Alleviate Voltage Stability, Voltage and Thermal Violations – Optimal Mitigation Measures (OPM)

OPM is a fast, powerful and efficient remedial actions software tool that allows users to alleviate the post-contingency thermal, voltage and voltage stability violations during massive N-1, N-1-1 and N-2 AC contingency analysis.

There is no limit on a number of contingencies that can to be applied within a single run, or a number of buses in a load flow case.

The main purpose behind OPM is to be able to alleviate voltage, thermal and voltage stability violations identified as a result of performing any type of analysis in POM.For example:

• Contingency analysis
• Voltage stability analysis
• Power transfer analysis
• Load increase/decrease
• Change in generation dispatch

OPM is fully integrated into POM, providing a user-friendly interface and seamless interaction with the load flow data and contingency analysis results. When OPM is enabled, POM and OPM run as one application. Like POM, OPM works in both interactive and automatic modes.

OPM determines the minimum amount of mitigation measures based on a user-defined priority schedule every time POM identifies a voltage, thermal or voltage stability violation. Mitigation measures incorporated into OPM are:

• MW dispatch
• MVar dispatch
• Capacitor and reactor switching
• Transformer tap change
• Phase shifter settings
• Line switching (in and out), including switching not affected lines
• Load curtailment
• Optimal capacitor, reactor placement and size
• Defined operating procedures

Different sets of measures may be utilized for N-0 (e.g., contingencies are not applied), N-1 and N-2 contingencies. When performing automatic N-1-1 AC contingency analysis, different sets of remedial actions (e.g., system adjustments) may be utilized for the first and the second contingency in the (N-1-1) contingency pair.

OPM provides the comprehensive diagnostics of the stability violations and relieves those violations. It also provides:

• Identification of the causes of stability violations;
• Fast mitigation of stability violations by optimizing the active and reactive sources in the system; and
• Use of the control devices to increase the voltage stability margins after a contingency that causes the stability violation is applied.

OPM may also be used when running BOR, to increase the size of the secure operating region and rank various remedial actions.Using OPM increases the size of the operating region.

OPM’s fast and efficient solution algorithms allow the electric utilities’ planners and operators to solve the complex power systems problems, such as:

• Relieve post-contingency voltage, thermal and voltage stability violations during the massive AC contingency analysis.
• Relieve base case violations.
• Increase voltage stability margins.
• Increase maximum power transfer capability.
• Increase maximum loadability in the load(s) of interest.
• Determine optimal locations and minimum sizes of additional sources of reactive power, such as capacitors and reactors, SVD and FACTS devices, in order to improve the voltage profile in the power system.
• Increase the size of secure operating region when utilized along with BOR application.

Accurate and fast performance makes OPM an essential tool for the electric utilities’ planning and operations environments.