1

STEADY-STATE
SIMULATION

STABILITY

LIMIT

STUDIES

USING

MATLAB

Abstract
In recent times, progress of the art of power system protection has directed much
attention to steady-state stability studies. It is desirable to have constant terminal
voltages at the output of synchronous machines and also to extract the maximum
power possible from a generator without compromising steady-state operation of
the system. It is therefore imperative to check the steady-state stability limit of
synchronous generators.
This paper discusses the dependence of steady state stability limit on the excitation
voltage and the system reactance. It also looks at the effect of damping on the
stability of a power system network. MATLAB software has been used to carry out
the simulations in this study.
1

Introduction

The steady-state stability limit of a particular circuit of a power system may be

defined as the maximum power at the receiving end of the circuit that can be
transmitted without loss of synchronism if the load is increased in very small steps
and if the field current changes after each increment of load so as to restore the
normal operating conditions, assuming the terminal voltages remain constant.
Each and every alternator in a power system is provided with an automatic voltage
regulator. The primary function of automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is to adjust
the field current of the synchronous machine in an automatic way to maintain the
terminal voltage at a desired value as the output of the machine varies.
The steady state stability limit is a function of the generator voltage and the
impedances of the generator, step-up transformer and system. The steady-state
stability limit is used by protection engineers in some coordination studies and for
the adjustment of the under-excitation limiter (UEL) function in (AVR).The
excitation limit determines the steady state stability characteristic of the generator.
If the excitation is not sufficient to provide the vast demand of the generator, then
the stability limit is exceeded and instability results.

Brief Background to the Study

Several earlier work has been done in the area of steady-state stability and transient
stability of power system networks [Ref].Significant work has also been done in
the area of steady-state stability and its impact on the setting of generator
protection and the coordination of generator protection with generator control and
load capability[Ref].
The paper by (name & date)[1] provided practical guidance about proper
coordination of generator protection and generator AVRcontrol to enhance security
and system stability. A paper byname & date)[[2] developed an algorithm which
specifically ensures the coordination of loss of excitation relays with generator full
load capability and machine steady-state stability limits during normal and
abnormal conditions. The paper byname & date)[[3] provedthe impact of the
excitation system with an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) or a power system
stabilizer (PSS)on the generator stability limits. An earlier work was also done
byname & date)[[4] to describe traditional protection function related tothe
capability curve, such as stator thermal, rotor thermal, motoring, over
voltage,under voltage and loss of field protection.
This paper, however, is to investigate steady state stability limit (SSSL)
dependence on the excitation voltage of synchronous generators and the system
reactance. The study also considered the effect of system damping on the security
of the system. All the simulations were carried out in the MATLAB software
platform.
3

Methodology

Considering a two-machine system with negligible losses consisting of two

synchronous machines, a generator and a motor,connected through a network of
pure reactances. Since no power is lost in pure reactances, the electrical output of
the generator is equal to the electrical input of the motor. One power-angle curve
can therefore be used to show how the power transmitted from the generator to the
motordepends upon the angular separation of the rotors of the two machines, or
upon the phase difference of the two internal voltages (behind saturated or
equivalent synchronous reactances), under condition of constant field currents
(constant internal voltages).
The power transfer equation for a salient-pole machine is providedin steady state
by the conventional formula:

Pe =

E1 E 2
X d X q
sin + E 22
sin 2 (1)
Xd+ Xe
2( X d + X e) ( X q + X e )

From equation (1), the angle is the angle between thegenerator internal voltage
E1

and the infinite bus voltage

E2

. Itis a well-established principle that the

generator stability limitis reached when the derivative of the real power
respectto the angle becomes equal to zero. Hence,

Pe =

Pe

with

E1 E 2
X d X q
sin + E 22
sin 2 =0 (2)
Xd+ Xe
2( X d + X e) ( X q + X e )

Equation (2) is a non-linear equation, andthere is no algebraic equation for the

SSSL. The problem canbe simplified, however, by considering a round-rotor
machine,for which X d equals X q equals the synchronous reactance X s . So
the ability to transfer real power (MW) is described by the power transfer equation
Pe =

E1 E 2
E E
sin = 1 2 sin (3)
Xd+ Xe
X

where
Pe

= electrical real power transmitted from sending end to receiving end.

E1

= internal voltage of generator at generation

E2

= internal voltage of the system

X = synchronous reactance of the connecting network

= the internal (i.e. load) angle .

