Hysteresis, phase transitions, and dangerous transients in electrical power distribution systems

Charlie Duclut, Scott Backhaus, and Michael Chertkov
Phys. Rev. E 87, 062802 – Published 4 June 2013
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Abstract

The majority of dynamical studies in power systems focus on the high-voltage transmission grids where models consider large generators interacting with crude aggregations of individual small loads. However, new phenomena have been observed indicating that the spatial distribution of collective, nonlinear contribution of these small loads in the low-voltage distribution grid is crucial to the outcome of these dynamical transients. To elucidate the phenomenon, we study the dynamics of voltage and power flows in a spatially extended distribution feeder (circuit) connecting many asynchronous induction motors and discover that this relatively simple 1+1 (space+time) dimensional system exhibits a plethora of nontrivial spatiotemporal effects, some of which may be dangerous for power system stability. Long-range motor-motor interactions mediated by circuit voltage and electrical power flows result in coexistence and segregation of spatially extended phases defined by individual motor states, a “normal” state where the motors’ mechanical (rotation) frequency is slightly smaller than the nominal frequency of the basic ac flows and a “stalled” state where the mechanical frequency is small. Transitions between the two states can be initiated by a perturbation of the voltage or base frequency at the head of the distribution feeder. Such behavior is typical of first-order phase transitions in physics, and this 1+1 dimensional model shows many other properties of a first-order phase transition with the spatial distribution of the motors’ mechanical frequency playing the role of the order parameter. In particular, we observe (a) propagation of the phase-transition front with the constant speed (in very long feeders) and (b) hysteresis in transitions between the normal and stalled (or partially stalled) phases.

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  • Received 27 November 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.87.062802

©2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Charlie Duclut1,2, Scott Backhaus2,3, and Michael Chertkov2,4

  • 1ICFP, Département de Physique de l’ENS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France
  • 2New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA
  • 3Materials, Physics & Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico 87545, USA
  • 4Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico 87545, USA

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Issue

Vol. 87, Iss. 6 — June 2013

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