Preventive Control for Voltage Stability Enhancement Using Reactive Power from Wind Power Plants

This paper proposes the use of the reactive power capability of wind power plants (WPP) as a type of preventive control to improve the voltage stability margin (VSM) of a set of critical contingencies. A method for selection and coordination of preventive controls, based on a Control Efficacy Index (CEI), is adopted. The WPP reactive power capability was modeled in accordance with typical requirements of transmission grid codes. The impact (on both the CEI and the VSM) of using the reactive power capability of WPP as preventive control is assessed via tests conducted over the IEEE 118-bus test system. The results demonstrated that the reactive output power from WPP can be very effective to improve the VSM of critical contingencies in the system and ensure a safe power system operation.