FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating an example process for conducting a real-time power capacity assessment of an electrical power distribution and transmission system, in accordance with one embodiment. The stability of an electrical power system can be classified into two broad categories: transient (angular) stability and voltage stability (i.e., power capacity). Voltage stability refers to the electrical system's ability to maintain acceptable voltage profiles under different system topologies and load changes (i.e., contingency events). That is, voltage stability analyses determine bus voltage profiles and power flows in the electrical system before, during, and immediately after a major disturbance. Generally speaking, voltage instability stems from the attempt of load dynamics to restore power consumption beyond the capability of the combined transmission and generation system. One factor that comes into play is that unlike active power, reactive power cannot be transported over long distances. As such, a power system rich in reactive power resources is less likely to experience voltage stability problems. Overall, the voltage stability of a power system is of paramount importance in the planning and daily operation of an electrical system.
Traditionally, transient stability has been the main focus of power system professionals. However, with the increased demand for electrical energy and the regulatory hurdles blocking the expansion of existing power systems, the occurrences of voltage instability has become increasingly frequent and therefore has gained increased attention from power system planners and power system facility operators. The ability to learn, understand and make predictions about available power system capacity and system susceptibility to voltage instability, in real-time would be beneficial in generating power trends for forecasting purposes.
