Project type: Master thesis
Centre for Electric Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of
Denmark
Danish title:
English title: Application of an Online - Voltage Security Assessment (VSA) Tool for the
Transmission System of Amprion
Comment: The project is part of an MSc in Electrical Engineering – study line “Electric Energy
Systems“.
Project scope:
In the aftermath of blackouts that affected the utilities of US, UK and continental Europe in 2003
and 2004 real-time Dynamic Security Assessment (DSA) Tools capable of detecting and
alerting the system operators about the system conditions that may develop into blackouts were
brought into discussion and implemented by few TSOs. As the future power generation in Germany
will mainly be based on generation units far away from the load centres (wind, solar and water) TSOs
have to facilitate large electrical energy trades across wide areas. Due to this development the power
system will become more and more vulnerable to voltage instability phenomena; especially in case of
exceptional contingencies which are beyond the design criteria. Up to now Amprion solely performs
Static Security Assessment (SSA), which concentrates on verifying that post-contingency voltages are
within the admissible limits and line currents below thermal capacity or protection limits. On the other
hand Online-Voltage-Security Assessment (VSA) tools dealing with Voltage Stability phenomena are
already available on the market as a specific part of DSA tools.
The master thesis project, starting on July the11th 2011 and consisting of 30 ECTS, shall investigate the
application possibilities of a VSA tool for the transmission system of Amprion. The following topics
should be covered in general:
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Literature research / training on voltage stability and VSA
General framework conditions under which VSA could be beneficial and complement SSA;
motivation to implement VSA
Possible architecture of / requirements for VSA applications
Modelling requirements (power plants; loads; etc.)
Methods for contingency filtering
Definition of security margins
Comparison of dynamic simulation with power flow based contingency analysis
The theoretical analysis shall be verified and demonstrated by simulation studies. To this aim an offline
dynamic model of the Amprion transmission system in the software package NETOMAC will be
imported to the DSA tool SIGUARD from the manufacturer Siemens. Based on the investigations and
simulations the pros and cons of VSA for the specific transmission system of Amprion shall be revealed
and if possible security margins shall be defined.
The student will work on the project relying on critics and help provided by supervisor and co-supervisor.
The principal task of the supervisor will be the general coordination and supervision of the project, while
the co-supervisors, besides giving general and specific comments and suggestions, shall support the
student primarily with the tool NETOMAC and SIGUARD.
The work shall take place at the Amprion premises (Dortmund, Germany), starting on July the 11th 2011
and ending on January 13th, 2012. Periodic meetings with the supervisors will be arranged by the student.
After finalisation of the master thesis the student will give a presentation to a selected audience of experts
and explain the key results.
ECTS Points:
Starting date:
End date:
Cooperative Enterprises:
30
11th July 2011
13th Jan 2012
Amprion
Collaboration project carried out at Amprion
Project carried out outside Denmark
Number of months abroad: 6 months
Student: Nikolla Spiro
Study number: s090939
Supervisors (DTU - CET):
Dr. Guang-Ya Yang (gyy@elektro.dtu.dk, +45 4525 5619)
Assoc. Prof. Esben Larsen (ela@elektro.dtu.dk, +45 4525 3512)
Supervisors (Amprion):
Prof. Dr. Eckhard Grebe (eckhard.grebe@amprion.com, +49 231-438-5560)
Carsten Jahnke (carsten.jahnke@amprion.net, +49 231-438-5564)
Klaus Vennemann (klaus.vennemann@amprion.net, +49 231-438-2346)