Tracing the path of electric power flow-a study for deregulated power systems

Tracing the flow of electricity in power systems is an old issue, but it has become important now especially after deregulation. There is no simple solution to this problem because clearly it is not possible to identify the electrons originating from each generator. If this could be done it would be possible to trace the flow of electric power in a network in a definitive manner. However, it is possible to approach the desired goal with the implementation of the tracing algorithms discussed in this paper. Till now, the issues related with the electricity path are generally solved by employing the DC distribution factors method. Recently, two other methods have been proposed for tracing the flow of electric power. The two methods are identified as the 'commons method' and the 'node method'. This work analyzes the methods based on their assumptions and simulation results for different systems. The reliability of the different methods is then discussed. A methodology for improving the results of electricity tracing is proposed.