The goal of the proposed procedure in this dissertation is the implementation of phasor measurement unit (PMU) based instability detection for islanding prediction procedures using decision tree and neural network modeling. The islanding in the power system define as a separation of the coherent group of generators from the rest of the system due to contingencies, in the case that all generators are coherent together after introducing a fault, it is called stable or non-islanding. The main philosophy of islanding detection in the proposed methodology is to use decision trees and neural network data mining algorithms, performed off-line, to determine the PMU locations, detection parameters, and their triggering values for islanding detection. With the information obtained from accurate system models PMUs can be used online to predict system islanding with high reliability. The proposed approach is proved using a 4000 bus model of the California system. Before data mining was performed, a large number of islanding and non-islanding cases were created for the California model. PMUs data collection was simulated by collecting the voltage and current information in all 500 kV nodes in the system. More than 3000 cases were collected and classified by visual inspection as islanding and non-islanding cases. The proposed neural network and decision tree procedures captured the knowledge for the correct determination of system islanding with a small number of PMUs. / Ph. D.

Compared with conventional measurements from supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, phasor measurement units (PMUs) provide time-synchronized and direct measurements of phasors. The availability of synchronized phasor measurements can significantly improve power system protection and analysis. This dissertation is specifically committed to using synchronized measurements for estimation of fault locations in transmission systems. Transmission lines are prone to various short-circuit faults. Accurate fault location is critical for rapid power recovery. Chapter 2 proposes a new fault location method based on sparse wide area measurements. One distinguishing feature of this method is its applicability to both transposed and untransposed transmission lines. In addition, the method is developed based on sparse-wide area measurement that may be taken far away from the faulted line. Shunt capacitances of transmission lines are also fully considered by the algorithm. Moreover, when synchronized measurements from multiple buses are available, an optimal estimator can be used to make the most use of measurements, and to detect and identify potential bad measurements. Most of the existing fault location literatures discuss common shunt faults, including single line-to-ground faults, line-to-line faults, line-to-line-to-ground faults, and three-phase faults. However, in addition to common shunt faults, some complex faults may also occur in power systems. Among these complex faults, evolving fault and inter-circuit fault are two typical examples. Chapter 3 extends the method developed in Chapter 2 to deal with evolving faults. The proposed wide-area fault location methods are immune to fault type evolution, and are applicable to both transposed and untransposed lines. Chapter 4 discusses location of inter-circuit faults. Inter-circuit fault is a type of simultaneous fault, and it is the most common simultaneous fault type. Inter-circuit faults between each circuit in a double-circuit line is the most common inter-circuit fault. A fault location method for inter-circuit faults on double-circuit lines are developed and evaluated in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 puts forward a fault location algorithm, which does not require line parameters information, for series-compensated transmission lines. Two-end synchronized voltage and current measurements are utilized. The proposed method is independent of source impedance and fully considers shunt capacitances of transmission lines.

An islanded power system indicates a geographical and logical detach between a portion<br />of a power system and the major grid, and often accompanies with the loss of system<br />observability. A power system islanding contingency could be one of the most severe<br />consequences of wide-area system failures. It might result in enormous losses to both the power utilities and the consumers. Even those relatively small and stable islanding events may largely disturb the consumers\' normal operation in the island. On the other hand, the power consumption in the U.S. has been largely increasing since 1970s with the respect to the bloom of global economy and mass manufacturing, and the daily increased requirements from the modern customers. Along with the extreme weather and natural disaster factors, the century old U.S. power grid is under severely tests for potential islanding disturbances. After 1980s, the invention of synchronized phasor measurement units (PMU) has broadened the horizon for system monitoring, control and protection. Its real time feature and reliable measurements has made possible many online system schemes. The recent revolution of computers and electronic devices enables the implementation of complex methods (such as data mining methods) requiring large databases in power system analysis. The proposed method presented in this dissertation is primarily focused on two studies: one power system islanding contingency detection, identification, classification and state evaluation algorithm using a decision tree algorithm and topology approach, and its application in Dominion Virginia power system; and one optimal PMU placement strategy using a binary integral programming algorithm with the consideration of system islanding and redundancy issues. / Ph. D.

