TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter describes three main areas of transmission and distribution network analysis; namely load flow, system stability and short circuit analysis. Such system studies necessitate a thorough understanding of network parameters and generating plant characteristics for the correct input of system data and interpretation of results. A background to generator characteristics is therefore included in Section 1.3.
It is now recognized that harmonic analysis is also a major system study tool. This is discussed separately in Chapter 24. Reliability studies are considered in Chapter 23.
The analysis work, for all but the simplest schemes, is carried out using tried and proven computer programs. The application of these computer methods and the specific principles involved are described by the examination of some small distribution schemes in sufficient detail to be applicable to a wide range of commercially available computer software. The more general theoretical principles involved in load flow and fault analysis data collection are explained in Chapter 26.
A load flow analysis allows identification of real and reactive power flows, voltage profiles, power factor and any overloads in the network. Once the network parameters have been entered into the computer database the analysis allows the engineer to investigate the performance of the network under a variety of outage conditions. The effect of system losses and power factor correction, the need for any system reinforcement and confirmation of economic transmission can then follow.
Figure 1.1 shows...