0
If the internal voltages are constant, the maximum power occurs at =90 .

Hence,
Pmax =

E 1 E2
(4)
X

4
0
where stability margin is for angle =90 .
0
The system is stable at any value of power less than Pmax , provided < 90 .

The steady-state stability limit of a system consisting of a synchronous generator

connected to an infinite bus can be determined by varying the value of the phase
angle , the angle between the terminal voltages of the generator and the infinite
bus.
3.1

Effect of Excitation Voltage on the Steady-State Stability Limit.

Increasing the system voltages E1 or E 2 by increasing the excitation through the

excitation system has significant impact on the steady state stability limit
maximum power Pmax , transferred. Usually it is desired that the terminal voltages
have specified values, which are held constant as the load is increased, so that
when the stability limit is reached the voltages still have the specified values.
Terminal voltages of systems are held constant as load on the system increases by
the generator excitation system supplying enough excitation voltage that ensures
the maintenance of constant terminal voltages.
The steady-state stability limit of a system consisting of a synchronous generator
connected to an infinite bus can be determined by varying the value of the phase
angle, , between the terminal voltages of the generator and the infinite bus.
The power-angle curves of the system for various values of

are plotted and

the value of for which the steady state stability limit maximum power Pmax ,
occurred is then calculated. With assumed, the transmitted power between the
generator and the infinite bus, the load angle , the generator internal voltage
and the maximum power can all be determined.
3.2

Effect of System Reactance on the Steady-State Stability Limit.

The system reactance affects the limit of steady stability power of a synchronous
machine. Decreasing system reactance can raise the steady stability power
limit.Increasing steady-state stability limit by decreasing reactance is
economicaland also effective.
The system reactance can be decrease by:

use of double-circuit line

use of bundled conductors
series compensation of the reactance
use of machines of low impedances

In practical systems, if enough transmission lines are tripped between the load
center and the remote generation station supplying the load center, the reactance
(X) between these two sources increases to a point where the maximum power
Pmax

, which can be transferred, is insufficient to maintain synchronism.

During the unstable conditions, generators may slip poles and loses synchronism.
Voltage collapse and steady state instability can occur together as the transmission
lines tripping increase the reactance between the load center and the remote
generation center.
3.3

Effect of Damping on System Stability.

The system stability to small changes is determined from the characteristic

equation
M p2 +

[ ]

Pe
=0(5)
0

whose two roots are

( P e / )0
p=
M

1/ 2

(6)

where ( Pe / )0 is known as the synchronizing coefficient.

When ( Pe / )0

is positive, the roots are purely imaginary and conjugate. The

system behavior at this condition is oscillatory about 0 . Line resistance and

damper windings of machine, which have been ignored in this modelling, causes
the system oscillations to decay. The system is therefore marginally stable as long
as

( Pe / )0 >0 (7)

If the synchronizing coefficient is negative, the roots are real and the response of
the system is exponentially increasing and stability is lost for

( Pe / )0 <0 (8)
If the system is operating below the limit of steady stability condition, according to
equation (7), it may continue to oscillate as long as the damping is low. Persistent
oscillations are a threat to system security.

Test System Configuration

A single-machine system connected to an infinite bus has been considered as

depicted in Fig. 1, for this analysis. The system and generator data used for the
analysis are widely used in literatures for such investigation [5].The generator and
the system data are specified in Appendix A.

Simulation and Discussion

Based on the outline of sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, MATLAB programs have been
written to analyze the test system with regards to the outline of sections 3.1-3.3.
For case 1 (section 3.1),the steady state stability limit (SSSL) at 47%, 79%, 95%,
98% and 100% of the excitation voltage were determined as depicted in table 1.

The corresponding power-angle curves were plotted. The maximum steady state
stability power limit was calculated to be
Pmax =2.016 pu
0
0
at a phase angle of =62 and load angle =90 .

If instead, the generator excitation voltage is held fixed at the value of the
generators terminal voltage, the steady state power limit would be
Pmax =0.95 pu .

It is observed that regulating the generator excitation voltage to maintain the

terminal voltage at 1.10 pu raised the power limit from 0.95 pu to 2.016 pu. This is
how the voltage regulating loop helps in power system stability.
0
0
The system would become unstable with =75 because > 90 .

Table 1 Calculated Values for Case 1.

