IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER SYSTEMS, VOL. 19, NO.
4, NOVEMBER 2004
The Coordinated Automatic Voltage Control of
the Italian Transmission Grid—Part II: Control
Apparatuses and Field Performance of the
Consolidated Hierarchical System
Sandro Corsi, Member, IEEE, Massimo Pozzi, Marino Sforna, and Giuseppe Dell’Olio
Abstract—The hierarchical voltage control system, currently
fully exploited in the Italian transmission grid and presented in
Part I, improves voltage quality, network security and operation
efficiency. This coordinated automatic system, operated by the
Italian ISO (GRTN), is subdivided into three hierarchical control
levels, requiring unconventional regulation apparatuses. They
are the Voltage and Reactive Power Regulator (REPORT) at the
power plant level, the Regional Voltage Regulator (RVR) at the
regional dispatcher level, and the National Voltage Regulator
(NVR) at the ISO control center. This survey paper provides a
general description of the characteristics of these new automatic
control apparatuses and of the interventions required on existing
equipment for their installation, activation and operation. A brief
presentation of the main dynamic performance of the hierarchical
control system, from the inner to the outer control loops, is also
given with reference to laboratory, commissioning and field tests.
Index Terms—Automatic control, coordinated voltage control,
multi-variable hierarchical control, optimal reactive power flow,
reactive power, reactive power coordination, secondary and ter-
tiary voltage regulation, stability margins, transmission losses,
voltage, voltage ancillary service.
I. INTRODUCTION
T HE hierarchical voltage control scheme, presented in
Part I, provides closed-loop real-time regulation of volt-
ages at the main buses (pilot nodes) of the transmission network,
through coordinated control of the reactive power resources
associated with each pilot node (control area), mainly those of
generators (control plants). The most significant levels of this
hierarchical control realize the Secondary and Tertiary Voltage
Regulations (SVR and TVR). SVR [1], [2] is a decentralized
control scheme which automatically maintains the pilot node
voltage at its set-point, through the adjustment of the reactive
powers of local control generators and compensators: this area
level control has a dominant time constant of 50 s. With a slower
dynamics, SVR can also switch local shunt reactors/capacitor
banks and control the transformer OLTC’s and SVC’s. Con-
versely, TVR [3], [4] acts on the overall transmission network,
Manuscript received April 19, 2004. Paper no. TPWRS-00185-2003.
S. Corsi and M. Pozzi are with the Centro Elettrotecnico Sperimentale Ital-
iano (CESI), 54-20134 Milan, Italy (e-mail: corsi.sandro@cesi.it; pozzi.mas-
simo@cesi.it).
M. Sforna and G. Dell’Olio are with the Gestore della Rete di Trasmissione
Nazionale SpA (GRTN), 101-00138 Rome, Italy (e-mail: sforna.marino@
grtn.it, dell’olio.giuseppe@grtn.it).
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TPWRS.2004.836262
0885-8950/04$20.00 © 2004 IEEE
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1733
with a dominant time constant of about 5 min, automatically
updating all the pilot nodes voltage set-points. TVR aims to
both minimize network losses and improve operation voltage
security.
The activities involved in practical application of the multi-
level hierarchical control system in the Italian transmission grid
are very advanced and are expected to be completed shortly.
They include field commissioning of about 35 plant regulators
(REPORT) [5], [6] and three regional regulators (RVR) [7], the
majority of which (32 REPORTs and two RVRs) are already
in operation. The Italian power plants involved are the largest
hydraulic, thermal and combined-cycle plants, having in total
more than 150 generators with an overall capability of about
20 000 MVAR. The NVR control apparatus [8] is a combi-
nation of a Tertiary Voltage Regulator (TVR), optimizing and
controlling RVR voltage set-points in real-time, and a Losses
Minimization Controller (LMC), forecasting by an Optimal Re-
active Power Flow (ORPF) the network voltage, and reactive
plan used by TVR as a reference input. NVR is under devel-
opment for the ISO national control center and will be ready
within 2004.
The hierarchical voltage control scheme is very simple in
comparison with other theoretical and unrealistic centralized
schemes due to the small number of EHV controlled buses and
telecommunication requirements. Notwithstanding the pursued
objective of system complexity minimization, the effort to
achieve an effective control system is still considerable, espe-
cially for large transmission networks. This has been confirmed
by past experience and existing applications. The main reasons
for the involved effort are summarized below.