Wide-area measurement systems (WAMS) enable the monitoring of overall bulk power systems and provide critical information for understanding and responding to power system disturbances and cascading failures. The North American Frequency Monitoring Network (FNET) takes GPS-synchronized wide-area measurements in a low-cost, easily deployable manner at the 120 V distribution level, which presents more opportunities to study power system dynamics. This work explores the topics of power system disturbance analysis and detection by utilizing the wide-area measurements obtained in the distribution networks. In this work, statistical analysis is conducted based on the major disturbances in the North American Interconnections detected by the FNET situation awareness system between 2006 and 2008. Typical frequency patterns of the generation and load loss events are analyzed for the three North American power Interconnections: the Eastern Interconnection (EI), the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The linear relationship between frequency deviation and frequency change rate during generation/loss mismatch events is verified by the measurements in the three Interconnections. The relationship between the generation/load mismatch and system frequency is also examined based on confirmed generation loss events in the EI system. And a power mismatch estimator is developed to improve the current disturbance detection program. Various types of power system disturbances are examined based on frequency, voltage and phase angle to obtain the event signatures in the measurements. To better understand the propagation of disturbances in the power system, an automated visualization tool is developed that can generate frequency and angle replays of disturbances, as well as image snapshots. This visualization tool correlates the wide-area measurements with geographical information by displaying the measurements over a geographical map. This work makes an attempt to investigate the visualization of the angle profile in the wide-area power system to improve situation awareness. This work explores the viability of relying primarily on distribution-level measurements to detect and identify line outages, a topic not yet addressed in previous works. Line outage sensitivity at different voltage levels in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system is examined to analyze the visibility of disturbances from the point of view of wide-area measurements. The sensor placement strategy is proposed for better observability of the line trip disturbances. The characteristics of line outages are studied extensively with simulations and real measurements. Line trip detection algorithms are proposed that employs the information in frequency and phase angle measurements. In spite of the limited FDR coverage and confirmed training cases, an identification algorithm is developed which uses the information in the real measurements as well as the simulation cases to determine the tripped line. / Ph. D.

The power industry is currently in the process of re-inventing itself. The unbundling of the traditional monopolistic structure that gave birth to a deregulated electricity market, the mass tendency towards a greener use of energy, the new emphasis on distributed generation and alternative renewable resources, and new emerging technologies have revolutionized the century old industry. Recent blackouts offer testimonies of the crucial role played by protection relays in a reliable power system. It is argued that embracing the paradigm shift of adaptive protection is a fundamental step towards a reliable power grid. The adaptive philosophy of protection systems acknowledges that relays may change their characteristics in order to tailor their operation to prevailing system conditions. The purpose of this dissertation is to present methodology to implement a security/dependability adaptive protection scheme. It is argued that the likelihood of hidden failures and potential cascading events can be significantly reduced by adjusting the security/dependability balance of protection systems to better suit prevailing system conditions. The proposed methodology is based on Wide Area Measurements (WAMs) obtained with the aid of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). A Data Mining algorithm known as Decision Trees is used to classify the power system state and to predict the optimal security/dependability bias of a critical protection scheme. / Ph. D.

The reduced stability margin, at which power systems are being operated these days, has encouraged the power industry to come up with new ideas to guarantee a continuous and reliable operation of the bulk interconnected system. The development of the synchronized Phasor Measurement technology, and its deployment in several locations in the network, has introduced a promising means to protect power systems from undesired conditions. This research effort describes a methodology to handle transient stability in power systems using Wide Area Measurements. A correct identification of transiently stable and unstable power oscillations can be achieved with the use of the Out-of-Step protection technique presented in this document. The development of this idea is explained through the analysis of small power system models, and tested in three different operating conditions of the state of California. The main contribution of this research work, to the Out-of-Step relaying theory, is the identification of multiple unstable swings after a given disturbance. In other words, an Out-of-Step protection scheme that handles a network that behaves as a multi-machine system is presented. / Ph. D.

