Case study: Simulation of a thin controllable network transformer on the Eastern Australian transmission network

FACTS devices have the capability to improve utilisation on highly reliable meshed electricity networks, however they have experienced poor adoption due to their cost, size, and impact on reliability. Thin controllable network transformers (CNTs) can provide power flow control without many of the disadvantages of existing FACTS devices, however their capabilities in real networks are largely unexplored. This paper describes a series of simulations conducted in Matlab Simulink that applies a thin CNT to the New South Wales transmission network. The technology´s capability to resolve power flow issues in real networks is assessed, focussing on imbalanced parallel feeder loading. The simulations were conducted using three topologies and under different loading scenarios, demonstrating significant power flow control improvements of interest to utilities, with an increased capacity of up to 100MVA.