– Unavailability on the market of the required control
apparatuses. In the past the utilities involved had to
specifically design and develop these apparatuses
by themselves. Furthermore, fast telecommunication
channels for control coordination and high-resolution
transducers for pilot node voltage measurement are
also required.
– Significant impact of SVR and TVR application. This
affects functional interaction and possible integration
with the existing EMS (at the regional dispatcher and
national control center), as well as interfacing with
the AVR units and the power plant control room and
operators.
1734
Fig. 1. REPORT microprocessor-based apparatus.
– New and more appropriate control methodology for the
power system voltage and reactive power operation.
In the past, in response to network requirements, dis-
patchers demand (by phone or daily plans) more or less
reactive power from power plants. In the presence of
SVR and TVR, they must instead set pilot node voltage
set-points, and the plants’ reactive powers will auto-
matically assume the values needed to obtain the de-
sired voltages.
On the basis of present experience in Italy, these technical and
organizing aspects can be dealt with minor difficulties and the
control system performance really does improve the operation
of the power system in terms of quality, security and efficiency.
II. THE REPORT APPARATUS: FUNCTIONAL DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES
Since 1985, the R&D Department of ENEL (now CESI) has
designed and developed an innovative microprocessor based
power plant voltage and reactive power regulator, known as
REPORT [5], [6] (see Fig. 1), highly advanced in terms of
the number of functions it offers and its operator interface.
REPORT regulates the units’ reactive power or local EHV
bus-bar voltage by controlling the AVR set-points and sharing
out total generated reactive power among power plant units in a
balanced way. In the first control mode, REPORT regulates the
reactive powers of local generators, according to the reactive
level received from RVR. In the second mode, it regulates
the local high-side bus-bar voltage on the basis of a suitable
daily voltage trend or an operator-defined set-point. In both
these control modes, the reactive power of each generator is
controlled through a closed loop whose set-point is obtained
by multiplying the reactive level signal by the generator’s
reactive power limit. Over/under excitation unit reactive limits
are computed, in real-time, as a function of the actual values
of active power and voltage, also taking into account the actual
operating conditions of the generator cooling system.
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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER SYSTEMS, VOL. 19, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 2004
Fig. 2. REPORT example of graphical user interfaces.
A. Control and Protection Requirements
REPORT recognizes particular network contingencies
(power plant islanding, local bus-bars isolation, etc.) in real-
time on the basis of local information and chooses the most
suitable control mode accordingly. It also adapts the regulation
parameters according to the identified equivalent external
reactance seen from the bus-bar (network side) [9]. Under
steady-state operating conditions, the reactive level signal is
limited between minimum and maximum excitation. During
transients these limits can be exceeded, according to the gen-
erators’ overloading capabilities, thus permitting the highest
network support in response to heavy perturbations. REPORT’s
dynamic behavior is characterized by dominant time constants
of about 5 s and 50 s for unit reactive power and EHV bus-bar
voltage control respectively. The reactive power gradient is
limited on the basis of generator constraints in the case of major
perturbations. REPORT permits setting of control parameters
(including dead-bands and static droop) for correct tuning in
response to network conditions and electrical couplings with
adjacent regulated nodes. All the transitions between REPORT
working states (start-up, shut-down, bus-bar voltage regulation,
reactive power level tele-regulation, etc.) ordered by the op-
erator or started by the apparatus are supported by automatic
procedures and tracking functions, which guarantee bump-less
commutations and avoid undesirable transients. To prevent the
unit from operating outside its voltage and capability limits,
a suitable protection logic stops the corresponding reactive
regulator when it forces a limit. A detailed real-time simulation
model of the plant-network system is integrated within RE-
PORT and permits the actual control loops to be closed in the
simulated power system, instead of in the real power plant. This
operating mode, also available during normal operation in the
actual plant, is very useful during apparatus testing, functional
checks and settings, and for operator and maintenance-staff
training.
