Tackling Issues Related to PMU Deployment in the Grid using a Novel Algorithm

Abstract

Estimating the state of electric grid is a critical activity since it makes the grid more efficient and reliable. This is commonly achieved by Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) sensors, which synchronise measurements using GPS. But these are expensive and costly to maintain. Most of the existing techniques mainly focus on minimizing the number of PMUs. But these sensors may produce errors, and may also fail and stop working. Therefore, in this paper, a novel heuristic algorithm has been developed that minimizes the number of PMUs to be allocated while tackling five different aspects of PMU allocation problems related to cross validation of PMU data, robustness against PMU failures and limitation on the number of PMUs that can be deployed on a node. The algorithm is simple to implement and takes only a fraction of a second to compute the results. The effectiveness of this technique has been successfully tested on standard IEEE 5, 14, 30, 57 and 118 bus systems.