Power System Dynamical Simulation Application for Out-of-Step Relay Testing

OOS (out-of-step) condition prevention becomes an imperative task to avoid possible power system blackout and collapses. To be confident in correct OOS relaying, the OOS protection device behavior under the vast majority of power system abnormal regimes should be tested. Comprehensive testing procedure becomes especially important for complex power systems when power system parameters and consequently device settings are not clearly defined or may vary in time. For such complex systems the real OOS protection device testing may become a problem because of specific waveforms of signals persisting during OOS condition. The goal of the methodology, presented in the paper, is to achieve the possibility of out-of-step protection device testing under close-to-real power system operation conditions. The power system stability modelling software is used as a source of test signals. The accurate model of power system in conjunction with dynamical modelling features allows to verify the reliability of OOS protection scheme under consideration as also allows the device settings correction, if necessary. The methodology allows to test the real device with signals waveforms which are hardly obtainable using traditional testing technique.