Load Flow Analysis to effectively maintain power voltage and power levels to prevent overloading, brownouts, and under/over voltage conditions.
In power engineering, the power flow study (also known as load-flow study) is an important tool involving numerical analysis applied to a power system. Unlike traditional circuit analysis, a power flow study usually uses simplified notation such as a one-line diagram and per-unit system, and focuses on various forms of AC power (ie: reactive, real, and apparent) rather than voltage and current. It analyses the power systems in normal steady-state operation. There exist a number of software implementations of power flow studies
The great importance of power flow or load-flow studies is in the planning the future expansion of power systems as well as in determining the best operation of existing systems. The principal information obtained from the power flow study is the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage at each bus and the real and reactive power flowing in each line.
Power Flow Methods
- Newton-Raphson method
- Gauss-Seidel method
- Fast Decoupled method
Load Flow Analysis helps to ensure that cables, transformers, transmission lines are sized appropriately to carry required load. To make sure that the transformer taps are set appropriately to obtain satisfactory voltage profile within the area of study.
Required when
- There is a significant plant expansion
- New local generation is or is proposed to be added
- New utility feed has been installed
- New large motors have been added to the system
- New transformers have been installed
- Addition of significant loads
