THE POWER FLOW
(LOADFLOW) PROBLEM
1
Introduction
The power flow problem is a er! "e##
$no"n %ro&#e' in the (ie#d o( %o"er
s!ste's en)ineerin)* "here o#ta)e
'a)nitudes and an)#es (or one set o(
&uses are desired* )ien that o#ta)e
'a)nitudes and %o"er #ee#s (or another
set o( &uses are $no"n and that a 'ode#
o( the net"or$ con(i)uration (unit
co''it'ent and circuit to%o#o)!) is
aai#a&#e+
A power flow solution procedure is a nu'erica#
'ethod that is e'%#o!ed to so#e the %o"er (#o"
%ro&#e'+
A power flow program is a co'%uter code that
i'%#e'ents a %o"er (#o" so#ution %rocedure+
The power flow solution contains the o#ta)es
and an)#es at a## &uses* and (ro' this
in(or'ation* "e 'a! co'%ute the rea# and
reactie )eneration and #oad #ee#s at a## &uses
and the rea# and reactie (#o"s across a##
circuits+
The a&oe ter'ino#o)! is o(ten used "ith
the "ord ,#oad- su&stituted (or ,%o"er*-
i+e+* #oad (#o" %ro&#e'* #oad (#o" so#ution
%rocedure* #oad (#o" %ro)ra'* and #oad
(#o" so#ution+ Ho"eer* the (or'er
ter'ino#o)! is %re(erred as one nor'a##!
does not thin$ o( ,#oad- as so'ethin) that
,(#o"s+-
The %o"er (#o" %ro&#e' "as ori)ina##! 'otiated
"ithin %#annin) eniron'ents "here en)ineers
considered di((erent net"or$ con(i)urations
necessar! to sere an e.%ected (uture #oad+
Later* it &eca'e an o%erationa# %ro&#e' as
o%erators and o%eratin) en)ineers "ere
re/uired to 'onitor the rea#0ti'e status o( the
net"or$ in ter's o( o#ta)e 'a)nitudes and
circuit (#o"s+
Toda!* the %o"er (#o" %ro&#e' is "ide#!
reco)ni1ed as a (unda'enta# %ro&#e' (or
%o"er s!ste' ana#!sis* and there are
'an! adanced* co''ercia# %o"er (#o"
%ro)ra's to address it+
Po"er s!ste' co'%onents 20
3
4enerator
3
Load
3
Trans'ission #ines
The Power Flow Problem
4enerator
4enerators hae 'a.i'u' and 'ini'u' rea# and
reactie %o"er ca%a&i#ities+
The 'a.i'u' reactie %o"er ca%a&i#it! corres%onds to
the 'a.i'u' reactie %o"er that the )enerator 'a!
%roduce "hen o%eratin) "ith a #a))in) %o"er (actor+ The
'ini'u' reactie %o"er ca%a&i#it! corres%onds to the
'a.i'u' reactie %o"er the )enerator 'a! a&sor&
"hen o%eratin) "ith a #eadin) %o"er (actor+ These
#i'itations are a (unction o( the rea# %o"er out%ut o( the
)enerator* that is* as the rea# %o"er increases* the
reactie %o"er #i'itations 'oe c#oser to 1ero+
Fi)+ T5+6
Fi)+ T5+6 i##ustrates seera# i'%ortant
e#e'ents o( the %o"er (#o" %ro&#e'+ First*
one notices "e 'a! cate)ori1e each &us
de%endin) on "hether )eneration and7or
#oad is connected to it+ 8%eci(ica##!* a &us
'a! hae )eneration on#! (&uses B1* B6*
and B9)* #oad on#! (&uses B:* B5* and
B;)* or neither )eneration or #oad (&uses
B<* B=* and B>)+
A &us 'a! hae &oth )eneration and #oad+
This cate)ori1ation* "hich (ocuses on the
#oad and )eneration* #eads us to de(ine
the ter' ,&us in?ection- or 'ore si'%#!*
,in?ection+- Its 'eanin) 'ust &e (u##!
understood
An injection is the %o"er* either rea# or reactie*
that is &ein) in?ected into or "ithdra"n (ro' a
&us &! an e#e'ent hain) its other ter'ina# (in
the %er0%hase e/uia#ent circuit) connected to
)round+ 8uch an e#e'ent "ou#d &e either a
)enerator or a #oad+
Positie in?ection is de(ined as one "here %o"er
is (#o"in) (ro' the e#e'ent into the &us+
@e)atie in?ection is then "hen %o"er is (#o"in)
(ro' the &us* into the e#e'ent+
4enerators nor'a##! hae %ositie rea# %o"er
in?ections* a#thou)h the! 'a! a#so &e assi)ned
ne)atie rea# %o"er in?ections* in "hich case
the! are o%eratin) as a 'otor+
4enerators 'a! hae either %ositie or ne)atie
reactie %o"er in?ections2 %ositie i( the
)enerator is o%eratin) #a))in) and de#ierin)
reactie %o"er to the &us* ne)atie i( the
)enerator is o%eratin) #eadin) and a&sor&in)
reactie %o"er (ro' the &us* and 1ero i( the
)enerator is o%eratin) at unit! %o"er (actor+
Loads nor'a##! hae ne)atie rea# and
reactie %o"er in?ections+
Fi) T5+92 I##ustration o( (a) %ositie in?ection* (&) ne)atie in?ection*
and (c) net in?ection
Pk=100
Qk=30
(a)
Pk= - 40
Qk= -20
(b)
Pk=100+(-40)=60
Qk=30+(-20)=10
(c)
Fi)ure T+5+9 (c) i##ustrates the net in?ection
as the a#)e&raic su' "hen a &us has &oth
#oad and )enerationA in this case* the net
in?ection (or &oth rea# and reactie %o"er
is %ositie (into the &us)+ Thus* the net rea#
%o"er in?ection is P$BP)$0Pd$* and the
net reactie %o"er in?ection is
C$BC)$0Cd$+ We 'a! a#so re(er to the
net co'%#e. %o"er in?ection as
8$B8)$08d$* "here 8$BP$D?C$+
For each &us* there are (our %ossi&#e
aria&#es that characteri1e the &uses
e#ectrica# condition+
The (our aria&#es are rea# and reactie
%o"er in?ection* P$ and C$* res%ectie#!*
and o#ta)e 'a)nitude and an)#e* EF$ E
and $* res%ectie#!+
There are three &asic t!%es o( &uses20
3 The swing bus - t"o other co''on ter's (or this &us are slack
bus and reference bus+ There is on#! one s"in) &us* and it can
&e desi)nated &! the en)ineer to &e an! )enerator &us in the
s!ste'+ For the s"in) &us* "e $no" EFE and + The (act that "e
$no" is the reason "h! it is so'eti'es ca##ed the re(erence
&us+ This )enerator ,s"in)s- to co'%ensate (or the net"or$
#osses* or* one 'a! sa! that it ,ta$es u% the s#ac$+-
3 PV Buses2 For t!%e PF &uses* "e $no" P$ and EF$ E &ut not C$
or $+ These &uses (a## under the cate)or! o( voltage-controlled
buses &ecause o( the a&i#it! to s%eci(! (and there(ore to $no")
the o#ta)e 'a)nitude o( this &us+ Most )enerator &uses (a## into
this cate)or!* inde%endent o( "hether it a#so has #oad
PQ Buses2 For t!%e PC &uses* "e $no"
P$ and C$ &ut not EF$ E or $+ A## #oad
&uses (a## into this cate)or!* inc#udin)
&uses that hae not either #oad or
)eneration+
The AC Power Flow