REPORT offers supervisory and auto-diagnostic functions
which continuously control the correct running of the apparatus
and the effectiveness of field interfaces, as well as by a friendly
operator interface with monitoring features (see Fig. 2). The op-
erator can use graphic-based pages refreshed in real-time (ani-
mated pictures, signals and alarms, control parameters, mem-
CORSI et al.: COORDINATED AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE CONTROL OF THE ITALIAN TRANSMISSION GRID—PART II
orized EHV bus voltage daily trends, etc.) and synthetic com-
mands through a functional keyboard. All the control parame-
ters, as well as the EHV bus voltage daily trends, can be modi-
fied directly using a friendly editor.
B. Installation and Interfacing Requirements
Putting REPORT apparatuses in service is the first, but also
the most onerous of the activities involved in practical applica-
tion of the hierarchical voltage control system. In fact, the large
number of power plants involved demands significant efforts,
costs and organization, in particular for managing plant modi-
fications (often requiring short unit out of services) and instal-
lation activities (mainly involving interfaces with the excitation
systems and the plant control room). The AVR modifications
concern the static high-precision calibrator and the adoption of
static relays, with optical insulated up/down commands. In op-
eration, REPORT also requires automatic restraint of control
room AVR up/ down commands, opening of the AVR com-
pound feedback and signaling of allowed rotor overloading to
REPORT.
III. THE RVR APPARATUS: FUNCTIONAL DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES
RVR [7] is installed at the regional control centers of the
Italian ISO (GRTN). It is implemented in a workstation inte-
grated with the local EMS for achieving plant data acquisition
and communications. RVR software architecture basically con-
sists of a real-time cycle with control functions executed within
a time interval of 500 ms. The RVR software has been devel-
oped to permit easy adaptability of the control apparatus to the
features of the regional grid it is applied to.
A. Control and Protection Requirements
RVR regulates at the same time, but with independent and
parallel operation, the voltages of its pilot nodes through real-
time remote control of the reactive power productions of those
power plants with the greatest impact on pilot node voltages.
For this purpose, RVR defines and updates the value of its area
reactive power levels through a separate voltage regulator for
each pilot node in the region, whose main characteristics are:
– the regulation law is of the proportional-integral type,
with an adaptive control algorithm which keeps loop
dynamics unchanged in real-time, taking into account
the number and actual capabilities of the plants partic-
ipating in pilot node voltage regulation, as well as the
equivalent external reactance experienced by the pilot
node;
– full dynamic de-coupling among different pilot node
voltage control loops within the same region, to avoid
oscillations of reactive power between neighboring
areas: for this purpose it is also possible to select a
positive, null or negative static droop for pilot node
voltage regulation;
– each pilot node voltage regulator can be started
without any preliminary manual alignment of control
generator voltages, and its set point value can be deter-
mined locally by either the manual calibrator (manual
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1735
local reference) or the stored profiles (automatic local
reference). Otherwise it is received by remote from
TVR. Tracking functions among pilot node voltage
calibrators and corresponding controlled magnitudes
enable switching between the RVR’s different oper-
ation modes at any time without causing noise for
controlled variables.
For each area, one or two vicarious pilot nodes can be chosen
to deal with possible tele-measurement equipment failures at
the main pilot node. The configuration of the control system
in the region can be also modified taking into account network
changes and in response to requests coming from TVR. The
regulation areas can be configured on-line in terms of control
plants (participating in pilot node voltage control), peripheral
plants (performing local high side voltage control), stations re-
active reserves under SVR control and control law parameters.
In particular network configurations, some control plants may
gravitate to an area close to that they electrically belong to, due
to their geographic position. These boundary plants, considered
peripheral ones in the initial configuration, can either participate
in tele-control of their pilot nodes or of the neighboring ones, as
the grid configuration varies.
In the automatic operation mode, based on local reference,
the set-point value of each pilot node voltage is automatically
updated on the basis of a voltage profile associated with the cur-
rent day and stored in the RVR. The voltage daily generic profile
consists of 96 values corresponding to the set-point values to put
into operation every quarter of an hour. During such an interval,
the reference of the pilot node voltage is automatically updated
every minute, on the basis of a tracking ramp, from the current
reference value to that foreseen for the start of the subsequent
quarter of an hour.
A suitable simulation function permits RVR operation sim-
ilar to an actual case without requiring activation of its inter-
faces with the plants. This function is a very useful tool, both
during the RVR functional test phase and factory setting up and
for operator training. The simulated region is described with
a model taking significant aspects into account, useful for the
reconstruction of phenomena connected with network voltage
regulation. Specific operator commands permit load variations,
network perturbations, failure signals from the plants or from
the tele-operation equipment, incorrect values of tele-measure-
ments, interfacing with TVR, etc.
