IMPROVING PERFORMANCE OF TRANSMISSION NETWORKS USING FACTS THROUGH CONTINUATION POWER FLOW METHOD

Over the past 50 years, modern electrical systems have become more complex, as they overrun the geographical boundaries of neighboring countries. The problem is that the power system faces many challenges, because it is exposed to difficult operating conditions. The phenomenon of voltage instability is the most frequent phenomenon, and this can lead to the collapse of the power system. To avoid power outages in the system (especially in blackout situations), the power system must be analyzed in order to maintain voltage stability in the expected difficult operating conditions. The main objective is to determine the maximum load capacity of the system and the causes of voltage instability. The voltage instability problem is related to the nature of nonlinear loads, so different load characteristics must be taken into consideration when analyzing voltage stability. This study aims to discover the maximum load capacity required by using the continuous power flow method (CPF) in the studied network. Then, the performance of this network using a Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System (FACTS) will be utilized. FACTS systems present a promising solution in improving the voltage stability by improving the power transmission capacity and controllability of the parameters of the existing power networks. This study will be conducted on a reference network platform under normal working conditions, then installation of one of the FACTS systems will show its effect on improving voltage stability. The continuous power flow method will be used to find PV curves, which in turn will help to determine the conditions of maximum loading while maintaining stability, and identify the bus bar with the smallest voltage, on which the flexible AC systems will be installed. The software environment MATLAB/PSAT will be used for modeling and simulation