE Test network diagram
selected means being the one for which its value is
• the nodes vulnerability factor Pikmax = 0.05 and the
maximum. After the selection of the most efficient
control means, based on the sensitivity coefficients, the security operation coefficient S QmaxQ = 1.5 ;
g c
heuristic type assesses the effect of its implementation
• a worsened regime due to load increase in node 29
 correlated with the disconnection of line 1-2 and indicates by the value of the index VSI, the relative
the generator of node 13. position of the system in comparison with the most
It may be mentionned that while the vulnerability critical condition, the histogram of the nodes voltage
factors values of nodes are specific to each network, the level, the local indices histogram of voltage stability
allowable voltages value have a general character. In S U Q and S Q Q , the distances in MVA up to the
c c g c
order to have a complete view of the power system
critical surface and up to the closest collapse point and
condition when the analysis is performed, EXPERTUQ
the histogram of nodes participation factors type PQ at
displays an image similar to that presented in fig.3,
the most dangerous mode of variation U-Q.
consisting of: the image of an analogue device that

The initial state The final state

0.5 0.5

1 0 1 0

VSI VSI

Voltage level Voltage level

0.95 0.95

01 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29
0
1

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29
Buses
Buses

Sensitivities SU-Q Sensitivities SU-Q

0.7 0.6

0.6 0.5

0.5 0.4

0.4
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0
3
4
6
7
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

0
PQ buses
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
3
4
6
7
9

PQ buses

Sensitivities SQg_Qc Sensitivities SQg-Qc

1.5
1.5


%

'

0 0
&
"
!


$
#

'
!
&
%
'

"
"

$
#
!

$
3
4
6
7
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

PQ buses PQ buses

Participation factors Participation factors

0.12 0.1

0.1
0.08

0.08
0.06
0.06
0.04
0.04

0.02
0.02

0 0
3
4
6
7
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

3
4
6
7
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

PQ buses PQ buses

Fig. 3 The result of system state monitoring in final state.

From the analysis of the presented image, the existence
of some voltage problems in the system is found and is
also signalled by the heuristic module.According to the
initial facts and loads to be fulfilled, it offers the
following synthesis of the system state:
Task S1: The system is stable and U-Q controllable but
the risk of voltage instability and collapse is high.
Task S2: The system is divided into two areas: area 1 is
exporting and controllable, area 2 is importing and
controllable.
Task S3: The U-Q variation mode is dispersed, the most
vulnerable nodes being the node 9 in area 1 and the
node 29 in area 2.
Task S4: There are 11 nodes with voltage problems in
the network (14, 15, 18, 19, 23 and 24 in area 1 and 25,
26, 27, 29 and 30 in area 2). The severity degree of
voltage problem is 1 and the most affected node is the
Table 1. The synthesis of actions proposed by EXPERTUQ.
Iteration The most Suggested action
affected node
1 29 It connects the capacitors bank of node
29 on the maximum step.
2 29 It modifies the value of the transformer
ratio N 28−27 from 1.032 to 1.055
3 18 It connects the capacitors bank of node
19 on the maximum step.
Similar results were obtained on a 119 nodes network
(part of HV Romanian Grid) but are not shown due to
lack of space.
5. CONCLUSIONS
The first part of the paper presents the research
undertaken by authors regarding the assessment of
voltage instability and collapse phenomena. The second
part presents the EXPERTUQ program with the
operator-assistant part in monitoring the power system
and the checking of U-Q control means. A heuristic
module, expert system type helps the system dispatchers
to take optimum decisions in due time, leading thus to
the increase of the security indices and operating
efficiency.
REFERENCES
[1] P. Kundur - "Power System Stability and Control",
McGraw-Hill, New York,1994.
[2] Th. Van Cutsem, C. Vournas - "Voltage Stability of
Electric Power Systems", Kluver Academic
Publishers, Boston/London/Dordrecht, 1998.
[3] CIGRE Task Force 38-02-11 - "Indices Predicting
Voltage Collapse Including Dynamic Phenomena",
1994.
[4] C. Bulac - "Contribution on the Voltage Stability of
AC-DC Power System ",Ph.D. Thesis, University
POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 1998.
node 29 in area 2.
At this stage, due the fact that the severity degree is 1,
the heuristic procedure of solving the situation is
released. For this purpose, three iterations are
performed, the suggested actions and the estimated
effects are synthesised in table 1.
In order to validate the actions suggested by the expert
system, they were operated in the primary data base
and the algorithm calculation module called again. The
results obtained are synthetically presented in fig.3.
Their analysis confirms the estimates of the heuristic
module meaning that the voltage level comes back again
in the admissible band and the risk of occurrence of
voltage instability and collapse is decrease.
Estimated effect
Improvement of voltage level and
U 27 > U min
The voltage problems of area 2 were solved
and area 1 has only 3 nodes with problems.
There is no more voltage problems.
[5] N. Flatabo, R. Ognedal, T. Carlsen- "Voltage
Stability Conditions in a Power Transmission
System Calculated by Sensitivity Methods", IEEE
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[7] J. Constantinescu -"Practical Assessment of the
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[8] V. Ajjarapu, C. Christy – "The Continuation Power
Flow – A Tool for Steady State Voltage Stability
Analysis", IEEE Trans. on PWRS, Vol.7, No.1,
February 1992.
[9] R.A. Schlueter, A.G. Costi, J.E. Sekerke, H.L. Forgy
- "Voltage Stability and Security Assessment", EPRI
EL 5967 Research Project, Final Report, August
1988.
[10] C.C. Liu, K. Tomsovic - "An Expert System
Assisting Decision-Making of Reactive Power/
Voltage Control", IEEE Trans. on PWRS, Vol.
PWRS-1, No.3, August 1986.
[11] M. Eremia et al - "Expert System for U-Q Control
in Power Systems", Int. Symp. – Very High Voltage
Networks – May 31 -June 3, 1995, Sibiu.
[12] J. Trecat, M. Eremia, C. Bulac, Gh. Bălan -
"Voltage Stability Evaluation Indices", IEEE NTUA
Joint Int. Power Conference – Athens Power TECH
APT'93, Athens, Greece, September 5-8, 1993.