Co‐simulation platform for integrated real‐time power system emulation and wide area communication

Abstract

Phasor measurement units (PMUs) are increasingly being deployed in electric power systems in an attempt to improve grid reliability and make the grid smarter through real-time wide area situational awareness, monitoring, protection and control applications. PMU-based applications require communication networks in the transmission of synchrophasor measurements from the substations to the control centres. However, the quality-of-service of these synchrophasor measurements are not guaranteed when transmitted over a global wide area network especially in the presence of non-deterministic communication network conditions. This study presents the design, development, and integration of an IEEE Std. C37.118-based co-simulation platform comprising of power system hardware-in-the-loop simulations using the real-time digital simulator interfaced to a communication network. The impact of adverse communication network conditions such as latency, packet losses, and corruption on the exchange of data using the co-simulation platform and their impact on a centralised wide area monitoring, protection, and control (WAMPAC) system was investigated with software-in-the-loop simulations. Moreover, the maximum allowable adverse communication conditions are quantified with respect to the WAMPAC applications during emergency conditions.