Blackout

About: Blackout is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2088 publications have been published within this topic receiving 30433 citations.

Research on Sensitivity Analysis for Composite Generation and Transmission System Reliability Evaluation

Abstract: The sensitivity information for reliability of composite generation and transmission system is useful for planning studies, as it can effectually identify the critical components and system ldquobottlenecksrdquo, thereby an important guiding can be offered for power system planning. The importance and necessity of conducting sensitivity studies on bulk power system reliability assessment have been increasingly recognized in recent years because of some fatal blackouts throughout the world, especially the August 14th blackout in the United States and Canada. This paper proposes a set of formulae which are defined as the partial derivation of the reliability indices such as loss of load probability (LOLP), loss of load frequency (LOLF) and expected demand not supplied (EDNS) with respect to components parameters such as availability, unavailability, failure rate and repair rate. By use of Lagrange multiplies for equality and inequality constraints in linear programming based optimal load shedding model, the partial derivation of EDNS with respect to component capacity is presented. The sensitivity analysis method is verified by the reliability evaluation for IEEE-RTS79 test system.

Assessing the Cost of Large-Scale Power Outages to Residential Customers.

Abstract: Residents in developed economies depend heavily on electric services. While distributed resources and a variety of new smart technologies can increase the reliability of that service, adopting them involves costs, necessitating tradeoffs between cost and reliability. An important input to making such tradeoffs is an estimate of the value customers place on reliable electric services. We develop an elicitation framework that helps individuals think systematically about the value they attach to reliable electric service. Our approach employs a detailed and realistic blackout scenario, full or partial (20 A) backup service, questions about willingness to pay (WTP) using a multiple bounded discrete choice method, information regarding inconveniences and economic losses, and checks for bias and consistency. We applied this method to a convenience sample of residents in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, finding that respondents valued a kWh for backup services they assessed to be high priority more than services that were seen as low priority ($0.75/kWh vs. $0.51/kWh). As more information about the consequences of a blackout was provided, this difference increased ($1.2/kWh vs. $0.35/kWh), and respondents' uncertainty about the backup services decreased (Full: $11 to $9.0, Partial: $13 to $11). There was no evidence that the respondents were anchored by their previous WTP statements, but they demonstrated only weak scope sensitivity. In sum, the consumer surplus associated with providing a partial electric backup service during a blackout may justify the costs of such service, but measurement of that surplus depends on the public having accurate information about blackouts and their consequences.

What's wrong with the electric grid?

Abstract: A massive blackout in August 2003 forced a reexamination of the mixture of physics, engineering, economics, and politics that attempts to keep the power flowing.

Real-time stability assessment based on synchrophasors

Abstract: In this paper, an overview is provided of a new method that in real-time provides an early warning for an emerging blackout that are characterized by a slowly increasing angular separation between sub-groups of system generators. Such angular separation between subgroups of generators can eventually cause in very sharp decline in system voltages at intermediate locations between the two groups as the angular separation approaches 180°. In order to receive an early warning for the occurrence of such type of blackouts, the boundaries of the system generators aperiodic small-signal stability are suggested to be monitored. For that purpose, method for real-time assessment of aperiodic small-signal rotor angle stability is presented. The approach is based on an element-wise assessment of individual synchronous machines where the aim is to determine the maximum steady state power that each synchronous generator can inject into the system. The limits for maximum injectable power represent the boundary for aperiodic small signal stability. The concept of the proposed method is tested on two different systems. The results show that the method is capable of accurately detecting when a given machine crosses the stability boundary. The method can as well provide in real-time a margin to the machines stability boundary, which can be used as an early warning for an impending system stability problem.