Handling Instrument Transformers and PMU Errors for the Estimation of Line Parameters in Distribution Grids

Abstract

The knowledge of line parameters is fundamental for building a network model that can become the basis for all the monitoring and management applications. Network line impedances are employed, for instance, for the state estimation or for protection applications in relay setting. The Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), thanks to the synchronized voltage and current phasor measurements, provide the accurate information that can be used to evaluate the network parameters of the monitored branches. Nevertheless, the impact of instrument transformers (ITs) makes the parameter estimation a hard task. For this reason, in this paper an estimation paradigm is proposed that includes the estimation of both systematic errors (mainly due to ITs) and line parameters. The proposed method, particularly focused on distribution systems, is designed to perform simultaneous estimations across different branches of the network, aiming at exploiting the links between the involved parameters, due to topology and operating conditions. The estimation is based on a sound and detailed model of the uncertainty sources.