A coordinated voltage/reactive power control method for multi-TSO power systems

► Voltage/reactive power interactions between interconnected networks were derived. ► A VVC model was established based on distribution computing concept. ► The model’s data communication was simple. ► Without TSOs’ info exchanging, confidentiality issues could be avoid. Multi area power systems work most often with a poor inter-regional coordination about reactive power concerns. Poor coordinated operation may not achieve significant improvements in the quality and efficiency of power system operation, and may even increase the risk of blackout for multi-TSO (Transmission System Operators) power systems. This paper focused on the voltage/reactive power coordinated control. Voltage/reactive power interactions between interconnected power networks were derived from the augmented active and reactive power decoupled network equations. According to distribution computing concept, a novel voltage/reactive power control model was presented in this paper, which could optimize the active power losses of both local network and its interconnected areas. And the model’s data communication was simple: only an equivalent susceptance matrix and the optimal reactive power injection value for external network need be communicated irregularly. Moreover, this model could avoid raising confidentiality issues because it need not exchange explicit structure and constraints information between different TSOs. Efficacy of the proposed model was illustrated through simulations on two IEEE systems and an application to an actual system.