Teaching analysis of sub-synchronous resonance of thermal power plants using virtual laboratory

Sugiarto Kadiman (Institut Teknologi Nasional Yogyakarta)
Ratna Kartikasari (Institut Teknologi Nasional Yogyakarta)

International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Vol 16, No 4: August 2026

The development of a MATLAB/Simulink-based virtual laboratory for studying sub-synchronous resonance (SSR) offers a robust educational platform for analyzing complex power system interactions. Based on the IEEE first benchmark model, this virtual environment provides a safe, efficient, and comprehensive tool for engineering students to study the dangerous interactions between series-compensated lines and turbo-generator shaft systems. The simulation features a 920 MVA, 60 Hz turbo-generator connected to an infinite bus through a series-compensated line. Students can analyze torsional interaction, which result from energy exchange between the electrical network and the mechanical shaft. Higher degrees of series compensation increase the risk of SSR, as the electrical resonant frequency matches the complement of one of the mechanical shaft torsional modes.