Co-optimal PMU and communication system placement using hybrid wireless sensors

Abstract

Abstract In smart distribution networks, the problem of measuring and estimating the state of the system is vital. Communication infrastructure, as an inseparable part of the wide area measurement system (WAMS), has to be optimally designed and placed to collect information from phasor measurement units (PMUs) and deliver them to control centers. In this paper, a novel hybrid wireless sensor network (WSN) is proposed for connecting of PMUs throughout the system to enable a convenient and low cost communication media. Having found the optimal placement of PMUs in power system to reach a full observability, the problem of observability in communication system will be handled to provide proper transmission of measured data to the control centers. In the proposed co-optimal PMU-sensor placement problem, the main objective is to minimize the total cost of PMU placement in power system and related communication system considering full observability and reliability constraints. For increasing the reliability of communication system, a hybrid WSN including plug-in powered sensor nodes (PPSNs) and energy harvesting sensor nodes (EHSNs) is utilized. A binary-coded genetic algorithm (BCGA) is used for solving the proposed mixed-objective optimization problem subject to different technical operating constraints. The proposed method in examined on a sample 11-bus test system and IEEE 37-bus test feeder systems. The results show the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm compared to the conventional methods in this subject area.