An intelligent multi-agent approach to enhance the transient stability of a smart power grid

Abstract

This paper focuses mainly on the assessment of the transient stability of a smart power grid, including the effect of its generator load changing under different fault locations, using intelligent agent-based technology. To enhance a system's transient stability, its protection devices should operate before the critical clearing time (CCT) to avoid loss of synchronism. In this research, a multi-agent system (MAS) framework, in which the agents help to coordinate the protection devices to detect and isolate a fault before the CCT and reclose the breakers quickly after it is cleared, is developed. Examples of single machine infinite bus (SMIB) and standard multimachine test systems are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach which is also compared with a conventional centralized approach. The results show that a MAS successfully enhances a system's transient stability under different generator load conditions.