Managing Megawatt Flows

Managing Megawatt Flows is a 16-hour online program in which students learn to manage megawatt flows in a simulated transmission system with 29 substations. Upon completion the student will be able to maintain the system within SOL’s and IROL’s to prevent cascading outages and uncontrolled separation even when multiple contingencies occur.

Fundamentals that are covered include: the principles of MW flow including power angle characterisics, parallel path flow, generation shift factors, line outage distribution factors, contingncies with bus outages, operation of phase shifters, electrical distance diagrams and unscheduled loop flows; observation of mistakes causing line overloads, voltage violations, cascading outage and system collapse; analysis of what went wrong; development of mental models for correctly anticipating behavior under simular conditons.

This is a 16 hour online program with eleven sets of Simulator Exercises. This 11-module course covers the following areas each in one- to two-hour sections.

MWF-401 Power Angle Characteristics of Lines and Generators: observe angle instability and system collapse as a result of the power angle exceeding 90 degrees; implement load shedding to prevent the angle instability and system collapse.

MWF-402 Parallel Path Flows: calculate parallel path flows from line reactances; apply these principles to calculate flows on the three parallel paths under various operating conditions; verify the calculations using the simulator.

MWF-403 Generation Redispatch: principles of redispatching generation; Generation Shift Factors; line outages and overloads; re-dispatch generation and evaluate load sheding options.

MWF-404 Line Outage Distribution Factors: calculate post-contingent flows using line outage distribution factors; use the simulator to calculate distribution factors.
 
MWF-405 Managing a Bus Outage: special operating procedures required to manage a bus outage; 230 kV bus is outaged in a breaker and half scheme; observe single contingencies propogate into double contingencies; identify the most harmful double contingency and develop a combined preventative and remedial action plan; test the plan using the simulator.

MWF-406 Standing Phase Angles: shock torque effects and generator damage that can result from closing lines into large standing angles; generation redispatch and load shedding to decrease the standing phase angles.

MWF-407 Responding to Major System Contingencies: respond to a major event that causes the outage of twelve 230 kV lines, a unit trip and a system split into two islands; observe and assess the post-contingent condition, set priorities and implement controls for alleviating overloads and then re-syncronize the islands.

MWF-408 Catastrophic Transmission Outages: simulate a controlled shutdown; monitor the MVA loadings, evaluate the need for generation redispatch, assess which additional lines can be removed and create manageable islands.

MWF-409 Operating Phase Shifters: principles of phase shifters used to control the circulating flows in looped networks; create a large loop with overloaded lines; control the phase shifter tap to balance flows in the loop and minimize the amount of load that must be shed.

MWF-410 Unscheduled Flow Calculations: WECC unscheduled power flow; the use of Power Flow Circle Diagrams for analyzing looped system flows; use of the Electrical Distance Diagram to calculate unscheduled flows.

MWF-411 Unscheduled Flow Mitigation: WECC nine step Procedure for Unscheduled Flow Reduction; use the WECC procedure to determine schedules that need to be cut; alleviate an overload.