A performance-index guided continuation method for fast computation of saddle-node bifurcation in power systems

Simple performance indices for detecting and predicting stability problems such as the voltage collapse are useful analysis tools for planning and operating engineers in power utilities. We propose a fast guided continuation method to predict or compute a reliable performance index that takes proper care of limits of reactive power resources. The main feature is the novel combination of a Q limits index and a performance index to achieve computational efficieny and index reliability. Numerical experiments using standard IEEE 9-, 14-, 30-, 57-, 118-, 300-bus systems and a NGC 40-bus system show that the proposed method can predict or compute the voltage collapse point much faster than the standard continuation.