Fixed-order controller for reduced-order model for damping of power oscillation in wide area network

The interconnected power systems are complex and stabilizing control design still remains challenging task. The use of wide area monitoring system (WAMS) offers an integrated measurement-based and model-based control, which suits to the operation of large electric power system (EPS), along with online analysis. This paper presents a study on fixed-order controller design for equivalent network of coherent generator in order to stabilize inter-area electromechanical oscillations in the system. Firstly, the coherent generators in each area of large EPS are determined by mutual information theory, which represents the dynamic equivalence. Then network of each area with input-output variables of the selected generator that participates dominantly is reduced to lower size by square-root variant of balanced truncation algorithm. The dynamics and important oscillation modes are verified in equivalent representation of each area. Finally a local controller (decentralized) in each coherent area and a centralized controller between two coherent areas for selected generator are designed by reducing the H-infinity norm of its closed loop transfer function as much as possible. These controllers feed supplementary control signal in addition to one fed by local conventionally tuned PSS. The decentralized controller for selected generator is fed by local bus power or generator's speed signal. On other hand, the centralized controller uses difference of power flow/speed of generators as input signal to dampen the oscillations between equivalent networks of two areas. The simulation results reveal effective damping of power/speed oscillations achieved by designed controller with respect to conventional PSS implemented. The robustness of controller is verified for heavy and light load operating conditions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.