The RVR has two types of automatic acquisition and storage
functions for transient phenomena. The first type concerns tran-
sient trends in ordinary operation and records all the measure-
ments and signals related to the RVR operation every 5 min,
adequately filtered. These acquisitions are always active and do
not require any triggering, since they document RVR operation
over the last ten days. The second type concerns fast transients,
and keeps a high density record (one sample every 500 ms for
5 min) of perturbations significantly affecting RVR dynamics:
this acquisition is enabled by appropriate triggers, which recog-
nize a heavily disturbed situation in the network and also include
pre-trigger features.
RVR apparatus is provided with auto-diagnostic functions for
detection of possible failures inside itself or at the EMS inter-
face. RVR also includes diagnostics tests to acknowledge and
1736
Fig. 3. RVR graphical interface: Lombardy regional topographic and Milan1 area regulation block diagram.
signal the principal failure conditions which can be attributed
to apparatuses interconnected with RVR (anomalous input sig-
nals, failed execution of commands sent outside, etc.). More
precisely, the RVR verifies I/O magnitudes, detects particular
operating conditions in the controlled region (area in island op-
erating condition, area close to the voltage instability limit) and
checks the effect of control actions undertaken, so as to allow
failure diagnosis on RVR-interfaced devices.
B. Graphical User Interface Requirements
All RVR graphic interfaces are implemented in X-Window
Motif environment (see Fig. 3). MMI pages are shared into var-
ious sets, the main of which is the real-time operation. Each set
is organized in levels, allowing easy, organic navigation starting
from a basic topographical map. Pages associated with subse-
quent levels concern narrower portions of the controlled region
and show a more detailed information content through area top-
ographical maps, area and power plant functional block dia-
grams and tables. Each page enables RVR commands to con-
trol the displayed regulated environment and shows the relevant
alarms and signals. According to the Motif standard, all com-
mands can be given with the mouse. Further MMI pages are
organized in the following environments:
– control configuration, inside which the parameters
defining the regulating system structure and dynamic
performance can be displayed, modified and stored;
– voltage profiles, where the daily trends of pilot node
reference voltages are managed;
– stored transients, where traces of recordings previ-
ously made can be displayed;
– chronological events, showing the sequence of relevant
events in the area (alarms, signals, etc.);
– test perturbations, allowing the canonical stimulation
to perform tests on real system dynamics;
– simulation, in which specific commands define the op-
erating condition of the network-plants and reconstruct
different failures on measurements and signals;
– historical file, where disk files (regulation parameters,
control configurations, stored voltage profiles, tran-
sient records, etc.) can be displayed, analyzed, and
maintained.
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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER SYSTEMS, VOL. 19, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 2004
IV. THE NVR APPARATUS FUNCTIONAL DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES
NVR [8] includes the real-time regulator TVR and the op-
timal forecasting controller LMC: the description below mainly
refers to the real-time regulator. TVR software architecture basi-
cally consists in a computing cycle, with control functions exe-
cuted every 500 ms, and in a set of MMI facilities allowing easy
configuration of the TVR control system based on the subdivi-
sion of the network into regions, regulation areas, pilot nodes,
and control plants.
TVR has two main objectives: minimizing network losses and
increasing load margins in the transmission network in response
to heavy operating conditions (critical from the voltage stability
viewpoint). These goals are basically achieved by proper coor-
dination between the TVR and the SVR: TVR establishes net-
work voltages by updating the voltage set-points optimization
of the pilot nodes, at any cycle. The TVR uses the last avail-
able minimum losses ORPF as the voltages-reactive powers ref-
erence and achieves minimum feasible losses by minimizing a
real-time control function OF (see Part I).
