Chapter- Four

Power System Stability

Objectives:
• To know the definition of stability in power system
• To identify Stability types
• To understand fundamental assumptions in stability study
• To analyze rotor dynamics by using the techniques;
- Swing equation
- Power angle equation
- Equal area criteria

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 Stability and stability limit:
Power System Stability: is the property of the system which enables
the synchronous machines of the system to respond to a
disturbance from a normal operating condition so as to return to a
condition where their operation is again normal.

•It may be manifested in many different ways depending on the

system configuration and operating mode.

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• The ability of the power system to remain in synchronism
and maintain the state of equilibrium following a
disturbing force
• Steady-state stability: analysis of small and slow disturbances
gradual power changes

• Transient stability: analysis of large and sudden disturbances

faults, outage of a line, sudden application or removal of load

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 Stability types

1. Rotor angle stability (transient stability, small-signal stability)

is the ability of interconnected synchronous machines of a power system remain in
synchronism.

• it is mainly focus on the major disturbance such as loss of generation, line

switching operations, faults and sudden local changes.

2. Voltage stability(short-term (0-10 s), long-term (few minutes to 10’s

minutes), small disturbance, large disturbance)
: is the ability of a power system to maintain steady acceptable voltages at all buses
in the system under normal operating conditions and after being subjected to a
disturbance.

-.

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- A system is voltage stable if V-Q sensitivity is positive for
every bus and voltage unstable if V-Q sensitivity is negative
for at least one bus.
- Rotor angles b/n two groups of machines approach
or exceed 180o would result in very low voltages

3. Frequency stability : Ability of a power system to compensate

for a power deficit. f-P relationship (either positive or
negative)

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 Generally stability Classification

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 NB: the aim of stability study is determine whether or not the rotors of
the machine being perupted returns to constant speed operation.

•To facilitate computation three fundamental assumptions are made

in all stability studies;

1. Only synchronous frequency currents and voltages are considered

in the stator windings and the power system. Consequently, dc
offset currents and harmonic components are neglected.

2. Symmetrical components are used in the representation of

unbalanced faults.

3. Generated voltage is considered unaffected by machine

speed
variations.
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 ROTOR DYNAMICS
AND THE SWING EQUATION
Based on the elementary principle in dynamics which states that accelerating
torque is;

J is the moment of inertia of the rotor system,

θ is the mechanical angle of the rotor

Ta is the net torque acting on the machine

Fig. machine rotor comparing direction of rotation and mechanical and electrical
torques for (a) a generator and B) a motor

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Where:
Pm = shaft power input to the machine less rotational
losses Pe = electrical power crossing its air gap
Pa = accelerating power which accounts for any
unbalance between those two quantities

M = is the angular momentum

In machine data supplied for stability studies another constant related

to inertia is often encountered. This is the so-called H constant , which is
defined by;

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 We note that it is a second-order differential equation, which
can be written as the two first-order differential equations

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 We note that it is a second-order differential equation,
which can be written as the two first-order differential
equations

Further considerations of the Swing Equation:

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THE POWER-ANGLE EQUATION
•In the swing equation for the generator the input mechanical power from the
prime mover, Pm' will be considered constant.

•When Pe equals Pm, the machine operates at steady state synchronous speed;
when Pe , changes from this value, the rotor deviates from synchronous
speed .
•Each synchronous machine is represented for transient stability studies by its
transient internal voltage Ei , in series with the transient reactance Xd’ , as
shown below in which Vt is the terminal voltage.

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 Letting k and N equal 1 and 2, respectively, and substituting E' for V, we
obtain;

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We obtain;

Similar equation apply at bus 2 by interchanging the subscripts in the two

equations above.
If we let

and define a new angle y such t hat

Then;

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may be written more simply as;

where:

Where:

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EQUAL-AREA CRITERION OF STABILITY:

• Quickly predicts the stability after a major disturbance

• graphical interpretation of the energy stored in the rotating
masses

• method only applicable to a few special cases:

• one machine connected to an infinite bus

• two machines connected together

• Method provides physical insight to the dynamic behavior of machines

• relates the power angle with the acceleration power

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EQUAL-AREA CRITERION OF STABILITY:
To examine the stability of a two- machine system without solving the swing equation,
a direct approach is possible as now discussed .

Assumption: circuit breaker B is open and circuit breaker A is closed

: if fault occurred at point P, is cleared by circuit breaker A.
• after short period of time: the short circuit caused by the
fault is effectively at the bus and so the electrical power
output from the generator is zero until the fault is cleared.
• The physical conditions before, during and after the fault can
be understood by analyzing the power angle curves.

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