Load flow studies

LOAD FLOW STUDY

 A load flow study is the analysis of an electrical network carried out by an electrical engineer.  The purpose is to understand how power flows around the electrical network.  Carrying out a load flow study assists the engineer in designing electrical systems which work correctly, have sufficient power supplied by the power grid, where equipment is correctly sized, reactive power compensation is correctly placed and transformer taps are optimized. 

Understanding how power flows is crucial to the design of any system.  For simple radial systems, often no formal ‘load flow study’ is carried out, but invariably it is part of any analysis carried out during the design of the system.   For larger power distribution systems, a formal ‘load flow study’ is carried out; typically using software, with the results presented in a report.