A Comparison of Different Frequency Scanning Methods for Study of Subsynchronous Resonance

This paper compares four different methods for determining the electrical damping of a power system seen from one generator as a function of frequency. This information is useful when the risk for subsynchronous resonance (SSR) in the system is evaluated. The study compares one frequency scanning method which is implemented in a time-domain digital simulation program with three methods of different complexity based on analytical calculations. The time-domain simulation method is easily implemented with a detailed model of the power system including complex load and generator models, whereas the analytical methods are based on simpler models of the power system. The computational effort is much larger for the time-domain method than for the analytical methods. In the study, all methods were used to determine the damping characteristics of a four-machine power system in different configurations. The study shows that fast analytical methods may provide results which closely agree with the detailed method of time-domain simulation. However, the study also shows that the level of accuracy in the analytical model is very important.