Automatic triggering of the interconnection between Mexico and central America using discrete control schemes

In the current energy exchange market it is essential to guarantee continuity and quality of supply both in steady state and during contingencies that might occur in any subsystem of interconnected systems. In this work it is shown how the geographical and topological characteristics of the subnetworks directly affect the quality and reliability in the energy exchange, especially when subsystems are interconnected without asynchronous ties that prevent power, frequency or voltage oscillations. This paper describes the problems faced by the interconnection between Mexico and the countries that define the Interconnected Electric System of the Central American Countries (SIEPAC). Different oscillations that have occurred are analyzed. Discrete control schemes to automatically trigger the 400 KV circuit that interconnects the systems of Mexico and Guatemala are proposed