The power grid is interconnected in many ways; so that when disturbances occur in a small region, their effects can be seen across large areas causing major blackouts. In order to isolate the fault, measurements taken at different times throughout the blackout need to be collected and analyzed. With each measurement device having its own time source, time alignment can be a quite tedious and lengthy process. The need for a new time synchronized measurement device has arrived. The Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) is not only GPS time synchronized, but it also takes measurements as voltage and current phasors. PMUs are becoming an integral part in many power system applications from load flow analysis and state estimation to analyzing blackout causes. Phasor Data Concentrators (PDC) collect and process PMU data. As such, it is important that PMU and PDC communication is seamless. PDCs are set up at multiple utilities and power authorities and also need to be able to communicate and send data to one another seamlessly to encompass analysis of large measurement systems. If these devices are not working similarly when processing and sending/receiving data, unnecessary problems may arise. Therefore it is important that there is an expectation as to how they should work. However, what is expected from these devices is not entirely clear. For this reason, standards such as IEEE C37.118.2-2011 [5] have been proposed to help make operation as uniform as possible. Unfortunately, the standards for PDCs are lacking and tend to only set up communication protocols. To help normalize PDCs, these standards need to be expanded to include all PDC operations and give little room for discrepancy as to what a PDC should do in any given situation. Tests have been performed on PDCs not only to see how they match up to current standards but on how they act outside of the standards. / Master of Science

As the world moves further into the 21st century, the electricity demand worldwide continues to rapidly grow. The power systems that supply this growing demand continue to be pushed closer to their limits. When those limits are exceeded, system blackouts occur that have massive societal and economical impact. Power system protection relays make up a piece of these limits and can be important factors in preventing or causing a system blackout. The purpose of this thesis is to present a working implementation of an adaptive protection scheme known as the adaptive voting scheme, used to alter the security/dependability balance of protection schemes. It is argued that as power system conditions change, the ability of protection relays to adjust the security/dependability balance based on those conditions can allow relays to play a part in preventing power system catastrophes. It is shown that the adaptive voting scheme can be implemented on existing protection technology given Wide Area Measurements (WAMs) provided by Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). The proposed implementation characteristics allow numerous existing protection practices to be used without changing the basic operation of the practices. / Master of Science

Today's electric power system is operated under increasingly stressed conditions. As electrical demand increases, the existing grid is operated closer to its stable operating limits while maintaining high reliability of electric power delivery to its customers. Protective schemes are designed to account for pressures towards unstable operation, but there is always a tradeoff between security and dependability of this protection. Adaptive relaying schemes that can change or modify their operation based on prevailing system conditions are an example of a protective scheme increasing reliability of the power system. The purpose of this thesis is to validate and analyze implementation of the Security-Dependability Adaptive Voting Scheme. It is demonstrated that this scheme can be implemented with a select few Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) reporting positive sequence currents to a Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC). At the PDC, the state of the power system is defined as Stressed or Safe and a set of relays either vote or perform normal operation, respectively. The Adaptive Voting Scheme was implemented using two configurations: hardware- and software-based PDC solutions. Each was shown to be functional, effective, and practical for implementation. Practicality was based on the latency of Wide Area Measurement (WAM) devices and the added latency of relay voting operation during Stressed conditions. Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs), and relay operation delays were quantified to determine the benefits and limitations of WAMS protection and implementation of the voting scheme. It is proposed that the delays injected into the existing protection schemes would have minimal effect on the voting scheme but must be accounted for when implementing power system controls due to the real-time requirements of the data. / Master of Science

Modern power grids are some of the largest and most complex engineered systems. Due to economic competition and deregulation, the power systems are operated closer their security limit. When the system is operating under a heavy loading condition, the unstable voltage condition may cause a cascading outage. The voltage fluctuations are presently being further aggravated by the increasing integration of utility-scale renewable energy sources. In this regards, a fast response and reliable voltage control approach is indispensable. The continuing success of synchrophasor has ushered in new subdomains of power system applications for real-time situational awareness, online decision support, and offline system diagnostics. The primary objective of this dissertation is to develop a data analytic based framework for regional voltage control utilizing high-speed data streams delivered from synchronized phasor measurement units. The dissertation focuses on the following three studies: The first one is centered on the development of decision-tree based voltage security assessment and control. The second one proposes an adaptive decision tree scheme using online ensemble learning to update decision model in real time. A system network partition approach is introduced in the last study. The aim of this approach is to reduce the size of training sample database and the number of control candidates for each regional voltage controller. The methodologies proposed in this dissertation are evaluated based on an open source software framework. / Ph. D. / Modern power grids are some of the largest and most complex engineered systems. When the system is heavily loaded, a small contingency may cause a large system blackout. In this regard, a fast response and reliable control approach is indispensable. Voltage is one of the most important metrics to indicate the system condition. This dissertation develops a cost-effective control method to secure the power system based on the real-time voltage measurements. The proposed method is developed based on an open source framework.