Assumed phase angle,
(degree)
Load angle, at value of
(degree)
Power transmitted (p.u)
Max. power transmitted (p.u)

15

30

45

62

75

28

52

72

90

102

0.68
1.10

1.24
1.26

0.97
1.47

1.47
1.74

1.87
1.95

2
1.8
X: 90.18
Y: 1.741

1.6

Power Transmitted (per Unit)

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

20

40

60

80
100
Load Angle (Degrees)

120

140

160

180

Figure 2 Dependence of SSSL on Excitation Voltage

For case 2 (section 3.2), the system reactance is varied arbitrarily to represent the
tripping ofa double circuit transmission lines which will increase the system
reactance.
The power-angle curve in Fig. 3 illustrates the reduction as line 1 trips, the height
of the power-angle curve and the maximum power transfer is reduced because the
reactance (X) has increased. When line 2 trips, the height of the power-angle curve
is further reduced to the point where the power being transmitted cannot be
maintained and the system becomes unstable with the terminal voltage of the
system dipping critically.

System reactance (per unit)

All transmission lines in service (Red)

0.2

Line 1 tripped (Blue)

0.6

Line 2 tripped (Black)

2.3

Power Transmitted (PerUnit)

2.5

1.5

0.5

20

40

60

80
100
Load Angle (Degrees)

120

140

160

180

Figure 3 Dependence of SSSL on System Reactance

For case 3 (section 3.3), if the system is poorly damped, oscillations resulting from
system perturbations can lead to eventual loss of system stability. To simulate this
effect, a synchronous generator damping coefficient wasvaried and the rotor angle
and frequency response of the systemwere plotted.

10

It was observed and confirmed that the higher the damping coefficient, the faster
system oscillations decayed
Damping Coefficient

Settling Time of the Oscillations (sec)

0.015

19.2174

0.0015

192.1743

D e lt a , d e g re e

70
65
60
55
50
45

F re q u e n c y , H z

40

t,

10
sec

12

14

16

18

20

t,

10
sec

12

14

16

18

20

50.4
50.2
50
49.8
49.6

D e lt a , d e g re e

Figure 4 Machine Rotor Angle and Frequency Response to high Damping

Coefficient
70
60
50
40

F re q u e n c y , H z

30

10

15

20

10

15

20

t,

25
sec

30

35

40

45

50

t,

25
sec

30

35

40

45

50

50.4
50.2
50
49.8
49.6

11

Figure 5 Machine Rotor Angle and Frequency Response to low Damping

Coefficient

Conclusion

In this paper, an algorithm to simulate the dependence of power system steadystate stability limit on generator excitation voltage as well as the system reactance,
has been developed on the platform of the MATLAB software. For steady-state
operation of the system, persistent oscillations consequent to some form of
perturbations, must be addressed. The paper also considered an algorithm to
simulate the effect of machine damping power coefficient on the stability of power
system.

References:
[1]

Mozina,C.J. (2007). Coordination of Generator Protection with Generator

ExcitationControl and Generator Capability. Working Group J-5 of the
RotatingMachinery Subcommittee, Power System Relay Committee, vol15.no.-3 IEEEPower engineering society general meeting, PP1-17.

[2]

Madhuri, K. (2012). Coordination of Loss of Excitation with

CapabilityCurve and Steady State Stability Limit for a LargeAlternator.
International Journal of Electrical Engineering.ISSN 0974-2158 Volume 5,
Number 5 (2012), pp. 501-521.

[3]

Benmouyal, G. (2007). The Impact of Synchronous Generators Excitation

Supply
on
Protection
and
Relays.
Schweitzer
Engineering
Laboratories,Inc.2007, pp1-16.

[4]

Ramon, S. (2007).Dynamic Simulations Help Improve Generator Protection.

IEEE power system conference, march-2007, pp 16-38.

[5]

Hadi, S. (1999). Power System Analysis.McGraw-Hill, New York.

12

Appendix A
Generator Data

Rating

Frequency, f

50

Inertia constant, H

5.66 MJ/MVA

Damping coefficient, D

0.15 pu

Equivalent reactance, X e

0.6 pu

Real power delivered, Pm

0.77 pu

Terminal voltage, V t

1.10 pu

System Data

Rating

Bus voltage, V

1.0 pu

System reactance, X s

0.558 pu

System frequency, f

50