Suggested Approaches to Perform Transient Stability Studies for Industrial and Commercial Power Systems

On-site power generation is widely implemented in industrial and commercial (I&C) power systems to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve reliability. These systems typically employ synchronous generators, which introduce stability concerns that must be addressed during both planning and operation stages. Synchronous machines interconnected in power systems must remain synchronized; otherwise, rotor angle instability and oscillations may arise, potentially causing system-wide instability and generator shutdowns if proper protections are not in place. The current standard for transient stability studies in I&C systems, IEEE 399-1997 Recommended Practice for Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Analysis (Brown Book), is over 27 years old, while the IEEE P3002.9 Recommended Practice for Conducting Transient Studies and Analysis of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems is still under development. This creates an urgent need for updated guidance on transient stability analysis. This paper builds on existing IEEE standards and incorporates the best industrial practices, while leveraging the authors' extensive experience in power system modeling and simulation to provide practical, step-by-step guidelines for conducting transient stability studies. In particular, it systematically offers detailed procedures for validating dynamic models, formulating study scenarios, defining transient stability margins (TSM), and conducting other essential modeling and simulation tasks. Additionally, it serves as a valuable resource for power engineers, providing a curated collection of relevant IEEE standards, IEEE task force reports, NERC guidelines, and industry literature for up-to-date references.