United States Grid Security and Reliability Control in High Load ConditionsChristopher Lanclos—Mississippi Valley State University

Research Alliance in Math and ScienceComputational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Mentor: Dr. Andrew Loeblhttps://wiki.ornl.gov/sites/rams/c_lanclos/Pages/default.aspx

AbstractThe command and control of electrical systems is a major focus issue throughout the United States. The objective of this study is to better understand the performance aspects of physical phenomenon that impact a power grid and the ability to assure that electricity is available. This study has examined the Northeastern Interconnect Blackout of 2003, which began at 16:05:57 on August 14 leading to an outage affecting 50 million people. A technical understanding of detailed performance characteristics is the first necessity of security and assurance. As seen in the Northeastern Interconnect Blackout of 2003, electricity supply and demand must be ensured with rapid actions to control the negative effects of propagating system failures. The research goal was to examine the course of events which led to the Northeastern Interconnect Blackout of 2003 and to explain the importance of mathematics as a basis of grid performance and sustainability.

Background

System conditions prior to 13:31 hrs EDT Voltage instability due to power demand Not Direct Cause ('limited' to Cleveland Akron 'Area’) Area systems ‘Fragile’ beginning ~0800 hrs Eastern Interconnect of the United States was vulnerable to a failure no

later than 13:03 Power wheeling indicates lack of technical and operational

understanding

Research Objectives

Determine variables and mathematic relationships needed to understand electric system, electricity flow and characteristics relative to the 2003 blackout that are needed to understand the system

Understand basic terms and mathematics needed to help protect the system

Identify and determine connections different mathematical terms Determine connections among the important aspects of this particular

incident that occurred during the 2003 blackout

Methodology

Understand and quantify based units of measure for electricity transmission, distribution, generation

Determine units of measure and compare against NERC report data Understand case study parameter values against standards Discover of incomplete data sets Explain Empirical relationship dealing with electrical grid Understand electrical distribution system at its base principles

Conclusions and Recommendations

To prevent major disturbances in a grid, measures of performance and conditions must be empirically understood in detail and monitored continuously

After any disturbance in a grid, a report indicating the chronology of events dealing grid performance measures should be given whereas summary statements saying system unstable and etc. are insufficient

State Estimator lacks key information: resistance; and impedance. This missing information does not allow proper Mvar measurements and are not actionable (phase angle between voltage and current unknown)

Stability and reliability are in jeopardy by incomplete data and means of available control for operators to make sound judgments

Future Work

Obtain resistance, phase angle, impedance data to evaluate MVar one minute before failure

o Explain to the different interconnections the reason why this data is important

o Develop a plan to use this information to predict disturbances within the control systems of the grid

Obtain data to evaluate East Gate Unit 5 MVar 5 min before failure, one min before operator decision and one min after failure.

o Explain to East Gate Unit 5 operators the importance of knowing this information

o Explain to other operators the importance of knowing information about the generator

The author acknowledgement contributions of Brandon Davis—Alabama A&M University; De’vonte Whitmore-University of Arkansas Pine BluffData and illustrations are from: Technical Analysis of the August 14, 2003 Blackout. North American Electric Reliability Council, Princeton NJ. 13 July 2004.

The Research Alliance in Math and Science program is sponsored by the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research, U.S. Department of Energy. The work was performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. De-AC05-00OR22725. This work has been authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government, accordingly, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes.

Figure 1: East Lake Unit 5 generation characteristics: reactive power, voltage, true power 1100-1410

Type of synchronous generator uses direct current to ultimately produce reactive power

Dedicated Exciter provides DC power (P = VI) through the motor field winding (the coil of wire that, when carrying current, produces the magnetic field inside an electrical motor or generator)

When the rated upper limit of East Lake 5 Mvar is breeched Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) is tripped to manual and generator shut down occurred

Area remains functional but at Emergency Level of operations cannot accommodate any subsequent forced contingency, regardless of loss of situational awareness experienced

P= power (watt) (Generation)E= (voI=Current (ampere)Mvar=(reactive lt)powerR=Resistance (ohm)P=EIE= IRHigh load, low or constant generation Ξ reduced voltageResistance not available (known?) in NERC report

Figure 2: Lines, generator plants, and GW (Watts) lost during 16:05-16:12

Figure 3: MW Generationand actual Load.