The load margin is maximized by the automatic and real-time
coordinated control contemporarily exercised by SVR on all the
power system’s reactive resources, according to the SVR’s con-
trol philosophy. In terms of stability, TVR and RVR’s operate
to prevent units from reaching their over-excitation limits: in
the presence of the TVR, this condition is in fact related to the
tap-changer reverse action which normally anticipates the trig-
gering of the voltage collapse mechanism. Whenever the reac-
tive power control margins made available to SVR are strongly
reduced as a result of severe perturbations or abnormal load pat-
terns, the TVR attends the grid voltage reduction to the min-
imum allowed by the operating conditions, progressively re-
nouncing the not applicable optimal forecasted grid voltage pro-
file. The TVR will therefore avoid the risk of instability by al-
lowing the power plants under SVR to operate at their capa-
bility limits only when transmission network voltages are very
low even though all the network’s reactive power resources are
engaged for voltage support. In this way there is a reduced risk
of the triggering of a voltage collapse in response to interven-
tion of over-excitation limits, and the overall loadability of the
transmission system is increased.
CORSI et al.: COORDINATED AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE CONTROL OF THE ITALIAN TRANSMISSION GRID—PART II
Fig. 4. TVR graphical interface: Italy national topographic and Milan2 area regulation block diagram.
A. TVR Control and Protection Requirements
TVR design is based on a dedicated workstation interfaced
with GRTN communication subsystems for the exchange of in-
formation with the field data and basically with the RVR’s. De-
velopment of the TVR involves configuration of the information
exchange and the design of the software code for monitoring
and control functions, centralized services, real-time data-base
and the man-machine interface. In particular, TVR data-base re-
quirements regard stored data types, required refreshing times
and access violation problems. TVR has two classes of tran-
sient acquisition for normal and perturbed operation of signif-
icant area control variables. Long sampling traces throughout
the day for each pilot node voltage, voltage set-point and reac-
tive level give a clear view of control system performance. On
the other hand, fast sampling traces lasting a few minutes, with
a pre-trigger mechanism, offer strong support for correct recon-
struction of dynamic phenomena.
B. TVR Graphical User Interface Requirements
All graphic interfaces are implemented by the X-Window
Motif environment (see Fig. 4). The MMI pages are shared in
different environments, very similar to those conceived for the
RVR, to achieve a common look and use. They are organized in
levels to allow an easy and friendly navigation, starting from a
basic topographical map. Pages associated to subsequent levels
concern narrower portions of the controlled nation and show in-
formation in greater detail through topographical regional maps
and area block diagrams and tables. Each page enables TVR
commands for controlling the displayed regulated environment
and shows relevant alarms and signals.
C. LMC Forecasting Optimization Requirements
The second NVR main function is achieved by the LMC con-
troller, which defines the optimal forecast voltage plan required
as input by the TVR. This very slow off-line ORPF computing
is the main LMC activity, taking into account the estimation of
system state and the constraints determined by the hierarchical
structure of the SVR and its control ties (pilot nodes and con-
trol power plants). On the basis of a forecasted state estima-
tion, LMC computes in advance (i.e., the day before) the provi-
sional optimal voltage and reactive power plan, which is stored
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1737
and used by the TVR. If the TVR recognizes significant differ-
ences between expected and real system operating conditions,
it requires the LMC to compute the updated optimal forecasted
voltage plan based on the last system state estimation (which, in
the best case, could refer to about five minutes before). This de-
layed ORPF will be continuously computed by LMC every state
estimation update and sent to the TVR until the stored and new
optimal forecasted voltage plans resemble each other. In addi-
tion, the LMC shows and compares, for each area, on-progress
daily traces of the pilot node voltage and required set-point, the
reactive power levels operating on the plants and the optimal
forecasted references used by the TVR.
V. FIELD PERFORMANCE OF THE ITALIAN NETWORK
VOLTAGE CONTROL SYSTEM
The main dynamic performance results, checked during com-
missioning field tests, are described in brief below for each sub-
system under Italian coordinated voltage control:
– Power Plant Reactive Power Regulator (REPORT);
– Pilot Node Regional Voltage Regulator (RVR).
Some information is also given on the expected performance of
the National Tertiary Voltage Regulator (TVR).
Basically, commissioning activities can be subdivided be-
tween tasks at the power plant level (involving REPORT) and
tasks at the regional control center level (involving RVR).
A. REPORT Commissioning
In the laboratory, REPORT type tests were fully carried out
in a closed loop through the use of the turbine-generator-net-
work real-time simulator [10]. Detailed acceptance and func-
tional tests were also carried out during the commissioning and
monitoring phases on each of the REPORT apparatuses now in
operation in the Italian power system, with very satisfactory re-
sults. In particular, in the plant, after verifying the coherency
between AVR and REPORT limit settings and the adequacy of
control parameters (for instance the external reactance seen by
the power station), defined dynamic transients were carried out,
following step perturbations of the respective set-points. The re-
sults shown in Figs. 5 and 6 refer to the Edolo hydraulic power
1738
Fig. 5. Generating unit step response of REPORT reactive control.
