Hanna Kwon, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering (master's program; advisor Professor Guk Gyeong-su), won the Outstanding Paper Award at the recent Autumn Conference of the Power Technology Division of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers.

At this conference, which attracted researchers from universities nationwide, Kwon presented a paper titled 'Domestic Generator Fault Propagation Suppression Device (SPS) Using a Stability Assessment Algorithm Based on Synchronous Phase Angle' and won the honor over papers from leading universities including Seoul National University.

The awarded research attracted considerable attention for proposing an effective control method to prevent large-scale fault propagation in power grids.

Currently, Korea's power system has demand concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, which can create transmission bottlenecks or, when transmission lines fail, render the system unstable and increase the likelihood of generators losing synchronism. To prevent this, Fault Propagation Suppression Systems (SPS) are being introduced to rapidly trip certain generators near large generation clusters when nearby transmission lines fail, thereby preventing wide-area outages.

This study used a stability assessment algorithm based on the synchronous phase angle (the phase angle that can maximize a generator's efficiency) to analyze the operating conditions of domestic SPS. It applied stable threshold values for efficient operation and explored effective control measures.

Kwon said, "This research forecasts power system stability in advance so that generators do not lose synchronism and allows for appropriate preemptive measures. If this research progresses further, effective power supply management and significant economic benefits are expected."