Voltage and Reactive Power Control in Power Systems Voltage control is an integral part of power ...

Voltage and Reactive Power Control in Power Systems Voltage control is an integral part of power system operation. Controlling voltages on the power system allows for the efficient transmission of power whilst respecting equipment limitations. Power system operators have always been aware of the need for voltage control facilities in the transmission network, and a wide variety of approaches have been designed and implemented worldwide. Voltage control (keeping voltage within defined limits) in an electric power system is important for proper operation of electric power equipment to prevent damage such as overheating of generators and motors, to reduce transmission losses and to maintain the ability of the system to withstand disturbances and prevent voltage collapse. The problem of controlling voltage and reactive power in large and complex electric systems requires a great deal of effort on the part of system operators to design and implement sophisticated control schemes. In general terms, decreasing reactive power causes voltages to fall, while increasing reactive power causes voltages to rise. A voltage collapse occurs when the system is trying to serve much more load than the voltage can support. Inadequate reactive power supply lowers voltage; as voltage drops, current must increase to maintain the power supplied, causing the lines to consume more reactive power and the voltage to drop further. If current increases too much, transmission lines trip, or go off-line, overloading other lines and potentially causing cascading failures. If voltage drops too low, some generators will automatically disconnect to protect themselves. Voltage collapse occurs when an increase in load or loss of generation or transmission facilities causes voltage to drop, which causes a further reduction in reactive power from capacitors and line charging, and still further voltage reductions. If the declines continue, these voltage reductions cause additional elements to trip, leading to further reduction in voltage and loss of load. The result is a progressive and uncontrollable decline in voltage, all because the power system is unable to provide the reactive power required to supply the reactive power demand. You are to review and research the topic in order to write and submit a research paper all aspects of this important topic.