ROLE OF PMUs IN SMART GRID

INTRODUCTION TO PMUs:
A phasor measurement unit (PMU) is a device used to estimate the magnitude
and phase angle of an electrical phasor quantity (such as voltage or current) in
the electricity grid using a common time source for synchronization. Time
synchronization is usually provided by GPS and allows synchronized real-time
measurements of multiple remote points on the grid. PMUs are capable of
capturing samples from a waveform in quick succession and reconstructing the
phasor quantity, made up of an angle measurement and a magnitude
measurement. The resulting measurement is known as a synchrophasor. These
time synchronized measurements are important because if the grid’s supply and
demand are not perfectly matched, frequency imbalances can cause stress on the
grid, which is a potential cause for power outages.
PMUs can also be used to measure the frequency in the power grid. A typical
commercial PMU can report measurements with very high temporal resolution in
the order of 30-60 measurements per second. This helps engineers in analyzing
dynamic events in the grid which is not possible with
traditional SCADA measurements that generate one measurement every 2 or 4
seconds. Therefore, PMUs equip utilities with enhanced monitoring and control
capabilities and are considered to be one of the most important measuring
devices in the future of power systems. A PMU can be a dedicated device, or the
PMU function can be incorporated into a protective relay or other device.
INTRODUCTION OF PMUs IN INDIAN SMART GRID:

India is a country of over one billion people distributed throughout a huge

geographical area across 28 states and 07 union territories. Electricity supply in
India commenced in the year 1897 with the commissioning of a 130 kW hydro-
electric station near Darjeeling. The first interconnected grid system to come into
existence in India was the Ganga Canal Grid in U. P. in between the years 1930-
1934. The subject of interconnection of power systems gained importance just
after independence in 1947. It was deliberated that efforts should be directed
towards establishing super-grids transmitting power from large power stations to
distant load centres. The incentive on offer was the resulting economic gains in
power generation and distribution. However during those years the
interconnected operation was restricted to similar types of power plants and
usually administered by a single authority and the exchange of power, an
essential feature of interconnected grid system, was missing.
In the early 1960s it was decided to form grids on a regional basis to facilitate
proper planning and operation of power sector. During the 1970s, regional grids
were in place and inter-connected operations were obtained. In 1981 the
Government of India decided to establish a national power grid to achieve:
 Transfer of power from surplus regions to deficit regions
 Maximum utilization of resources from diversified regions
 Ensure reliable, economical and quality power

At present the Indian power grid is divided into five parts on a regional basis. The
five regional grids are; Northern, Eastern, Western, North Eastern and Southern.
These five grids are operationally grouped into three regions namely Northern,
Central, and Southern.
The smart grid may be considered as a power grid in which modern sensors,
communication links, and computational power are used to improve efficiency,
stability, and flexibility of the system. The National Energy Technology Laboratory
(NETL) has proposed the following five key technological areas (KTAs) for a smart
grid:
 Integrated communications
 Sensing and measurement
 Advanced power electronic components
 Advanced control and protection
 Improved interfaces and decision support

The smart grid influence all parts of a power system; generation, transmission and
distribution. However the transmission system in a smart grid is set to be
completely revolutionized with the help of synchrophasor measurements using
Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). With PMUs, and its assisting technologies;
advanced communications and computing, it will be possible to precisely measure
the state of a power grid. It will be useful in preventing cascading blackouts.
Today’s power system operators take action in the multi-second to multi-minute
time frame, but PMU based system can make and execute decisions in the100
millisecond time frame. With PMUs dispersed throughout the system, the power
transfer capacity of lines can also be increased.
SYNCHRONIZED PHASOR MEASUREMENT:

A phasor is a mathematical representation of a sinusoidal waveform. The phase

angle at a given frequency is determined with respect to a time reference. The
phase angle of a synchrophasor is governed by the waveform, the system
frequency, and the instant of measurement. Thus, with a universal precise time
reference, power system phase angles can be accurately measured throughout a
power system. The global positioning system (GPS) technology provides an
economic option for the same. An important advantage of the GPS technology is
that its receiver can automatically detect accurate synchronization. The device
which provides synchronized phasor measurements is called a Phasor
Measurement Unit (PMU). A number of widely distributed PMUs in the power
system may be utilized for:
 Real time monitoring and control
 State estimation
 Protection and control for distributed generation
 Network congestion management
 Angular and voltage stability monitoring
 Post-Mortem analysis of disturbances and faults

PMU Based Wide Area Measurement System:

ROLE OF PMUs IN INDIAN SMART GRID:

The PMU based wide area measurement (WAM) is one of the most
important technologies expected to play a key role in making the Indian grid
smart. The WAM technology may be utilized for the following:

A. Reducing the Threat and Scope of Blackouts:

The triggering event for blackouts is usually some low probability
event or a series of uncorrelated events. The prevention of such blackouts
requires elaborate plans for protection and emergency control which may be
achieved only by strengthening the existing protection and control infrastructure.
The phasor measurements can augment the protection system so that in case of a
series of contingencies their effect may be contained to a limited area so that the
system does not descend into a blackout. PMU data provide information about
the system at a common instant of time that can be used for real-time dynamic
analysis. This feature may be utilized for the prediction of frequency pattern,
active reactive power profile etc. The real time information will be used to
identify and calculate security margins and indices. It will facilitate early detection
and monitoring of system security, prediction of emergency states and initiating
restorative actions to avoid instability.

