Sensitivity based Load Shedding Strategy for Avoiding Voltage Instability

Distribution networks (DNs) are being operated closer to the voltage stability boundaries due to the
exponentially increasing power demand. This paper presents a sensitivity based load shedding strategy for
averting the occurrence of voltage instability in DNs. This method identifies the most sensitive node through
evaluating the sensitivity between the voltage stability and real power demand at each node and performs load
shedding at the chosen node; and repeats this process till the network enters the stable region. The method
improves the bus voltage profile besides avoiding voltage collapse. The simulation results on two test systems
emphasize its applicability on networks of any size