1.

3 Bus Impedance Matrix

The bus impedance matrix Zbus is widely used in short circuit studied.
There are three ways to calculate the Zbus matrix.

1.3.1 Inversion of Ybus:

This method requires extensive computation time. Actual industrial

applications usually employ the Zbus building algorithm (explained later in
this section).

1.3.2 Direct Calculation of Each Entry in Zbus:

This method is usually used for small systems. It is based on the following
equation,

Vi
( Z bus ) ij = for i, j = 1, 2, ….n (1)
Ij

In this equation, the driving-point impedance Zjj and the transfer

impedances Zij’s are calculated by injecting current Ij into bus j and then
computing all bus voltages in the system (using the primitive impedances).

Example (1):

Consider the 3-bus network shown below; all imbedances are in per units.

Find Zbus using the direct calculation of each entry method.

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Solution:

Assume a 1 per-uint current injection at bus 1 and solve for v1, v2, v3. These
voltages are numerically (using Eq. 1) equal to z11, z12 = z21, z13 = z31. The bus
voltages using any circuit law are shown in the figure below.

Therefore,

5 4
z11 = z12 = z 21 = z13 = z31 = 1
3 3
Similarly, inject a 1 per-uint current into buses 2 and 3 and solve for the
corresponding driving-point and transfer impedances. The resulting Zbus
matrix is

⎡5 4 ⎤
⎢3 1
3 ⎥
⎢4 5 ⎥
Z bus =⎢ 1⎥
⎢3 3 ⎥
⎢1 1 1⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦

To check out this result, multiply Zbus by Ybus obtained in previous section
will give you the identity matrix I.

1.3.3 Zbus Building Algorithm:

In this method the line data are sequentially processed to obtain the
impedance matrix. The line list must be ordered such that
i. the first line to be processed is a line (or a tie) to the reference bus.
ii. at least one bus terminal of all subsequent lines in the line list must
be a bus that has been seen earlier.

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One good reason for line list ordering is to speed the building algorithm. In
the description of the building algorithm below, bus 0 is considered as the
reference bus.

a. Read a new line from the list. If the last line has been processed, Stop.

b. Determine whether the line is a radial line (a radial line is identified as a

line from a bus seen earlier to a bus not yet seen) from the system
processed earlier, or a loop closure between two buses seen earlier in the
list.

c. If the line read is a radial line, the Zbus matrix after this line is added to
the system is

⎡ Z bus
old old
coli Z bus ⎤
new
= ⎢
Z bus old
⎣rowi Z bus ( old
Z bus ii
)
+ Z⎦
⎥ (2)

where i is the bus seen earlier, z is the radial line primitive impedance.

d. If the line is a loop closure between bus i and bus j, form an intermediate
matrix denoted as Zloop

⎡ old
Z bus old
coli Z bus − col j Z bus
old
⎤
=⎢
(Z ) ( ) ⎥ (3)
loop
Z
⎣⎢rowi Z bus − row j Z bus + ( Z bus ) jj − 2 Z bus + z ⎦⎥
old old old old old
bus ii ij

Next, apply bus elimination method (explained in previous section) by

new
removing the last row and column to obtain Z bus which has same size as
old
Z bus .

Example (2):
Consider the line list of a 3-bus network given below; all impedances are in
per units.
From Bus To Bus Impedance
1 2 1.00
1 3 1.00
2 3 1.00
3 0 1.00

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Use the building algorithm to establish.

Solution:

First reorder the line list as explained earlier,

From Bus To Bus Impedance

3 0 1.00
2 3 1.00
1 3 1.00
1 2 1.00

The first entry in the line list is a radial line connecting bus 3 (a new bus)
and bus 0 (an existing bus; in this case a reference bus), then

new
Z bus = [1]

The second entry in the line list is a radial line connecting bus 2 (a new bus)
and bus 3 (an existing bus), then

⎡1 1 ⎤
new
Z bus = ⎢ ⎥
⎣1 1 + 1⎦

The third entry in the line list is a radial line connecting bus 1 (a new bus)
and bus 3 (an existing bus), then

⎡1 1 1 ⎤ ⎡1 1 1 ⎤
new
Z bus = ⎢⎢1 2 1 ⎥⎥ = ⎢⎢1 2 1 ⎥⎥
⎢⎣1 1 1 + 1⎥⎦ ⎢⎣1 1 2⎥⎦

The last entry in the line list is a loop closure line connecting bus 1 (an
existing bus) and bus 2 (an existing bus), then

⎡ 1 1 1 1−1 ⎤ ⎡1 1 1 0⎤
⎢ 1 2 1 1− 2 ⎥ ⎢1 2 1 − 1⎥⎥
Z loop = ⎢ ⎥=⎢
⎢ 1 1 2 2 −1 ⎥ ⎢1 1 2 1⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎣1 − 1 1 − 2 2 − 1 2 + 2 − 2(1) + 1⎦ ⎣0 − 1 1 3⎦

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Apply bus elimination method to remove the last row and column, then

⎡ ⎤
⎢1 1 1⎥
⎢ 5 4⎥
Z new
bus = ⎢1 ⎥
⎢ 3 3⎥
⎢1 4 5⎥
⎢⎣ 3 3 ⎥⎦

new
Note that the order of Z bus is 3-2-1. Then Zbus in the right order 1-2-3 is

⎡5 4 ⎤
⎢3 1
3 ⎥
⎢4 5 ⎥
new
Z bus = ⎢ 1⎥
⎢3 3 ⎥
⎢1 1 1⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦

1.3.4 Zbus Properties:

Complex and symmetric.
Dense (i.e., not sparse).
Diagonal entries are generally predominate (i.e., Zij ≤ Zii).