Fig. 6. Generating unit step response of REPORT bus bar voltage control.
plant, equipped with eight generating/pumping units (160 MVA
each). They are related to two different basic test groups:
– single unit test under REPORT reactive power control:
the dynamic response following the step variation in
reactive level corresponds to a proper time constant of
5 s (Fig. 5 from the top: the reactive level, the unit re-
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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER SYSTEMS, VOL. 19, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 2004
active power, the unit terminal voltage, the local EHV
bus-bar voltage);
– multiple units tests under REPORT’s automatic con-
trol of the local bus-bar EHV level: the dynamic re-
sponse following the step variation in bus-bar voltage
set-point corresponds to a proper time constant of 50 s
CORSI et al.: COORDINATED AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE CONTROL OF THE ITALIAN TRANSMISSION GRID—PART II
Fig. 7. RVR step variation of the area reactive power level.
Fig. 8. RVR step variation of the pilot node voltage set-point.
and is achieved through coordinated control of all the
units (Fig. 6, from the top: the reactive level, four units’
reactive powers, the local EHV bus-bar voltage).
B. RVR Commissioning
All the I/O signals exchanged by the RVR require hard-
ware/software intervention by the Regional Dispatcher SCADA
system to generate the new data-base variables to be provided
or received by the RVR, managing either errors in communica-
tion, system out of services or peripheral devices maintenance.
Moreover, the refreshing time on the control loop measure-
ments operated by the telecommunication equipment has to be
kept below 2 s.
The results shown in Figs. 7 and 8 refer to RVR commis-
sioning activities carried out at the regional dispatcher in Milan,
during the activation of La Casella thermal power plant. Dy-
namic transients have been recorded at both the power plant and
control center levels. The transients in Fig. 7 (RVR step variation
of the area reactive power level) and in Fig. 8 (RVR step vari-
ation of the pilot node voltage set-point) reveal delays between
the area reactive level and the power plant’s unit voltage and
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1739
Fig. 9. RVR monitoring of a full day Baggio pilot node voltage and related
area reactive power level transients.
Fig. 10. RVR monitoring of a full day Baggio area reactive power level and
the reactive powers of the controlled power plants.
reactive power. They are due to the telecommunication chan-
nels delaying in sending/receiving controls/measurements sig-
nals. The transients show the coordinated and timely reaction
of the peripheral power plants following RVR control (from the
top: pilot node voltage, reactive power level sent by RVR, reac-
tive power and voltage of one controlled generator at La Casella
thermal power plant). At the activation time, the other thermal
power plants in the same area (Piacenza, Tavazzano, Turbigo)
were already in service under RVR control. Their daily behavior
is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, respectively representing the pilot
node voltage, tracking its set-point, and the area reactive level,
as well as the reactive powers generated by the controlled plants.
C. TVR Expected Performance
The transients shown in Figs. 11 and 12 (TVR step variation
of three optimal forecasted pilot nodes voltages and area reac-
tive power levels) reveal the coordination exercised by the ter-
1740
Fig. 11. TVR step variation of three pilot nodes optimal forecasted plan (q
V ): pilot node secondary voltage set-points V sent to RVR.
Fig. 12. TVR step variation of three pilot nodes optimal forecasted plan (q
V ): area reactive power levels q received from RVR.
tiary voltage regulator (with the voltage weight matrix pre-
vailing on the reactive power level weight matrix in OF –
see Part I). The TVR pursues the optimal compromise between
actual and forecasted operating conditions, with slow dynamics,
updating RVR set-points in real-time, in the presence of network
deviations between voltages and reactive power levels. Such de-
viations are due to the difference between the forecasted values
and and the actual values (practically coincident
with ) and .
Suitable static and dynamic analyses have shown that the
SVR and TVR increase the loadability of the transmission
system, as also demonstrated by computing suitable off-line
and on-line voltage stability indicators [11]. Many static ana-
lyzes have also demonstrated that application of the multilevel
control system permits a reduction in transmission losses of
about 4–6%, apart from achievement of better service to the
final user in terms of operation quality- security [12]–[14].
