Abstract

The problem of low-frequency power swings is a matter of concern for power systems engineers in the operation and planning of power systems. Therefore, this paper is an investigation of the use of unified power flow controller (UPFC) that is suitably tuned to improve the damping of low frequency power oscillations present in Nigerian grid system. A large disturbance is initiated, during simulation in PSAT, in the network to induce nonlinear oscillations of the power system in order to ascertain the damping effect of UPFC. The dynamic responses of the system simulated show that the system is well damped and is stabilized at minimal time which confirms the robustness of the UPFC. Finally, a comparative study in a typical transient stability problem on IEEE 14-bus system using a UPFC model and the Nigerian high voltage interconnected system is used to illustrate the concepts presented in this paper.

Key words: Power oscillation damping, power systems, unified power flow controller (UPFC), flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices, low frequency oscillation