Range Analysis of Power Flow in Electric Power Systems Incorporating Uncertain Wind Power Generation

Wind power is a clean and sustainable energy source that provides an effective means of alleviating the present reliance on fossil fuels. However, wind power generation is uncertain and difficult to predict because it is closely related to wind speed, which varies irregularly over time. This uncertainty makes the utilization of wind power very challenging because it causes power systems’ variables, like voltages, bus angles, as well as active transmission power, to vary, which may threaten the operating security of electric power grids. Therefore, it is essential to estimate accurately the ranges of the variables of a power grid to offer guidance for dispatchers to ensure the security of power systems. To realize this target, this paper proposes the optimizing-scenarios method to evaluate the ranges of power flow variables of power grids including wind farms. This method regards the wind power derived from wind farms as a variable that varies within an interval, and correspondingly constructs two kinds of programs, namely minimum and maximum programs, to compute the interval variables of power flows. The proposed approach is tested by a case study, and its obtained results are compared with those obtained using a previously established Monte Carlo simulation method. Analysis of the simulation results validates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.