Application of analog and hybrid computation methods to fast power system security studies

In analog emulation, a non-linear system model is implemented as a set of reconfigurable analog circuits referred to as the emulator. This hardware is actuated, initialized, and allowed to settle to a steady-state during which time the user utilizes voltage and current measurement devices to observe the system's transient response and constrained static solution. Because this method abandons the use of iterative numerical techniques, the length of time required to emulate a solution (this excludes the effects of actuation and data acquisition) is fully controllable and independent of the dimension of the system model. Analog computation has potential to perform many types of non-linear analyses significantly faster than is possible digitally; however, its popularity has traditionally been limited by a need for manual actuation and data acquisition. In this work, the authors examine the use of digital technology to automate actuation and data acquisition for emulation. They also discuss how intelligent design and control of the emulator may be utilized to minimize data collection and accelerate emulation-based power-flow analysis and system security studies. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.