Description
Power systems have been in use for the last about 100 years with the same fundamental principles. Technology has allowed a development of their performance, but it has not transformed the basic principles. One fundamental law of physics has been driving the process: because the electrical grid has (almost) no structural way to store energy, it is necessary that at every instant the amount of power generated to be equal to the power absorbed by the loads. In fact, some energy is naturally stored in the inertia of large generators. For traditional power systems these assumptions hold perfectly well, and have driven the design and construction of large power plants as we know them today.
Electric Power System Fundamentals aims to provide more in-depth knowledge of fundamentals—rather than a wide range of applications only. It covers research papers and reviews containing the history of power systems, describes major events that have shaped the modern power system industry with description of the basic power system components and analysis techniques of load flow, optimal power dispatch, and transient stability. It summarizes key forces driving transformation in the power sector around the world, presents a framework for evaluating decisions regarding extent and pace of change, and defines pathways for transformation. Powerful trends in technology, policy environments, financing, and business models are driving change in power sectors globally. In light of these trends, the question is no longer whether power systems will be transformed, but rather how these transformations will occur.
This comprehensive and state-of-the-art book will be of valuable guide to students and practitioners who are learning about electric circuits and power system engineering in an academic setting, and who feel that their understanding would be enhanced by a qualitative, conceptual emphasis to complement the quantitative methods stressed in technical courses.
