Estimated Means of Reactive Power for Distributed Small Hydro Stations Based on Optimal Power Flow

Hundreds of small hydroelectric power stations operated simultaneously in some mountainous areas supply plentiful electric energy for the power network.Therefore,how to determine the optimal operating condition of small hydro stations,especially with a reasonable power factor,is very important to the economy of power network.This paper introduces the power loss and nodal voltage sensitivity with respect to power factor,and then presents an estimated means of reactive power for distributed small hydro stations based on optimal power flow.The analysis is based on a practical case,and some suggestions are also given for improving calculation and control of optimal power factor of small hydro stations in power network.