1.3.5 Changes in Zbus Due to Changes in the System Network:

In practical applications, the power system network configuration

(topology) may be modified to reflect changes in the system or changes in
the choice of a reference bus. Changes in the system could be due to one of
the followings:

1) Addition of a line: see loop line in the building algorithm of Zbus.

2) Addition of a bus: see radial line in the building algorithm of Zbus.

3) Line outage: to remove line i - j of primitive impedance z, add a loop

closure line between bus i and bus j having impedance –z. Next, apply bus
elimination method (explained in previous section) by removing the last
row and column to obtain the modified bus impedance matrix.

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Example (3):
Consider the 3-bus network of Example (1).

In this example the line connecting bus 1 and bus 2 is removed. To modify
the impedance matrix, we add a line loop closure between buses 1 and 2 of
primitive impedance -1 to the original network of Example (1). The loop
impedance matrix is

⎡5 4 1⎤
⎢3 1
3 3⎥
⎢4 5 − 1⎥
Z loop = ⎢3 1 ⎥
⎢ 3 3⎥
⎢1 1 1 0⎥
⎢1 −1 − 1⎥
0
⎢⎣ 3 3 3 ⎥⎦

Apply bus elimination method by removing the last row and column to
obtain the modified bus impedance matrix,

⎡2 1 1⎤
Z bus = ⎢⎢1 2 1⎥⎥
⎢⎣1 1 1⎥⎦

4) Deletion of a bus: to delete bus j from the system, delete the j axis (i.e.
only remove the jth row and column).

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Example (4):
Consider the 4-bus network shown below; all impedances are in per units.

Delete bus 4.
The bus impedance matrix of this network is

⎡5 4 4⎤
⎢3 1
3 3⎥
⎢4 5 5⎥
Z bus = ⎢3 1 ⎥
⎢ 3 3⎥
⎢1 1 1 1⎥
⎢4 5
1
11⎥
⎣⎢ 3 3 3 ⎦⎥

To remove bus 4 delete the last row and column axes, the modified bus
impedance matrix is

⎡5 4 ⎤
⎢3 1
3 ⎥
⎢4 5 ⎥
Z bus = ⎢ 1⎥
⎢3 3 ⎥
⎢1 1 1⎥
⎢⎣ ⎥⎦

Changes in the system could also be due to changes in the choice of a

reference bus. Such changes could take place to improve the computational
performance, but involves no alteration or modification of the system
configuration.

To convert the reference bus from bus a to bus b, form the indefinite bus
impedance matrix by augmenting bus a as a new axis in the existing matrix.
Subtract column b from all other columns including itself. This process is
known as sweeping column b across the matrix. Then sweep row b across
the matrix. After that, delete bus b from the indefinite bus admittance
matrix.
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Example (5):
Consider the 3-bus network shown below; all impedances are in per units.

Change the reference bus to bus 2.

The changes can be done by forming the indefinite bus matrix, i.e.

⎡5 4 ⎤
⎢3 1 0⎥
3
⎢4 5 ⎥
Z bus = ⎢ 1 0⎥
⎢3 3 ⎥
⎢1 1 1 0⎥
⎢0 0 0 0⎥⎦
⎣

Subtract column 2 from all other columns including itself, yields

⎡1 −1 − 4⎤
⎢3 0
3 3 ⎥
⎢−1 −2 − 5⎥
Z bus = ⎢ 0 ⎥
⎢3 3 3 ⎥
⎢0 0 0 −1⎥
⎢0 0 ⎥⎦
⎣ 0 0

Subtract row 2 from all other rows including itself, yields

⎡2 1 1⎤
⎢3 0
3 3⎥
⎢0 0 0 0⎥
Z bus = ⎢1 2 2⎥
⎢ 0 ⎥
⎢3 3 3⎥
⎢1 0
2 5⎥
⎢⎣ 3 3 3 ⎥⎦

Then delete bus 2 axes, yields

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 ⎡2 1 1⎤
⎢3 3 3⎥
⎢1 2 2⎥
Z bus =⎢ ⎥
⎢3 3 3⎥
⎢1 2 5⎥
⎢⎣ 3 3 3 ⎥⎦

References:
[1] G.T. Heydt, "Computer Analysis Methods for Power System",
Macmillan, New York, 1986.

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