PNNL

Abstract

The Central American Regional Interconnected Power System (SER) connects six countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama and is operated by the regional system operator EOR. Due to its geographical shape and layout of major transmission lines, SER has a weakly meshed grid, where disturbances can easily propagate, challenging its reliability. Having an accurate dynamic model is important for EOR to face these reliability challenges. This paper describes power systems model validation efforts for the Central America-Mexico interconnected system. First, a detailed equivalent model of Mexico is incorporated in the existing planning model used by EOR. The resultant model is validated using simulated dynamic contingency analysis and real system disturbance data. This work helps EOR improve efficient validation routine practices, to continuously improve SER dynamic model, and hence its reliability.