Robustness area technique developing guidelines for power system restoration

This paper proposes a novel energy based technique called the Robustness Area (RA) technique that measures power system robustness levels, as a helper for planning Power System Restorations (PSRs). The motivation is on account of the latest blackouts in Brazil, where the local Independent System Operator (ISO) encountered difficulties related to circuit disconnections during the restoration. The technique identifies vulnerable and robust buses, pointing out system areas that should be firstly reinforced during PSR, in order to enhance system stability. A Brazilian power system restoration area is used to compare the guidelines adopted by the ISO with a more suitable new plan indicated by the RA tool. Active power and reactive power load margin and standing phase angle show the method efficiency as a result of a well balanced system configuration, enhancing the restoration performance. Time domain simulations for loop closures and severe events also show the positive impact that the proposed tool brings to PSRs.