STATCOM application for enhancement of available power transfer capability in transmission networks

Abstract

The introduction of open access in transmission network has given rise to increased power transactions, thereby pushing them closer to their operating limits. Thus, the power transfer capability of the transmission network should be increased so that all the desired transactions can be accommodated. However, the addition of new transmission lines is restricted due to the environmental, right-ofway and economic issues, making it essential to utilize the existing transmission corridors efficiently. Available Transfer Capability (ATC) of a transmission system, which refers to the unutilized transfer capability over and above already committed usage, should be adequate to ensure fair electricity trading. This chapter presents an application of STATCOM to enhance the dynamic ATC for bilateral as well as multilateral transactions in an open market environment. The performance of STATCOM is dependent on its location in the system. Hence, to enhance the dynamic ATC effectively, STATCOM has been placed optimally in the network by carrying out a sensitivity analysis of structure preserving energy margin with respect to its control parameter. The hybrid approach, utilizing the benefits of the direct methods as well as time domain simulation methods, has been used to determine the dynamic ATC with detailed model of generators, exciters and loads. The potential energy contributed by the STATCOM has also been included in the structure preserving energy function to include their influence on transient stability. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media Singapore.