Calculating Frequency at Loads in Simulations of Electro-Mechanical Transients

This paper introduces a new method for calculating frequency at an electrical load in simulations of electro-mechanical transients. The method is designed for simulation studies that require accurate models of sensors such as phasor measurement units and F-Net devices, which measure frequency at locations away from generating plants. These sensors are poised to become critical components in the control systems of electrical power grids, and therefore simulation tools that incorporate accurate models of these devices are essential. The method proposed here corrects two drawbacks of using numerically computed phase angle derivatives to approximate frequency. First, it eliminates spurious spikes in frequencies calculated at loads. Second, it eliminates instabilities induced by the simulator in studies of frequency responsive loads. The proposed method is derived from a simplified model of the generators and loads in an electrical system, but in the final analysis does not depend critically on these simplifications and is therefore applicable to more sophisticated models. The method is demonstrated with the simplified model applied to the IEEE 14 and 300 bus systems.