Power System Fundamentals

Course code EEET 4057

Lecture 1
Introduction

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 Learning Objectives
• To give an overview of the structure of an
electrical power systems and its components
• To give a brief history of how the power systems
evolved over the time
• To introduce the course topics/problems
relevant to power engineering
• To introduce the role of a power engineer
• To define the scope of this course

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 Definition
The function of a power system is to generate
electric energy economically and with the
minimum ecological disturbance and to transfer
this energy over transmission lines and
distribution networks with the maximum
efficiency and reliability for delivery to
consumers at virtually fixed voltage and
frequency.

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 Structure of a Power System
• Generation
• Transmission
• Distribution

A typical Australian Power System

4
 Brief History
• 1882 - first system installed in US to sell electric
energy for lightning Pearl Street Station in New
York City (Thomas Edison)
– DC system
– 3 wire 220/110V, underground cables
– 30kW
– Only short distance due to losses

• 1885 – transformer invention (William Stanley)

• 1885/86 - first experimental AC distribution
system in US which supplied 150 lamps
• 1888 – induction motor (Nikola Tesla)
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 Brief History...
• 1890 first transmission AC line
– from hydro power station
– 13 miles long
• 1893/4 - first 5 polyphase generating plants in US
– one 2-phase
– four 3-phase
• Worldwide Standard
– 3-phase AC power
– frequency: 50Hz, 60Hz (US)
– originally was 25Hz because of maximum generator
efficiency, but caused problems with lighting (flicker).
– different voltage levels: 230V, 120V(US) (consumer
levels)
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 Brief History…
• 1917 Interconnection of individual power
systems into a national grid
– advantages:
• fewer machines required for reserve
• exchange of power for lower price
– new problems:
• larger short circuit currents, therefore required circuit
breakers that can interrupt larger currents
• disturbance can spread from one system to another, so
proper relays and circuit breakers required for system
protection
• interconnected systems must have same frequency and
phase, therefore synhronisation of interconnected
systems is required.

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 DC Power Transmission

• 1970 first DC line in US,

– +400kV DC, 850 miles, Oregon to California

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 Structure of a Power System
• Generation
• Transmission
• Distribution

A typical Australian Power System

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 Generation
• Generation is an energy conversion process. Example:
– coal is burned to heat water and produce steam. Steam
pressure produces torque on steam turbine which is
mechanically coupled to the generator to produce rotation of
the generator’s rotor, thus converting mechanical energy into
electrical
chemical ➔ thermal ➔ mechanical ➔ electrical
boiler turbine generator

• Other Energy Sources include:

– Gas, Oil, Nuclear, Water power (Hydro)
– solar, wind, geothermal, waste, tidal,…
• Environmental Issues
– Atmospheric pollution,
– Thermal pollution
– Radiation
– Landscape
– Sound,…
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National Energy Market Watch [1]

[1] https://reneweconomy.com.au/nem-watch/
 Transmission
• Generators produce voltages in order of 10s of kV
(typical: 11, 17, 22, 23)kV.
• Transformers are used to increase this voltage to 100s of
kV (330, 500)kV
• Capacity of a transmission line (TL) increases with V2
• Overhead transmission lines (bare conductors)
• Underground transmission lines (insulated cables)
• Primary Transmission
– long distances
– high voltage
• Secondary transmission
– Short distances
– Lower voltage

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 Australia
Transmission
Network
NEM regions [2]
•Queensland

•New South Wales

(includes ACT)

•Victoria

•Tasmania

•South Australia

[2] https://www.aemc.gov.au/energy-system/electricity/electricity-system/NEM
South Australia Transmission Network

• Extends across 200,000km2 of diverse & rugged

terrain

• ~5600 route km of transmission lines

• Operating voltage 275kV, 132kV, 66kV

• Includes 91 HV substations

• Principal Transmission Network Service

Provider(TNSP) - ElectraNet

• View Network map here.

 Distribution

• Primary Distribution
– high voltage distribution, 11kV, 33kV, 66kV

• Secondary Distribution
– Low voltage distribution to consumers,
– 230V/400V

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South Australia Distribution Network

• 88,000 km of power lines

• 400 zone substations

• 647,000 Stobie poles

• 860,000 customers

• South Australia regulated electricity distributor –

SA Power Networks

• More details can be found here.

South Australia Electricity Supply Chain [3]

[3] https://www.sapowernetworks.com.au/public/download.jsp?id=9716
 Power System Studies
• Include:
– planning the operation, improvement and expansion
– design of means for system protection against
lightning and switching surges, and short circuits
• load study
• fault calculation
• system stability

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 Load Flow Studies

• Determines voltage, current, power, pf, at

various points in electrical network under
existing or predicted condition of normal
operation.
• It is important for planning
• Computer simulations are used for this purpose

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 Economic Load Dispatch

• It is a process of apportioning the total load of a

system between the various generating plants
to achieve the greatest economy of operation.

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 Fault Calculation

• A fault is any failure that interferes with normal

flow of current
– Symmetrical – 3phase faults
– Unsymmetrical
• Line to ground
• Line to line
• Double line to ground fault
• Fault calculations- determine currents flowing in
case of various types of faults at various
locations in the system, in order to determine
appropriate setting of relays that control the
circuit breakers

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 System Protection

• Faults are very destructive so various

equipment and schemes are designed for
protection.

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 Stability Studies
• The problem of system stability is the problem of
maintaining the synchronous operation of the generators
and motors of the system.
• Classification:
– Steady state condition
– Transient condition
• Stability limit is the amount of power that when exceeded
will cause the loss of synchronism of machines
interconnected in the system.
• Power System is stable if its synchronous machines are
able to respond to a disturbance from a normal operation
in such a way as to return to their normal operating
condition.

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 Stability Studies…

• Instability limit may be reached by sudden

disturbance (transient stability limit) or by
gradual change (steady state stability limit)
• Stability studies are important in order to
improve stability and predict limits of stable
operation, both for steady state and transient
conditions.

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 Scope of this Course
• Topics that will be covered:
– 3-phase unbalanced circuits
– Power system components and per-unit system
– Power line parameters, modelling and performance
– Power flow analysis
– Balanced and unbalanced faults
– Power system protection
• Assumed knowledge:
– Single phase AC steady state analysis
– Powers in single phase AC circuits
– 3-phase balanced circuits and 3-phase power
– Fundamentals of electrical machines and transformers

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 Acknowledgment

• Lecture notes by Dr. Zorica Nedic & Dr.

David Whaley

• Saadat, Hadi 2010, Power System

Analysis, 3, PSA Publishing.

• Lecture notes-updates by Vanika Sharma

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 THANKS
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!