POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Lecture 5

DC POWER FLOW

Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi

Outline:
5a. Basic concept of DC power flow.
5b. Mathematical formulation of DC power flow.
5c. Numerical example on DC power flow.

Prepared by: Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi - YIC

 POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Lecture 5a

BASIC CONCEPT OF DC POWER FLOW

Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi

- In several power system applications such as contingency
analysis and unit commitment, it is required to perform load
flow runs several times and in short period of time.
- In such applications, the conventional AC power flow
solution calculation is complex and time consuming.
- DC power flow is a simplification of a full power flow
looking only at active power.
- It is a linearized form of the AC power flow.

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- It combines computational simplicity - since it is a set of
linear equations - with an acceptable level of accuracy.
- DC power flow is a much used tool in power system
analysis, especially in techno-economic studies, related to
electricity markets, and contingency analysis.
- AC power flow is computationally heavy within the scope
of unit commitment models.
- Thus, DC power flow can be used as a simplified version
of the AC power flow in unit commitment models.

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- Assumptions in DC power flow:

- Exact AC power flow solution using NR:

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- Assumptions in DC power flow:
1. Line resistance is ignored as it is much smaller than line
reactance (R << X). This means that no active power losses
exist in the transmission lines. Also, all shunt network
elements are neglected
2. Voltage magnitudes at all buses are fixed at 1.0 pu.
3. Voltage angle differences between neighboring nodes are
small.
4. Tap settings are ignored.

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- Thus, we can say that DC power flow only considers active
power flows, assumes perfect voltage support and reactive
power management, and neglects transmission losses.
- No iteration is required.
- The only variables are voltage angles and active power
injections.

Prepared by: Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi - YIC

POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Lecture 5

DC POWER FLOW

Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi

Outline:
5a. Basic concept of DC power flow.
5b. Mathematical formulation of DC power flow.
5c. Numerical example on DC power flow.

Prepared by: Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi - YIC

 POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Lecture 5b

MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION OF
DC POWER FLOW

Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi

- Assume we have the following simple two bus system:

- Using Assumption # 1 for DC flow analysis:

1. Line resistance is ignored as it is much smaller than line

reactance (R << X). This means that no active power losses
exist in the transmission lines.

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- It is known that the active power through a lossless
transmission line is given by:

| Vi || V j |
Pij  sin( i   j )
X ij

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- Using Assumption # 2 for DC flow analysis:
2. Voltage magnitudes at all buses are fixed at 1.0 pu.

| Vi || V j |
Pij  sin( i   j )
X ij

1
Pij  sin( i   j )
X ij

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- Using Assumption # 3 for DC flow analysis:
3. Voltage angle differences between neighboring nodes are
small.
1
Pij  sin( i   j )
X ij

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- Using Assumption # 3 for DC flow analysis:
3. Voltage angle differences between neighboring nodes are
small.
1
Pij  sin( i   j )
X ij

1
Pij  ( i   j ) Pij  Bij ( i   j )
X ij

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- This equation will be applied to the 3 bus system studied
previously:

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- From: - We have:
P12  B12 (1   2 )
Pij  Bij ( i   j ) P13  B13 (1   3 )
P23  B23 ( 2   3 )
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- Therefore, injected active power at bus 1: P12  B12 (1   2 )
P1  P12  P13 P13  B13 (1   3 )
 B12 (1   2 )  B13 (1   3 ) P23  B23 ( 2   3 )
 B121  B12 2  B131  B13 3
 ( B12  B13 )1  B12 2  B13 3
- Injected active power at bus 2:

P2  P21  P23
 B21 ( 2  1 )  B23 ( 2   3 )
 B21 2  B211  B23 2  B23 3
  B211  ( B21  B23 ) 2  B23 3
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- Injected active power at bus 3: P12  B12 (1   2 )
P13  B13 (1   3 )
P3  P31  P32
P23  B23 ( 2   3 )
 B31 ( 3  1 )  B32 ( 3   2 )
 B31 3  B311  B32 3  B32 2
  B311  B32 2  ( B31  B32 ) 3

- Therefore,

P1  ( B12  B13 )1  B12 2  B13 3

P2   B211  ( B21  B23 ) 2  B23 3
P3   B311  B32 2  ( B31  B32 ) 3

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 In matrix form:

 P1   B12  B13  B12  B13  1 

P     B B21  B23  B23   2 
 2  21

 P3    B31  B32 B31  B32   3 

- We have in this matrix form:

- P vector is the scheduled power at each bus (known).
- B matrix is the negative of the imaginary component of the
Ybus calculated neglecting line resistance (known).
- δ vector is the voltage angles (unknown).

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- Before solving for the unknown δ vector, it is necessary to
remove the row and column of the slack bus because its δ
is already known (have zero value).
- Assuming that bus 1 is the slack bus:

 P1   B12  B13  B12  B13  1 

P     B B21  B23  B23   2 
 2  21

 P3    B31  B32 B31  B32   3 

B'

 P2   B21  B23  B23   2 

P     B B31  B32   3 
 3  32

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- Therefore, we will solve for δ vector as follows:

1
 2   B21  B23  B23   P2 
     B B31  B32  P 
 3  32  3

- Or simply:

  B '1 P

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Another way of DC power flow equations derivation is by
using the Power Flow Equations:

N
Pk  Vk Vi [Gki cos( k  i )  Bki sin( k  i )]
i 1
N
Qk  Vk Vi [Gki sin( k  i )  Bki cos( k  i )]
i 1

• Set of non-linear simultaneous equations.

