State-Space Model for a Multi-Machine System

These notes parallel section 3.4 in the text. Note that we are
dealing with classically modeled machines (IEEE Type 0.0),
constant impedance loads, and a network reduced to its internal
machine terminals.
We have found that the linearized swing equation is given by:

2 H i d 2 i n
+ PSij ij = 0 , i=1,,n
Re dt 2
i =1

(eq. 3.26)

i j

where it is important to note that we have assumed no damping.

Lets consider writing the linearized swing equations for a test
system (see example 3.1 in text), as shown below.
2

The three swing equations are:

2 H1 d 2 1
+ PS 12 12 + PS 1313 = 0
Re dt 2
2 H 2 d 2 2
+ PS 21 21 + PS 23 23 = 0
2
Re dt
2 H 3 d 2 3
+ PS 31 31 + PS 32 32 = 0
Re dt 2
1

One important fact: The stability of a power system depends on

relative rotor angles ij NOT absolute rotor angles i. This is
because synchronism is a relative phenomenon. That is, it makes
no sense to say generator 1 is in synchronism. Rather, we must
say with what it is in synchronism, i.e., Generator 1 is in
synchronism with generators 2 and 3, or Generator 1 is in
synchronism with the rest of the system.
So we need to define our states in terms of relative rotor angles. In
the above equations, the states (derivatives) are in terms of
absolute rotor angle. We can deal with this in the following way.
First, multiply through each equation by Re/2Hi, resulting in:

d 2 1 Re
[PS1212 + PS1313 ] = 0
+
2
dt
2 H1
d 2 2 Re
[PS 21 21 + PS 23 23 ] = 0
+
dt 2
2H 2
d 2 3 Re
[PS 31 31 + PS 32 32 ] = 0
+
2
dt
2H 3

Now subtract the last equation from each of the other two. When
we do this, the derivative terms will be affected in the following
way (and this is the main motivation for making this subtraction):

d 2 1 d 2 3 d 2 (1 3 ) d 2 13

=
=
dt 2
dt 2
dt 2
dt 2

which is d13/dt. Note, however, that this very convenient

substitution of variable will not help if damping is modeled (Dii)
in the swing equation AND the damping is nonuniform
(nonuniform damping means that DiDk for ik) because then it is
not possible to combine the corresponding speed variables. Lets
look at this issue by re-writing the above equations with
nonuniform damping.

d 2 1
dt 2
d 2 2
dt 2
d 2 3

D1 d1 Re
+
[PS1212 + PS1313 ] = 0
2 H1 dt
2 H1

D2 d 2 Re
+
[PS 21 21 + PS 23 23 ] = 0
2 H 2 dt
2H 2

D3 d 3 Re
+
[PS 31 31 + PS 32 32 ] = 0
2 H 3 dt
2H 3
dt 2
Subtracting the last equation from the other two (in the case of the
first equation) affects the derivative terms in the following way:
+

d 2 1 d 2 3 d 2 (1 3 ) d 2 13

=
=
(as before)
2
2
2
2
dt
dt
dt
dt
D1 d1 D3 d 3

2 H1 dt
2 H 3 dt Cannot do more with this!

It will work if the damping is uniform, however, implying that the

ratio Di/Hi is the same for all i. In this case, we get, for example,
D1 d1 D3 d 3
D d1 d 3 D1 d13
D
= 1 13

= 1

2 H1 dt

2H 3

dt

dt

2 H1 dt

2 H1

dt

2 H1

The implication is that we can ALWAYS reduce the number of

states by 1 due to the ability to use relative angles. But an
additional reduction of states by 1 due to the ability to use relative
speeds only occurs in the cases of no damping or of uniform
damping. In general, we do need to model nonuniform damping
and therefore we are usually only able to get the state reduction for
relative angles, but not for relative speeds.
In this particular special case of no damping, we get:

Re
d 2 13 Re
[
]
[PS 31 31 + PS 32 32 ] = 0
+
P

+
P

S 12
S 13
12
13
dt 2
2 H1
2H 3
Re
d 2 23 Re
[
]
[PS 31 31 + PS 32 32 ] = 0
+
P

+
P

S
S
21
21
23
23
2
dt
2H 2
2H3
Recognizing that 31=-13 and that 32=-23, we may change
the sign of the second term in each equation if we also make this
change of variables. This results in:

