DISTRIBUTION-SYSTEM POWER FLOW-ANALYSIS - A RIGID APPROACH

This paper introduces a rigid approach to three-phase distribution power flow analysis for large-scale distribution systems. This approach is oriented toward applications in distribution system operational analysis rather than planning analysis. This difference should be properly emphasized, otherwise, the misuse of the planning-type method to analyze the operational behaviour of the system will distort the explanation of the calculated results and lead to incorrect conclusions. The solution method is the optimally ordered triangular factorization Y(Bus) Method (implicit Z(Bus) Gauss Method) which not only takes advantage of the sparsity of system equations but also has very good convergence characteristics on distribution problems. Detailed component models and suitable solution techniques are the essence of an accurate simulation. Detailed component models, therefore, are needed for all system components in the simulation. Utilizing the phase frame representation for all network elements, a program, entitled "Generalized Distribution Analysis Systems - GDAS", with a number of features and capabilities not found in existing packages has been developed for large-scale distribution system simulations. The system being analyzed can be balanced or unbalanced and can be a radial, network, or mixed type distribution system. Furthermore, because the individual phase representation is employed for both system and component models, the system can comprise single, double, and three-phase systems simultaneously. Additionally, with detailed component models, the program can also perform system loss and contingency analyses.