Synchrophasor technology: Powerful tool that increases grid reliability and advances electrical safety

Abstract

Power grid is a critical infrastructure of the modem society, however it is vulnerable to numerous types of disturbances. With the growth of the load and the high penetration of the renewable energy sources the grid turned out to be more susceptible to power failures, that exposes the environment and public safety to risk. Since synchrophasor technology was introduced, developed, and partly integrated into the electric power systems in early 1980s, it has been shown that it offers great advantages in control and monitoring of the grid and helps detection of the problems in the network in the early stages thanks to its high-resolution time synchronized measurements. Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are sophisticated monitoring instruments that can capture a precise and comprehensive view of the system dynamics. They can track the state of the system in real time by measuring the voltage and current phasor, frequency and rate of change of frequency at a rate of 30 to 120 phasor frames per second. PMUs serve as the backbone for many system-wide applications and algorithms in electric power systems. PMU measurements capture grid conditions with great accuracy and offer insight into grid stability or other types of stress improving the grid reliability and efficiency and towering operating costs. Furthermore, synchrophasor technology provides fast identification and location of the power outages that jeopardize public safety and allow rapid reactions making the grid more reliable and safe.