B. State Measurement:
The operating conditions of a power system at any given
instant can be determined if in addition to the network topology, the complex
voltage phasor at every system bus are known. Since the set of complex voltage
phasors completely specifies the system, it is referred to as the system state.
State estimation(SE) function utilize telemetered measurements of generator bus
voltages, power injection at system buses, real and reactive line flows, circuit
breaker statuses, and transformer tap settings etc. to generate an optimal
estimate of the system state. For reliable state estimation, it is necessary that the
number of measurements should be greater than the number of states. This
condition is called the observability criterion. Apart from providing an optimal
state estimate the estimator also detect and filter out gross errors in the
measurement set (bad data detection) and detect the topology errors in the
network configuration.

C. Increasing the Transmission Line Capacity :

Transmission congestion has always been an important criterion
for reliable and secure operation of power systems. However in the modern de-
regulated power networks its importance has increased by manifolds. The
transmission congestion limits the market activities in the de-regulated market
and decrease the margin of potential benefits for the utilities involved. The
transmission capacity of a line is limited due to the following factors:
 Current Limit- Governed by the thermal and electric limits of a particular
line.
 Total Transfer Capacity- Defined by the operational limits of a certain area
around the particular line.
 Available Transfer Capacity- Defined by the operational limits of the system.

D. Calibration of Instrument Transformers:

The operation planning and monitoring of a
power system depends on the measurements of current and voltage signals
derived from the secondary circuits of instrument transformers. For an accurate
measurement the secondary parameters should be strictly proportional to the
primary parameters. However this is not the case with practical instrument
transformers and errors like ratio error and phase angle error are always present.
Therefore for effective measurement it is necessary that the instrument
transformers should be properly calibrated. One option is to carry out field
calibration of these transformers. But this option is not economically viable.
Under this scenario PMUs deployed in the power system can play an important
role. The calibration may be carried out by using several scans of measurements
during daily load variations. However the calibration process requires some
accurate voltage transformers which is usually not a problem with most power
networks. It is envisaged that as the penetration of PMUs in the power grid
increases it will become feasible to calibrate the instrument transformers
regularly and more accurately eliminating a major source of errors in all
measurement systems
E. Integration of Renewable Resources:
The conventional power grid is designed for
dispatchable centralized generation. The loads are largely predictable, allowing
essentially open-loop grid control. However environmental concerns, accelerated
cost reduction in the renewables have made the integration of renewable energy
sources an integral part of the smart grid. India has a huge potential of generating
this clean energy. In fact by 2012 the total capacity from renewable sources in
India is expected to reach 24,000 MW accounting for 12% of the total power
capacity. For effective utilization of this potential the renewable sources are
required to be integrated with the power grid. However this integration presents
great challenges for the system operators as both solar photovoltaic and wind
sources whether connected to transmission or distribution are all inverter based.
This will alter the dynamics of the system completely. SCADA-systems provide
only a steady state slow picture in much longer time intervals. However,
Synchrophasor technology in power systems new possibilities for better real-time
monitoring and control of system wide area events. These measurements can be
used as system snapshots and therefore, show the dynamics of the power system.
With considerable share of solar and wind power plants in the power system,
valuable conclusions about the their effects on the bulk power system could be
obtained from the observation of voltage phasor quantities and frequency values.
The measurement of voltage phasors at different busbars in the power system
and the interconnection corridors, and displaying them to the system operators is
a big contribution to the operator awareness of the whole system status.

PMUs INSTALLATION INITIATIVES IN INDIA:

A. PMUs Pilot Project in the Northern Grid:

A pilot project on WAMS has been taken up in India. The
project comprised of installation of Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) along with
GPS clock at selected 08 substations in the Northern Region. Phasor Data
Concentrator (PDC) and other associated equipment have been installed at
Northern Regional Load Despatch Center (NRLDC), New Delhi.
The data received from the PMUs has been used for events like the loss of 2000
MW of generation at Rihand on 1st June 2010.
B. PMUs Installation in the Western Grid:
With four out of five regional grids interconnected the Western Regional grid is
strategically located, wheeling power between various Regions. Introduction of
WAMS technology in Western Region would help in ensuring grid security and
safety. In view of this, a wide area measurement system (WAMS) project based
on Phasor Measurement Units has been initiated by Power Grid Corporation. This
project is aimed at developing algorithms for optimal placement of PMUs and
installation of about 25-30 PMUs in western grid.

400kv Network In The Southern Region.

CONCLUSION:
Indian power grid has come a long way since independence
and the establishment of a national grid will be a major boost to the power
network of the country. However still there are major issues like gap in demand
and supply, high level of losses, untapped enormous renewable energy potential
and lack of automation. These supply the energy needs of a growing economy in a
better way. Smart grid and its allied technologies may be utilized to improve the
power scenario in the country. This paper discussed one such technology, the
synchronized phasor measurement, to make the Indian grid smart. It was an
attempt to accentuate various areas of the Indian grid in which the PMU
technology can be utilized to obtain greater visibility and understanding of the
power grid dynamics to operate it in a more secure and optimum way. The high
cost of PMU and its associated communication circuitry makes the optimal use of
these units. However the optimization technique used should take into account
the channel limit of the available PMUs. The optimization algorithm for the type
of PMUs available in the Indian grid has been discussed and applied on the
eastern part of the grid. The application areas discussed are not restrictive and
successful application of the technology in these areas would open gates to many
other possible uses. It is expected that the deployment of PMUs in the Indian grid
will continue at an accelerated pace to realize a smarter national grid.