Re
d 2 13 Re
[
]
[PS 3113 + PS 32 23 ] = 0
+
P

+
P

+
S 12
S 13
12
13
dt 2
2 H1
2H3
Re
d 2 23 Re
[
]
[PS 3113 + PS 32 23 ] = 0
+
P

+
P

+
S 21
21
S 23
23
2
dt
2H 2
2H3

eq. (#)
So we have states are 13 and 23. But note carefully that there
are some other variables, namely 12, 21.
This means we have 4 variables and only 2 equations.
Can we express 12 and 21 in terms of 13 and 23. Clearly,
since 12=-21, if we can do it for one, we can do it for the other.
This is done by noting first that

12 + 23 + 31 = 0

We can prove this as follows:

12

23

31

= 1 2 + 2 3 + 3 1 = 0
Therefore, from eq. (*), we can write that

12 = 23 31

(eq. *)

Reversing the subscript order of each term on the right-hand-side,

and changing signs, we get:
12 = 23 + 13
(eq. **)
Then, since 12=-21, we get
21 = 23 13
(eq. ***)
Substituting eq. (**) and (***) into eq (#), we obtain
d 2 13 Re
Re
[
]
[PS 3113 + PS 32 23 ] = 0
+
P

+
P

+
S
12
13
S
12
23
S
13
13
dt 2
2 H1
2H 3
d 2 23 Re
Re
[
]
[PS 3113 + PS 32 23 ] = 0
+
P

+
P

+
S
21
23
S
21
13
S
23
23
dt 2
2H 2
2H3
Gathering terms in each variable, we get two differential equations:
d 2 13
dt 2

+ Re PS12 + Re PS13 + Re PS 31 13 + Re PS 32 Re PS12 23 = 0

2H 1
2H 1
2H
H3
2H 1
1
24
444444
4244443444
3
1
444244
443
11

12

Re

d 23 Re
Re
Re
Re
+

+
+
+
P
P

P
P
P
S
31
S
21
13
S
21
S
23
S
32
2H

2H
23 = 0
dt 2
2H 2
2H 2
2H 3
1434424

2
443
144444
42444444
3
2

21

22

Denote the coefficients of the above differential equations as 11,

12, 21, and 22, where (assuming the last equation, for bus n, is
the one that gets subtracted off in the above steps):

n


ii = Re PSij + Re PSni
j =1 2 H i
2H n
j i

ij =

Re
2H n

PSnj

Re
2H i

PSij

Note these expressions differ from those given in the texts

addendum, pg. 650, because my alphas here are defined on the
left-hand-side of the equation, whereas the texts equations are
defined on the right-hand-side of the equation.
Using these alphas, I rewrite the differential equations as

d 2 13
+ 1113 + 12 23 = 0
dt 2
d 2 23
+ 2113 + 22 23 = 0
dt 2
We can now convert these second order linear differential
equations into first order linear differential equations, in order to
develop a state-space form.

We do this by recognizing that

13 =

d13
,
dt

23 =

d 23
dt

Then, the above two second order differential equations become

four first order differential equations, as follows:
&13 = 1113 12 23 = 0
& 23 = 2113 22 23 = 0

&13 = 13
&23 = 23

So lets define the state vector as

13

x = 23
13

23

Note for our 3 machine system, we have only 4 states due to the
state reduction for relative angles and relative speeds.
Then

x& = A x

More explicitly,

0
&13 0
& 0
0
23 =
&13 11 12

&

23 21 22

1 0 13
0 1 23

0 0 13

0 0 23

Your text on page 63 shows the computation of the alphacoefficients for the 9-bus, 3-generator system of Fig. 2.19. It is
shown that
11=104.096
12=59.524
21=33.841
22=153.460
Then, the state-space equation is:

0
0
&13
&
0
0
23 =
&13 104.096 59.524

&

23 33.841 153.460

1 0 13
0 1 23

0 0 13

0 0 23

Question is, now, what to do with the above in order to obtain

useful information about the small-disturbance behavior of our
system. We will investigate this next.