A modified stepwise linear regression method for estimating modal sensitivity

Small signal stability problems are one of the major threats to grid stability and reliability. Low damping of inter area modes is usually considered to be a result of heavy power transfer over long distances. This paper proposes a modified stepwise regression method to estimate the modal sensitivity with respect to power flow on the transmission lines based on measurement. This sensitivity is used to identify dominant transmission lines, whose power flow has significant influence on the inter-area modal damping. It is shown through simulation study that the proposed method can effectively estimate the modal sensitivity with respect to line power flow. This, in turn, provides insight on how to improve damping through adjusting tie line flow.