VI. CONCLUSIONS
The paper has presented a general description of the main
characteristics of the control apparatuses involved in the Italian
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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER SYSTEMS, VOL. 19, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 2004
hierarchical voltage regulation system (SVR and TVR). The
shown transients related to commissioning (REPORT and RVR)
or to simulation (NVR) tests, demonstrate the effectiveness of
the coordinated real-time voltage control.
The installation and activation experience of both the RE-
PORT apparatuses at the main Italian power plants, and the RVR
workstations at the regional dispatchers confirmed the expected
positive aspects of these control solutions. Years of test opera-
tion also permitted a focus on possible functional and techno-
logical improvements, even if the applied voltage control appa-
ratuses have revealed a high level of reliability in terms of com-
ponents and architectures.
The dynamic performance of the REPORT local bus-bar
voltage regulation represents a functional characteristic, which
has been recognized as effective and profitable by power plant
operators. Similarly, regional dispatchers have easily under-
, stood the advantage of having the same performance over a
wide network area, automatically achieved by the RVR. Such
features avoid useless reactive power misalignment between
the generating units of the same power plant as well as between
power plants in a single regulating area. They also achieve more
rational exploitation of the available reactive power resources,
which in any case remain limited within the maximum values
allowed by the capability curves of the synchronous machines
in each plant. Moreover, the RVR has been recognized as
offering a clear real time view of progressive and coordinated
utilization of the reactive resources and the distance from the
limit of available reserves. On the basis of this information the
operator may make well-informed and effective operational
decisions.
More in general, the Italian hierarchical voltage control
system, once its activation and commissioning activities have
been completed (foreseen for the end of 2004), will offer a
large amount of diagnostic information about each regulation
, area. This information will be usefully integrated within either
the control and supervision system of the power plants or the
SCADA system at the GRTN control centers.
REFERENCES
[1] S. Corsi, “The secondary voltage regulation in Italy,” in Proc. 2000 IEEE
PES Summer Meeting, Seattle, WA.
[2] P. Marannino, F. Zanellini, A. Berizzi, D. Medina, M. Merlo, and M.
Pozzi, “Steady state and dynamic approaches for the evaluation of the
loadability margins in the presence of the secondary voltage regulation,”
in MedPower Conf., Athens, Greece, 2002.
[3] S. Corsi, P. Marannino, N. Losignore, G. Moreschini, and G. Piccini,
“Coordination between the reactive power scheduling and the hierar-
chical voltage control of the EHV ENEL system,” IEEE Trans. Power
Syst., vol. 10, pp. 602–608, 1995.
[4] S. Corsi, M. Pozzi, P. Marannino, F. Zanellini, M. Merlo, and G.
Dell’Olio, “Evaluation of load margins with respect to voltage collapse
in presence of secondary and tertiary voltage regulation,” in Proc. Bulk
Power Systems Dynamics and Control V Conf., Onomichi, Japan, 2001.
[5] V. Arcidiacono, S. Corsi, A. Natale, C. Raffaelli, and V. Menditto,
“New Developments in the Application of ENEL Transmission System
Voltage and Reactive Power Automatic Control,” CIGRE, 38/39-06,
1990.
[6] S. Corsi, R. Chinnici, R. Lena, G. Vannelli, U. Bazzi, and E. Cima, “Gen-
eral application to the main ENEL’s power plants of an advanced voltage
and reactive power regulator for EHV network support,” in Proc. CIGRE
Conf., 1998.
[7] S. Corsi, V. Arcidiacono, U. Bazzi, R. Chinnici, M. Mocenigo, and G.
Moreschini, “The regional voltage regulator for ENEL’s dispatchers,” in
Proc. CIGRE Conf., 1996.
CORSI et al.: COORDINATED AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE CONTROL OF THE ITALIAN TRANSMISSION GRID—PART II
[8] C. Brasca, R. Chinnici, M. Pozzi, and M. Zaramella, “Practical imple-
mentation aspects of a multilevel control solution for voltages and re-
active regulation in electrical power systems,” in Proc. Process Control
and Instrumentation Conf., Glasgow, 2000.
[9] S. Bittanti, S. Corsi, M. Pozzi, and M. Zaramella, “The power plant
voltage/reactive power regulator with an adaptive control solution,” in
Proc. Powertech Conf., Bologna, Italy, 2003.
