Available transfer capability calculation methods: A comprehensive review

The ceaseless efforts by power system industries to promote sustainable and competitive electric power market structure in the deregulated environment have given rise to enormous research in the area of transfer capability of transmission networks. Due to high demand for electricity, transmission components are stressed to operate close to their operating limits, and this leads to a decrease in transmission efficiency. To address this issue, efficient evaluation of available transfer capability (ATC) is crucial for system planning, operation, and control. Several approaches have been proposed for ATC computation. Surprisingly, a comprehensive literature review on ATC computation is yet to be efficiently presented. Researchers have been able to come up with fast algorithms, but most of these algorithms are not accurate, and the presented accurate techniques are not fast enough for online applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the different approaches for ATC determination. It provides the concepts, methods, and the features of the ATC. For each technique, the state of the art of the several contributions made by researchers has been highlighted. This review reveals that there are issues regarding ATC calculation methods that need attention: the development of fast and accurate algorithm incorporating system dynamics and system uncertainties in ATC determination. Additionally, efforts on the incorporation of renewable energy generation in the ATC evaluation need to be intensified. This review will serve as one in all for researchers as well as a guide for the entrants in this field.