Assessment of voltage fluctuations induced by electromechanical oscillations in distributed generation systems

Abstract

This paper focuses on analyzing the impact of electromechanical oscillations caused by distributed synchronous generators on power distribution systems from the power quality point of view. The electromechanical oscillations are natural responses of synchronous generators to a mismatch in their net torques, and thus, are present in every distribution system equipped with such generators. In this work, a methodology is established to analyze the induced phenomena, which are mainly related to voltage fluctuations, providing a complete framework for a thorough power quality analysis concerning the electromechanical oscillations. This methodology is used to the power quality assessment of a real power distribution system from a Brazilian utility. The obtained results show that electromechanical oscillations in distribution systems can indeed be a significant source of power quality problems, specially regarding voltage fluctuations.