Wide-area Frequency-based Tripped Generator Locating Method for Interconnected Power Systems

Abstract

Since the Internet-based real-time Global Positioning System(GPS) synchronized wide-area power system frequency monitoring network (FNET) was proposed in 2001, it has been monitoring the power system frequency in interconnected United States power systems and numerous interesting behaviors have been observed, including frequency excursion propagation. We address the consistency of a frequency excursion detection order of frequency disturbance recorders in FNET in relation to the same generation trip, as well as the ability to recreate by power systems dynamic simulation. We also propose a new method, as an application of FNET measurement, to locate a tripped generator using power systems dynamic simulation and wide-area frequency measurement. The simulation database of all the possible trips of generators in the interconnected power systems is created using the off-line power systems dynamic simulation. When FNET detects a sudden drop in the monitoring frequency, which is most likely due to a generation trip in power systems, the proposed algorithm locates a tripped generator by finding the best matching case of the measured frequency excursion in the simulation database in terms of the frequency drop detection order and the time of monitoring points.