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Title: Reliable algorithms for power system analysis in the presence of data uncertainties

Book ·
OSTI ID:1050951
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. ORNL
  2. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)
  3. University of Sannio

A robust and reliable power flow analysis represents an essential requirement for many power systems applications as far as network optimization, voltage control, state estimation, and service restoration are concerned. The most common power flow approach, referred to here as a deterministic power flow (PLF), requires precise or 'crisp' values chosen by the analyst for each input variable. The solution provides precise network voltages and flows through each line. The specified values rest upon assumptions about the operating condition derived from historical measurements or predictions about future conditions and thus, cannot be considered accurate. Even in the case where the inputs are based on measurements, inaccuracies arise from time-skew problems, three-phase unbalance, static modeling approximations of dynamic components (e.g., transformer tap changers), variations in line parameters, and so on. The advent of deregulation and competitive power markets will only exacerbate this problem as well-known generation patterns change, loading becomes less predictable and the transmission paths grow more diverse. Conventional methodologies proposed in literature address tolerance analysis of power flow solution by means of detailed probabilistic methods, accounting for the variability and stochastic nature of the input data, and sampling based approaches. In particular uncertainty propagation using sampling based methods, such as the Monte Carlo, requires several model runs that sample various combinations of input values. Since the number of model runs can sometimes be very large, the required computer resources can sometimes be prohibitively expensive resulting in substantial computational demands. As far as probabilistic methods are concerned, they represent a useful tool, especially for planning studies, but, as evidenced by the many discussions reported in literature, they could reveal some shortcomings principally arising from: (1) the non-normal distribution and the statistical dependence of the input data; and (2) the difficulty arising in accurately identifying probability distributions for some input data, such as the power generated by wind or photovoltaic generators. All these could result in time consuming computations with several limitations in practical applications especially in power flow analysis of complex power networks. In order to try and overcome some of these limitations, obtaining thereby comprehensive power flow solution tolerance analysis at adequate computational costs, self validated computation could play a crucial role. Armed with such a vision, this chapter will analyze two advanced techniques for power flow analysis in the presence of data uncertainty namely the boundary power flow and the affine arithmetic power flow.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1050951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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