[10] S. Corsi, M. Pozzi, and G. Tagliabue, “A new real-time digital simu-
lator of the turbine-alternator-grid system (STAR) for control apparatus
closed-loop tests,” in Proc. IEEE/PES Summer Meeting, Berlin, Ger-
many, 1997.
[11] S. Corsi, M. Pozzi, U. Bazzi, M. Mocenigo, and P. Marannino, “A simple
real-time and on-line voltage stability index under test in Italian sec-
ondary voltage regulation,” in Proc. CIGRE Conf., 2000.
[12] S. Corsi, V. Arcidiacono, M. Cambi, and L. Salvaderi, “Impact of the
restructuring process at enel on the network voltage control service,” in
IREP, Santorini, Greece, Aug. 24–28, 1998.
[13] A. Berizzi, S. Sardella, F. Tortello, P. Marannino, M. Pozzi, and G.
Dell’Olio, “The hierarchical voltage control to face market uncertain-
ties,” in Proc. Bulk Power Systems Dynamics and Control V Conf.,
Onomichi, Japan, 2001.
[14] S. Corsi, M. Pozzi, V. Biscaglia, and G. Dell’Olio, “Fiscal measure of
the generators support to the network voltage and frequency control in
the ancillary service market environment,” in Proc. CIGRE Conf., Paris,
France, 2002.
Sandro Corsi (M’89) received the Doctorate degree in electronics (automatic
systems) from the Polytechnic of Milan, Milan, Italy, in 1973.
In 1975, he joined ENEL’s Automatica Research Center, where his main in-
terests were power system voltage control, generator control, power electronics
devices, advanced control technology, and power system automation. He was a
Research Manager at ENEL S.p.A Ricerca beginning in 1997, in charge of the
Power System Control and Regulation Office. After ENEL reorganization, he
was a Research Manager at CESI, Milan, in charge of the Network and Plant
Automation Office from 1999 and of the Electronics and Communications Of-
fice in the Automation Business Unit beginning in 2000. Since 2001, he has
been with CESI R&D and Sales. He is the author of more than 60 papers on
system control.
Dr. Corsi is a Member of CIGRE, IEEE-PES, CEI, and the IREP Board.
Authorized licensed use limited to: TU Ilmenau. Downloaded on May 06,2022 at 06:33:49 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
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Massimo Pozzi received the Doctorate degree in electronics (automatic sys-
tems) from the Polytechnic of Milan, Milan, Italy, in 1987.
In 1989, he joined the Control System and Voltage Regulation Department,
Automatica Research Center, where his main interests were simulation and real-
time design, turbine and generator regulation, and wind and photovoltaic unit
control. He became a Senior Researcher with ENEL S.p.A Ricerca in 1997,
working in the framework of grid voltage control and power electronics appli-
cation. He has been with CESI, Milan, since 2000 as a Product Leader in the
T&D Networks B.U., in the field of grid control and supervision. He is the au-
thor of about 20 papers on power system control.
Marino Sforna received the Doctorate degree in electrical engineering from the
University of Rome, Rome, Italy, in 1985.
He joined ENEL in 1982 as a MV Network Designer. From 1987 to 1997, he
was with the Research and Development Department of ENEL, where he gained
experience in artificial intelligence applied to power system operation. From
1997 to 2000, he was Deputy Manager of the Gestore della Rete di Trasmis-
sione Nazionale SpA (GRTN) Area Control Center, Milan, Italy, and then in
2001, was given the same position in Venice. He is now in charge of defense
plans, restoration strategies, protection strategies, system studies, and voltage
regulations for the GRTN.
Giuseppe Dell’Olio received the Doctorate degree in electrical engineering
from the University of Rome, Rome, Italy, in 1991.
He joined ENEL in 1993 and was first involved in the design of EHV and EHV
transmission lines. From 1995 to 1999, he dealt with designing and building
high-voltage substations, particularly with regard to protection devices, con-
trol circuitry, and auxiliary services. He is now in the Gestore della Rete di
Trasmissione Nazionale SpA (GRTN) Grid Apparatus and System Unit, Rome,
Italy. His main interests are voltage and frequency control, electricity generating
plants, renewable energy sources and co-generation plants, and power quality
on electric grids.