Lecture 8: Matrix Methods for

Short-Circuit Studies
Bus Impedance Matrix
Network Changes
Short-Circuit Calculations
Consideration of Large
Systems
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

Introduction
For systems with more than a few
generators, use matrix methods for
short-circuit studies
Nodal admittance matrix is easy to
calculate
Nodal impedance matrix is more
difficult to calculate but gives shortcircuit currents easily
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

Example
1

I1

-j 4.0

-j 5.0

-j 3.0

I2

-j 0.1

3
-j 0.5

Admittances in
per unit
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

Example
Nodal analysis:
I1 = -j 9.0 V1 + j 4.0 V2 + j 5.0 V3
I2 = j 4.0 V1 j 7.1 V2 + j 3.0 V3
0 = j 5.0 V1 + j 3.0 V2 j 8.5 V3
or I = Ybus V
where Ybus is the nodal (bus)
admittance matrix
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

Bus Impedance Matrix

Solve for V in terms of I:
Then V = Ybus-1 I = Zbus I
where Zbus is the nodal impedance
matrix or bus impedance matrix
The bus impedance matrix can be
computed by inverting the bus
admittance matrix or by direct
formation
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

For example, line/transf data:

Branch
Bus
Number Numbers

Impedance
[per unit]

Admittance
[per unit]

0.00 + j0.20 0.00 - j5.00

0.00 + j0.25 0.00 - j4.00

0.00 + j0.40 0.00 - j2.50

0.00 + j0.10 0.00 - j10.0

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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

and shunt admittances:

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Bus
Number

Admittance
[per unit]

0.00 j0.80

0.00 j0.80

0.00 j0.00

0.00 j0.60
Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

-j 9.80 j 5.00

Ybus =

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j 4.00

j 0.00

j 5.00 -j 8.30 j 2.50

j 0.00

j 4.00

j 2.50 -j 16.5

j 10.0

j 0.00

j 0.00

-j 10.6

j 10.0

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

j 0.5036 j 0.4357 j 0.4392 j 0.4143

Zbus =

j 0.4357 j 0.5117 j 0.4277 j 0.4035

j 0.4392 j 0.4277 j 0.5415 j 0.5108
j 0.4143 j 0.4035 j 0.5108 j 0.5762

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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

Short-Circuit Calculations with Zbus

4
3
2
1

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Rest of the system

Fault

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

10

Short-Circuit Calculations with Zbus

4

3
1.0

1
1.0

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Rest of the
system

Fault simulation

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

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V1

Z11

Z12

Z13

Z14

= Z21

Z22

Z23

Z24

-If

V3

Z31

Z32

Z33

Z34

V4

Z41

Z42

Z43

Z44

-1

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Vi is voltage of node i to 0 node,

Vi = 1+Vi is voltage of node i to
neutral
If = 1/Z22
V1 = - Z12 /Z22
V1 = 1 - Z12 /Z22
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13

Previous Example

Zbus =j

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0.5036

0.4357

0.4392

0.4143

0.4357

0.5117

0.4277

0.4035

0.4392

0.4277

0.5415

0.5108

0.4143

0.4035

0.5108

0.5762

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Example
Fault at bus k
Current into fault (at k):
I k= 1/Zkk
Voltage at bus j:
Vj = 1 - Zjk /Zkk
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

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Fault at bus k is three-phase short circuit

k

Ik

1 -j 1.986

V1
0.0

2 -j 1.954 0.1487

V2

V3

0.1349 0.1278 0.1772

0.0

0.1643 0.2116

3 -j 1.847 0.1889 0.2102

0.0

4 -j 1.735 0.2809 0.2998 0.1135

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V4

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

0.0566
0.0

16

Adding a Branch to Zbus

To modify an existing Zbus to add a

new branch. Four cases:
1) Radial branch connecting a new bus
to the reference node
2) Radial branch connecting a new bus
to an existing system bus
3) Branch from an existing system bus
to the reference node
4) Branch between two existing buses
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17

 Case 1 is straightforward
Add a new axis (row and column
n+1) to the Z matrix for the new bus
having the branch impedance z in
the diagonal and zeros off-diagonal
1 ... n
Znew =

Z
0 ... 0

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n+1
0...
0
z

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

1...
n
n+1
18

 Case 2 a new branch from old bus p

to new bus q (= n+1)
A current Iq injected into q has the
same effect on the existing system as
if it were injected at p
Copy axis p to a new axis q and
Zqq = z + Zpp
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1 ... n
Znew =

n+1
Z1p... 1...
Znp
n

Zp1 ... Zpn Zpp+ z n+1

where 1 p n
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 Case 3 a new branch from old bus p

to the reference node (loop-closing)
Add a new axis by the algorithm of
Case 2, creating a fictitious new bus
Short the new bus to reference (it now
has zero voltage)
Use Kron reduction to eliminate the
new axis of the matrix
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 Case 4 a new branch z between

existing buses p and q (loop closing)
Create a new axis (row and column)
to represent the new loop created
Diagonal:
Zn+1,n+1 = Zpp+Zqq-Zpq-Zqp+z

