UNSW - SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
ELEC4612 POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS
LABORATORY 3
Power flow Study (Gauss-Seidel Method) using PowerWorld
1. AIM
With the aid of the PowerWorld Simulator (PWS) program, the objectives are:
▪ To build the 5-bus network model for power system study,
▪ To analyse the power flow in a simple power system network using GS method,
▪ To investigate voltage regulation via transformer tap changing or using shunt
capacitance compensation.
2. BACKGROUND
Power flow analysis is a fundamental requirement for study of power systems. Successful
power system operation under steady-state conditions requires:
▪ Generation supplies load demand plus losses.
▪ Bus voltage magnitudes are close to rated values.
▪ Generators operate within specified real and reactive power limits.
▪ Transmission lines and transformers are not overloaded.
Power flow program such as the PowerWorld Simulator is the tool for investigating these
requirements. It computes voltage magnitude and angle at each bus. As a by-product, real and
reactive power flows and power losses in equipment (transmission lines, transformers) can also
be computed. The solutions require the use of iterative numerical techniques such as the Gauss-
Seidel method or the Newton-Raphson method to solve a set of nonlinear nodal equations of
the network.
Gauss-Seidel Method in power flow study, it is necessary to solve the set of non-linear
equations represented by:
For two unknown variables at each node. In the GS method, the equation above is solved for
𝑉𝑖 .
Voltage regulation refers to the requirement of maintaining voltages within an acceptable level
at any point in the network. This can be achieved by various methods such as adjusting the
generator output, transformer tap changing, and compensation using capacitors. Synchronous
generators can be used to generate or absorb reactive power within their capacity limits. Tap-
changing transformer is another popular method of voltage control. By adjusting the turns ratio,
its output voltage on the secondary winding can be varied to maintain the voltage control.
Injecting reactive power into the system from compensating apparatus is another effective way
to regulate the voltage. Shunt capacitors are commonly used to inject reactive power into lagging-
power factor circuits.
ELEC 4612 Lab3– Power flow Study (Gauss-Seidel Method) using PowerWorld Page 1
3. PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
You are required to answer the following questions before attending the lab session. The lab
demonstrators will check and provide feedback on your answer during the lab session. Your
answers to the following questions need to be included in your lab report for assessment.
1. What is “flat start” in power flow analysis?
2. What are the variables associated with each bus in the power system analysis? Explain how
to categorize the buses into three types depending on which quantities are known/unknown.
3. Why do we need to define a slack bus in the power flow analysis?
4. When defining the slack bus of the system, should we enable the “Available for AVR” option
in the generator setting? How about a PV bus?
5. Build the one-line diagram for the 5-bus power system under study. Write the 𝑌𝑏𝑢𝑠 matrix
of the network in rectangular form. Compare your answer with the solution details in PW
simulator (during the lab).
4. Network Information
Figure 1: Single-line diagram of a 5-bus system
A 5-bus system consisting of 2 generators (represented as equivalent sources) and 4 loads is
shown in Figure 1. Bus 1 is chosen to be the swing (slack) bus (voltage = 1pu, angle = 0 deg.).
Bus 2 is the voltage-controlled bus (also called PV bus) and its voltage magnitude is to be set
to 1 pu. The nominal voltage for the network under study is 220kV and power base is 100 MVA.
Use the information provided in the tables below to set up the 5-bus network model in
PowerWorld.
ELEC 4612 Lab3– Power flow Study (Gauss-Seidel Method) using PowerWorld Page 2
Generator Information
Generator Gen 1 Gen 2
Bus 1 2
Setpoint MW 0.0 40.0
Min MW Output -250.0 0.0
Max MW Output 250.0 100.0
Mvar output 0.0 30.0
Min Mvar -30.0 -100.0
Max Mvar 100.0 100.0
Available for AGC Yes No
Enforce MW Limits Yes Yes
Available for AVR Yes No
Transmission Line (100MVA 220kV base)
Bus code Line Length R X B MVA
From To (km) (Ω/km) (Ω/km) -6
(×10 Mhos/km) limits
1 2 57.30 0.1689 0.5068 2.1636
1 3 104.61 0.3701 1.1104 0.9876
2 3 81.03 0.3584 1.0752 1.0199
2 4 81.03 0.3584 1.0752 1.0199 100
2 5 57.30 0.3379 1.0137 1.0818
3 4 23.39 0.2069 0.6208 1.7666
4 5 104.61 0.3701 1.1104 0.9876
Load data
Load
Bus Code
P (MW) Q (Mvar)
2 20 10
3 45 15
4 40 5
5 60 10
5. Simulation Experiment
Construct the network model according to the specifications given above in PowerWorld.
Choose the base power of Sbase = 100 MVA (Tools → Simulator options → General →
Assumed MVA Per Unit Base).
Part 1: Power flow solutions using Gauss-Seidel method:
Switch into the Run Mode. Solve the power flow of the system by the Gauss-Seidel method
step by step and observe the convergence process. To solve the power flow step by step, under
Tools tab → click on Simulator Options dialog and check the Do Only One Iteration box.
ELEC 4612 Lab3– Power flow Study (Gauss-Seidel Method) using PowerWorld Page 3
The Bus Real and Reactive Power Mismatches lists the mismatches at each bus. To display
it, under Case Information → Network → click on Mismatches
To achieve the result quickly, uncheck the Do Only One Iteration box and increase the
Maximum Number of Iterations to 100 (since larger number of iterations is required by the
Gauss-Seidel method). To view the power flows of the entire system, under Case Information
tab → click on Power Flow List.
Part 2: Voltage regulation
Set the reactive load at bus 2 to be zero. Increase the active load from 20MW to 70MW by 10
MW per step. Record the magnitudes (p.u.) and the angles (deg.) of the voltages at buses 2, 3 4
and 5. Work out the voltage drop (regulation).
Set the active load at bus 2 to be 20 MW. Increase the reactive load from 10 MVar to 50 MVar
by 10MVar per step. Record the magnitudes (p.u.) and the angles (deg.) of the voltages at buses
2, 3, 4 and 5. Work out the voltage drop.
Before proceeding to the next question, please turn all the other system components to be in-
serviced. Set the load at bus 2 back to 20 MW, 10 Mvar.
Set the reactive load at Bus 5 to 30 Mvar. Add a switched shunt with a nominal Mvar of 40 at
Bus 5. Assume the voltage at the buses should be limited between 0.95 and 1.05p.u. Is there
any violation out of these bus voltage limitations? If the shunt capacitor bank at bus 5 is out of
service, will there be any violations on the bus voltages?
(The bus voltage limits can be specified in the Case Information →Limit Monitoring
Settings and Limit Violations dialog.)
Record the bus voltage magnitudes at buses 2, 3, 4 and 5 when the amount of nominal reactive
for the shunt capacitor bank at the bus 5 is changed from 0 to 80MVar in steps of 10Mvar. Note
down the changes of the bus voltages and the system losses. Comments on the results.
(The system losses can be observed in Case Information → Case Summary for Current
Case.)
ELEC 4612 Lab3– Power flow Study (Gauss-Seidel Method) using PowerWorld Page 4
