Power Flow Control in Electrical Transmission Systems
Summary
Power flow control in electrical transmission systems encompasses a suite of technologies and strategies aimed at directing active and reactive power along desired pathways to enhance system stability, maximise asset utilisation and alleviate congestion. With the proliferation of renewable generation and the growing complexity of interregional interconnections, operators face increasingly dynamic power flows and tighter stability margins. Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices – including series and shunt compensators – offer rapid modulation of voltage, impedance and phase angle to rebalance loading, damp oscillations and support voltage profiles. At the transmission level, high-voltage installations such as unified power flow controllers (UPFCs) combine series voltage injection with shunt reactive support to provide multidimensional control. Complementary solutions such as static synchronous compensators (STATCOMs) and interline power flow controllers (IPFCs) further extend controllability. In distribution networks, series voltage source converters (VSCs) are being deployed to interlink feeders, enabling load-balancing and harmonic isolation without extensive reconfiguration. Optimal siting and sizing of these devices through multi-objective and probabilistic methods ensures techno-economic efficiency, while advanced control algorithms – from adaptive admittance emulation to synchronously referenced controllers – enhance resilience under fault conditions and rapid load changes. Together, these developments underpin modern efforts to accommodate renewable intermittency, reinforce grid flexibility and deliver secure, cost-effective power transfer on a global scale.
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Power Flow Control in Electrical Transmission Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in power flow control in electrical transmission systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS): A family of power-electronics devices that inject voltage or impedance into transmission lines to control real and reactive power flows dynamically.
Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC): A FACTS device combining series voltage injection and shunt reactive support to provide simultaneous control of voltage magnitude, phase angle and line impedance.
Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM): A shunt FACTS device using voltage source converters to regulate reactive power and voltage at a connection point with rapid response.
Series Voltage Source Converter (Series VSC): A converter connected in series with a line or feeder to emulate a controllable impedance, enabling active and reactive power modulation.
Reactive Power: The component of electrical power that oscillates between source and load, necessary for voltage control and magnetic energy exchange but not contributing to net energy transfer.
References
- Optimal allocation of UPFC based on healthy and stressed zones for critical power systems. Engineering Science and Technology an International Journal (2023).
- Application of 500 kV UPFC in Suzhou southern power grid. The Journal of Engineering (2019).
- Power Flow Control Using Series Voltage Source Converters in Distribution Grids. Energies (2022).
- Comparison of Control Techniques for Harmonic Isolation in Series VSC-Based Power Flow Controller in Distribution Grids. Energies (2023).
- Probabilistic multi‐objective optimization method for interline power flow controller (IPFC) allocation in power systems. IET Generation Transmission & Distribution (2022).
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