Off diagonal:
Zn+1, j = Zpj-Zqj
Zi, n+1 = Zip-Ziq
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 Case 4 (continued):
Use Kron reduction to eliminate the
new axis representing the loop
Zijnew = Zij (Zi, n+1 Zn+1,j )/ Z

n+1,n+1

Notice that this will change almost

every element in the existing part of
the matrix
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Zbus Building Method

The Zbus modification outline
above can also be used to create
Zbus, by starting with any Case 1
branch to get the 1 1 matrix for
the starting point:
Z=z
Then proceed to add other
branches in any convenient order
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

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Removing a Branch
Any branch (of impedance z) may
be removed during a study by
adding a new branch in parallel
with impedance of z
Zeq = -z2/(z-z) = -z/0 an open
circuit
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

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Axis Discarding Method

Large-scale systems have full Zbus
matrices that can be difficult to
store and use
Instead we can store the sparse LU
factors (as discussed previously)
Or we can discard unneeded axes by
simply striking them off (if their
current injections are zero)
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Axis Discarding
If I1= 0 and we dont need V1 then:
V1 = Z11 I1 + Z12 I2 + Z13 I3
V2 = Z21 I1 + Z22 I2 + Z23 I3
V3 = Z31 I1 + Z32 I2 + Z33 I3
becomes:
V2 = Z22 I2 + Z23 I3
V3 = Z32 I2 + Z33 I3
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Axis Discarding
Axis discarding for short-circuit
calculation:
Divide system into study system and
external system
Start building Z matrix in external
system
After all branches are added to external
node, its axis is discarded
All study system nodes are kept
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Example: Set up Z matrix, discarding all axes except 1, 2 and 5

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Bus Numbers

Branch Z [pu]

0.0175

0.0185

0.1983

0.1763

0.1737

0.1160

0.0420

0.0820

0.0414

0.0599

0.2000

0.0379

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Solution:
Add 0-6:
Add 6-7: Z =

Z=

j 0.0185
j 0.0185

Discard 6: Z =
Add 7-3:

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j 0.0185

j 0.0185 6
j 0.0564 7

j 0.0564

j 0.0564 j 0.0564 7
Z=
j 0.0564 j 0.0978 3
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Add 7-1:

j 0.0564 j 0.0564 j 0.0564 7

Z = j 0.0564 j 0.0978 j 0.0564 3
j 0.0564 j 0.0564 j 0.2301 1

Discard 7: Z =

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j 0.0978
j 0.0564

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

j 0.0564
j 0.2301

3
1

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Add 3-1: j 0.0978 j 0.0564 j 0.0414 3

Z = j 0.0564 j 0. 2301 -j 0.1737 1
j 0.0414 -j 0.1737 j 0.3914 L
Kron reduction on L:
Z=

j 0.09342 j 0.07477 3
j 0.07477 j 0.15301 1

Continue this process, adding 3-4, 3-5, 3-8

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Discard 3:
0.15301
Z= j 0.07477
0.07477
0.07477

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0.07477
0.13542
0.09342
0.09342

0.07477
0.09342
0.17542
0.09342

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

0.07477
0.09342
0.09342
0.15332

33

1
4
5
8

Add 4-8 creating fictitious loop axis L. Note

that 4 and 8 are to be immediately
discarded, so there is no need to compute
those elements in the Kron reduction

Result: Z = j

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0.15301
0.07477

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

0.07477 1
0.17542 5

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Add 1-0 perform Kron Reduction. Then

add 2-5 and 1-2 and perform another
Kron Reduction:
0.01556
Z = j 0.01004
0.01208

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0.01004
0.10280
0.06856

Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

0.01208 1
0.06856 5
0.12090 2

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0.01556
Z = j 0.01004
0.01208

0.01004
0.10280
0.06856

0.01208 1
0.06856 5
0.12090 2

Fault at bus 2:
If = 1/j0.1209 = -j 8.27 pu
V5 = 1 - j0.06856/j0.1209 = 0.433 pu
I52 = (V5-V2)/z52 = (0.433-0.00)/j0.116
= -j 3.73 pu
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Bus-Tie Circuit Breakers

A normally-open circuit breaker may
connect two buses when closed
Study might require closing and/or
opening of bus-tie circuit breaker
Need to represent a zero-impedance
branch that can be opened
Add z in series with z between buses
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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

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Bus-Tie Circuit Breakers

1

Circuit
representation

NC
NO

Zg1

NC

2
One-line
diagram

1
z
-z N+1

Zg2
0

2
Fictitious new bus

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Matrix Methods for Short Circuits

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