Submodular Optimization for

Voltage Control in Power Systems

Zhipeng Liu
05/18/2018

Advisors: Professors Radha Poovendran and Linda Bushnell

Network Security Lab (NSL)

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington
Power System Stability
Power systems are large-scale interconnected networked
systems
Generator Transmission
Load
line
~

Power system stability: the ability to regain a state of

operating equilibrium following a disturbance

• Voltage stability
• Generator rotor angle stability

NETWORK SECURITY LAB (NSL) 2

 Voltage Stability in Power
Systems
Ability to maintain voltages of every bus within desired limits
1) Under normal condition 2) After disturbances

Bus voltage Bus voltage

Upper limit Upper limit
Nominal voltage Nominal voltage

Lower limit Lower limit

Time Time
Disturbance

Instability may cause voltage collapse

Bus voltage
Upper limit
Nominal voltage Voltage drops uncontrollably
Lower limit

Time
Disturbance
NETWORK SECURITY LAB (NSL) 3
 Voltage Instability and Blackouts

U.S. and Canada, 2003 Tokyo, Japan, 1987 Sweden, 1983

Sweden
Voltage
Tokyo experienced
instability
blackout voltage
causedinstability
in northern
in 1987 Ohio wasfollowing
by voltage a disturbance
a instability
key factor in
in 1983
originating the 2003 blackout
Loss of power to 2.8 million households for 3 hours
Ledmillion
55 to a blackout
people affecting 4.5for
lost power million
up to people (southern
three days, half of
with an
country) for
economic 5.5ofhours
cost $5-10B
How does the power system control voltage?
NETWORK SECURITY LAB (NSL) 4
 Voltage Control
Voltage−reactive power characteristics
1.4 New operating
Operating
1.2 point

Voltage at load bus, V2

1

Generator Transmission Capacitor

Load 0.8

line bank 0.6

~ 0.4

0.2

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Reactive power demand at load bus, Q
L

Power demanded by load: Power = P + jQ

Real power Reactive power

• Voltage deviates from desired value when reactive power

supplied by generator cannot meet demand at load
• Reactive power can be injected at a bus by switching on
capacitor banks at load buses (incurs switching cost)
NETWORK SECURITY LAB (NSL) 5
 Voltage Control Challenges

Problem: Solution 1: Solution 2:

Voltage collapse Voltage at bus 2 Voltage stability restored
imminent at bus 1 exceeds desired level

• Reactive power injections at one bus may impact voltages

at multiple neighboring buses

• Key question: Where to inject reactive power to reach

desired voltage?
NETWORK SECURITY LAB (NSL) 6