• Need a simple linear relation for fast and intuitive analysis.
• DC power flow provides such a relation but requires a
number of approximations.
Neglect Reactive Power:

N
Pk  Vk Vi [Gki cos( k  i )  Bki sin( k  i )]
i 1
N
Qk  Vk Vi [Gki sin( k  i )  Bki cos( k  i )]
i 1

N
Pk  Vk Vi [Gki cos( k  i )  Bki sin( k  i )]
i 1
Neglect Resistance of the Branches:

N
Pk  Vk Vi [Gki cos( k  i )  Bki sin( k  i )]
i 1

N
Pk  Vk Vi Bki sin(k  i )
i 1
Assume All Voltage Magnitudes = 1.0 p.u:

N
Pk  Vk Vi Bki sin(k  i )
i 1

N
Pk   Bki sin( k  i )
i 1
Assume all angles are small:

N
Pk   Bki sin( k  i )
i 1

If  is small: sin    ( in radians)

N N
( k  i )
Pk   Bki (k  i ) or Pk  
i 1 i 1 xki
POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Lecture 5

DC POWER FLOW

Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi

Outline:
5a. Basic concept of DC power flow.
5b. Mathematical formulation of DC power flow.
5c. Numerical example on DC power flow.

Prepared by: Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi - YIC

 POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Lecture 5c

NUMERICAL EXAMPLE ON DC POWER

FLOW

Dr. Ahmad Al-Subhi

Example: Determine the DC power flow solution for the
following three bus system.

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 Solution:
- The solution to this type of problems simply consists of six
basic steps:
Step 1: drop the real part (resistance) of all line impedances.

Step 2: Form B matrix.

Step 3: Remove the row and column of the slack bus (get B’).

Step 4: Find the inverse of the B’ matrix.

Step 5: Use the matrix form expression to evaluate δ vector.

Step 6: Find the active power flows through the lines.

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- Step 1: drop the real part of all line impedances:

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 - Step 2: Form B matrix:

1
Bij 
X ij

 B12  B13  B12  B13 

B    B21 B21  B23  B23 
  B31  B32 B31  B32 

 58.333  25  33.333
 B   25 65  40 
 
 33.333  40 73.333 
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- We may also form the B matrix by forming Ybus to the
system after removing the line impedances real parts:

 58.333 25 33.333 
 Ybus  j  25  65 40 
 
 33.333 40  73.333

- Now, B matrix is the negative of the imaginary components:

 58.333  25  33.333
 B   25 65  40 
 
 33.333  40 73.333 

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- Step 3: Remove the row and column of the slack bus:

 58.333  25  33.333
 B   25 65  40 
 
 33.333  40 73.333 

 65  40 
B'  
 40 73.333

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- Step 4: Find the inverse of the B matrix:

 65  40 
B'  
 40 73.333 


1 1  73.333 40 
 B'     40
 (65  73.333)  ( 40  40)  65

10.0231579 0.0126317 
 B'  
0.0126317 0.0205265 

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- Step 5: Use the expression to evaluate δ vector :

  B '1 P

 2  0.0231579 0.0126317   4 
   0.0126317 0.0205265   2 
 3 

  2  (0.0231579  (4))  (0.0126317  2)

 0.0673682 radian
  3  (0.0126317  (4))  (0.0205265  2)
 0.0094738 radian

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- Step 6: Find the active power flows through the lines :
P12  B12 (1   2 )
 25  (0  (0.0673682))  1.68421 pu  168.421 MW
P13  B13 (1   3 )
 33.333  (0  ( 0.0094738))  0.31579 pu  31.579 MW
P23  B23 ( 2   3 )
 40  ((0.0673682)  (0.0094738))  2.31579 pu  231.579 MW

1  0 o 168.421 MW
200 MW  2  3.86o

31.579 MW 231.579 MW

 3  0.543o
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 AC power flow
using NR (exact)

DC power flow
(approximate)

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- We may summarize the major observations regarding DC
power flow solution method:
- Simple. (write down why it is called dc pf) - Fast (~ 10 times faster than NR).
- No iteration required. - B size is small.
- However, some issues are:
- It is an approximate, not exact due to many assumptions.
- Ignores reactive power.
- Ignores active power losses.
- Ignores bus voltages violation check.

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- The DC power flow is only good for calculating MW flows
on transmission lines and transformers.
- It gives no indication of what happens to voltage
magnitudes or MVAR or MVA flows.
- It was especially attractive in the middle of the twentieth
century, when computer access was expensive, and there
was a real need to reduce central processing unit (CPU)
time on all computational activities.
- Today efficient computers can solve the traditional NR AC
power flow very rapidly.

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- We may also say that DC power flow models are inherently
approximate, and it is well known that their accuracies are
very system and case dependent.
- This means that not every network is suitable for DC
power flow calculations.
- So, the accuracy of a particular DC model, or indeed of DC
modeling in general, should never be taken for granted in
any given power system and application.
- The simplifications in DC power flow calculations cannot
always be justified and might sometimes be unrealistic.

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