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The Use of Powerworld to Conduct Loadflow Analysis and Power Factor

Correction on Stevenson’s 5 Bus System

Article  in  Computers in Education Journal · October 2005

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 THE USE OF POWERWORLD TO CONDUCT LOAD FLOW
ANALYSIS AND POWER FACTOR CORRECTION ON STEVENSON’S
5 BUS SYSTEM
Cesar Carbajal Andrew Gast Michael Fleck Sara Page Podolsky Dr. Fredrick Berry
Jared Dinkelaker Kevin Patel Aalap Jha Dr. Clifford Grigg

Department of Electrical Engineering

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Terre Haute, IN 47803

Abstract Description of Powerworld

Load flow analysis is important for PowerWorld Simulator is a software

Electrical Engineering students to
understand, but the analysis can often be
long and tedious. One way to either check
answers or solve large cases would be to use
a software package such as PowerWorld.
PowerWorld utilizes a highly visual easy-to-
use graphical interface. A student version of
this program is available at
www.Powerworld.com. Since many power
companies use such programs, the software
also helps students prepare for the real
world.
Introduction
Load-flow analysis can be better
understood using computer software
packages. One of the many load-flow
software packages that can be used is
PowerWorld. This package allows for the
easy simulation of bus systems that would
take a significant amount of time if done by
hand. One such system is Stevenson’s 5 bus
model. This is a relatively small and simple
power system. Understanding how this
system works will assist students in
understanding load flow analysis. The
results of changes to the system can be seen
quickly in PowerWorld, further aiding
students’ learning process.
package designed to simulate high voltage
power systems up to 100,000 busses. This
package was originally designed for
educational purposes; now it is being used in
industry as well. PowerWorld can be used to
give students a comprehensive look at
electrical power flow in a transmission grid
because it is user-friendly and highly visual.
PowerWorld is capable of a wide variety
of functions including detailed modeling of
phase-shifting transformers, switched
shunts, generator reactive capability curves,
generator cost curves, load schedules,
transaction schedules, dc lines, multi-section
lines, and remote bus voltage control. The
one-line diagrams are animated for the
benefit of the users. The integrated drawing
tools give an easy and fast approach to
creating one-line diagrams, circuit diagrams
where a single line is shown to represent
three phases of a power system.
PowerWorld uses the Newton-Raphson
iteration method, which provides an efficient
and accurate solution. It also computes the
Jacobian (Admittance Matrix), so that the
one-line diagram characteristics can be
ported to other analysis programs.

COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION JOURNAL 95

 Jacobian Matrices Table 1- Transmission Line Data
Line Branch Branch Shunt
In the manual method of solving multi bus From To Resistance (R) Reactance (X) Charging (B)
systems, a Jacobian Matrix is created. The 1 - Birch 2 - Elm 0.042 0.168 4.1
1 - Birch 5 - Pine 0.031 0.126 3.1
matrix contains values that depend on the 2 - Elm 3 - Maple 0.031 0.126 3.1
3 - Maple 4 - Oak 0.084 0.336 8.1
resistances and reactances within the system. 3 - Maple 5 - Pine 0.053 0.21 5.1
This matrix is used in combination with 4 - Oak 5 - Pine 0.063 0.252 6.1

voltage and current matrices to iterate to a

solution. The students should open a new project
file and create a one-line. The help tutorial
In PowerWorld, students can place busses, shows how to place busses, generators, lines
generators, transmission lines, etc on a one- and loads. Students can build a one-line of
line and the program comes up with the the 5 bus system using the input data in
Jacobian for the case. It then iterates to the Tables 1 and 2, and a picture of the one-line
solution. If, for example, a data value needs in Figure 1. The model they have created
to be changed, instead of manually changing can be used to conduct a load flow analysis.
the affected values of the Jacobian and then
recompleting the long iteration process a Table 2- Generator and Load Data
student can simply change the data value on
Bus Number Bus Name Voltage Load MW Load VAR Gen MW Gen VAR
the one-line and PowerWorld will find the 1 Birch 1.04 65 30 N/A N/A
2 Elm 1 115 60 N/A N/A
new solution quickly. 3 Maple 1.02 70 40 180 0
4 Oak 1 70 30 N/A N/A
5 Pine 1 85 40 N/A N/A
Application
When students solve the case, the one-line
A one-line diagram of Stevenson’s 5 bus becomes animated, giving a graphical
system modeled in PowerWorld is shown in representation of the “flowing” load. Also,
Figure 1. Tables 1 and 2 are the data that a Power Flow List is available for viewing
corresponds to the system. the complete numerical solution. The
solutions to the case are in Appendix A.

Capacitor Study

At times it is necessary to have a certain

Figure 1- Stevenson’s 5 Bus System
minimum per unit voltage level at a
particular bus. If the Power Flow List
shows that a bus is too low, one way of
fixing this is to increase the power factor.
This is achieved by adding a shunt
capacitance at that bus. Finding the
particular value of the capacitor can be
difficult by applying the trial and error
method, so the easiest and most effective
way to determine the capacitance that is
needed is by adding a temporary generator
at that bus. In this case the generator should
be added at bus 4.

96 COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION JOURNAL

 This generator should have a 0 MW References
output, like a capacitor would have. The
SetPoint Voltage should be set to the desired 1. William D. Stevenson, Jr. 1982. Elements
per unit voltage at the bus. When the load of Power Systems Analysis. New York:
flow analysis is run again, the reactive McGraw-Hill.
power of the temporary generator is the
value of the capacitor needed to raise the 2. PowerWorld Corporation. 2004.
voltage to the desired value. The temporary PowerWorld Corporation. Internet.
generator can now be deleted and replaced <www.Powerworld.com>. Date
with a capacitor of the value found above, as Accessed 12/12/2004.
shown in Figure 2.
Biographical Information

Cesar Carbajal, Jared Dinkelaker, Andrew

Gast, Kevin Patel, Michael Fleck, Aalap Jha,
and Sara Page Podolsky, are Electrical
Engineering students at Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology who are writing a
User’s Manual for PowerWorld as their
senior design project. Dr. Berry, and Dr.
Grigg are professors at Rose-Hulman who
provided guidance throughout the writing
process.

Figure 2- One-line with Capacitor

Hand analysis techniques will be very

cumbersome and time-consuming.
PowerWorld produces a fast and accurate
solution without requiring iteration by hand.

Conclusion

Students can solve practical power flow

systems using PowerWorld’s easy-to-use
graphical interface. After building the one-
line diagram students can conduct load flow
analysis. Then, they can easily see the
results of making changes to the one-line,
without going through tedious by-hand
calculations. The author would be pleased
to provide more detail to interested readers
and can be conveniently contacted via e-
mail at fleckmc@rose-hulman.edu.

COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION JOURNAL 97

 APPENDIX A
Solution to Stevenson’s 5 Bus System

98 COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION JOURNAL

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