Appraising the Optimal Power Flow and Generation Capacity in Existing Power Grid Topology with Increase in Energy Demand

Abstract

Several socioeconomic factors such as industrialization, population growth, evolution of modern technologies, urbanization and other social activities do heavily influence the increase in energy demand. A thorough understanding of the effects of energy demand to power grid is highly essential for effective planning and operation of a power system network in terms of the available generation and transmission line capacities. This paper presents an optimal power flow (OPF) with the aim to determine the exact nodes through which the network capacities can be increased. The problem is formulated as a Direct Current (DC) OPF model, which is a linearized version of an Alternating Current (AC) OPF model. The DC-OPF model was solved as a single period OPF problem. The model was tested in several case studies using the topology of the IEEE test systems, and the computation speeds of the different cases were compared. The results suggested dual variables of the problem’s constraints as an extra tool for the network designer to see where to increase the network capacities.