A Fast Certificate for Power System Small-Signal Stability

Abstract: Swing equations are an integral part of a large class of power system dynamical models used in rotor angle stability assessment. Despite intensive studies, some fundamental properties of lossy swing equations are still not fully understood. In this paper, we develop a sufficient condition for certifying the stability of equilibrium points (EPs) of these equations, and illustrate the effects of damping, inertia, and network topology on the stability properties of such EPs. The proposed certificate is suitable for real-time monitoring and fast stability assessment, as it is purely algebraic and can be evaluated in a parallel manner. Moreover, we provide a novel approach to quantitatively measure the degree of stability in power grids using the proposed certificate. Extensive computational experiments are conducted, demonstrating the practicality and effectiveness of the proposal.