Implications of the Dichotomy of Modal Participation Factors for Monitoring and Control of Electric Power Networks

Abstract

Steadily increasing demand for electricity has led to today's electric power

networks often being stressed to their stability limits. Improved methods of stability

monitoring and control placement are needed to manage the increased stress on

power networks. Modal participation factors have been used for several decades

in the analysis of modal behavior in power networks. Recently a dichotomy was

discovered in modal participation, indicating that the participation of system states

in system modes should be calculated differently from the participation of system

modes in system states. This masters thesis numerically explores possible roles for

these new participation factor definitions in power network monitoring and control.

The results suggest that the mode in state participation factors are best employed in

modal monitoring (especially in deciding which variables to monitor to best detect

specific modes), while the state in mode participation factors are best suited to

control applications (such as controller placement).