Search

Power systems are experiencing drastic changes with the introduction of renewables and customer owned resources. These changes introduce new challenges in protection, control, and operation of power systems. In protection, it is necessary to develop new methods that are immune to the new characteristics and they avoid relay misoperations. In particular, any protection system is vulnerable to hidden failures. This paper introduces a new dynamic state estimation-based centralized protection scheme (DSEBCPS) at a substation level. The system supplements dynamic state estimation-based protection for individual zones known as “setting-less relays” to secure their operation against hidden failures. The DSEBCPS communicates with the setting-less relays via the station bus and obtains essential information from each protection zone, such as phasor quantities and breakers/disconnects status. This information is processed by the DSEBCPS to estimate substation topology and states. Specifically, the DSEBCPS performs dynamic state estimation in the quasi dynamic domain once per cycle to detect any abnormality within the substation. Upon detecting abnormalities, the DSEBCPS performs hypothesis testing to identify the source of the abnormality, that is, a fault or a hidden failure. Upon detecting a hidden failure, the DSEBCPS identifies the compromised data, replaces this data with estimated values by using the substation estimated states and model. The corrected data are used by the setting-less relays, enabling self-healing characteristics. The proposed capability to detect hidden failures and correct the effects of these failures in real time makes the setting-less relays secure against misoperations and bridges a critical gap in protection systems. This capability is demonstrated through numerical experiments that include several scenarios of hidden failures. The integration of the proposed scheme with the individual protection zone relays form a resilient protection and control system, which is self-immunized against hidden failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate fault locating minimises labour and outage time. Efforts to increase the accuracy of fault locating methods are on-going. In this study, a dynamic state estimation-based fault locating (EBFL) method is proposed. Best implementation requires GPS synchronised sample value measurements at both ends of the line. The dynamic state estimator operates on the sampled values using a detailed dynamic model of the line, which includes the fault location as a state. Specifically, the dynamic line model is represented as a multi-section transmission line model, inclusive of phase conductor type and size, shield wire(s) type and size, and tower ground impedances, integrated with the fault model. This study presents extensive numerical experiments demonstrating that the method has higher accuracy than traditional fault locating methods for different fault types, locations and impedances. Additionally, the method works for both two-terminal and three-terminal transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series compensated transmission lines challenge legacy protection schemes. In this paper, a dynamic state estimation based protection (EBP) method is proposed to address these challenges. The method requires GPS synchronized measurements at both ends of the line and a high-fidelity model of the protection zone. The paper presents the dynamic model of the protection zone and its impact on the performance of the protection scheme. Numerical simulations show that the method can correctly identify faults, independently of position and type. The paper also compares the proposed method versus legacy protection functions such as distance protection and line differential protection. The comparison shows faster detection of internal faults, immunity to current inversion caused by series capacitors (SCs) and improved detection sensitivity for high-impedance faults. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The introduction of the microprocessor-based numerical relay in the 1980s resulted in multifunctional, multidimensional, communications-enabled complex protection systems for zone and system protection. The increasing capabilities of this technology created new unintended challenges: 1) complexity has increased and selecting coordinated settings is a challenge leading to occasional miscoordination; 2) protection functions still rely on a small number of measurements (typically three voltages and three currents) limiting the ability of protection functions to dependably identify the type of fault conditions; and 3) present approaches are incapable of dealing with hidden failures in the protection system. Statistically, 10% of protection operations are misoperations. This paper presents a new approach to protection that promises to eliminate the majority of the problems that lead to misoperations. The approach is described, demonstrated in the laboratory, compared to traditional protection functions and its application to a substation coordinated protection system capable of detecting and dealing with hidden failures is described. This paper also discusses the planned field testing of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an effective scheme for real-time operation and protection of microgrids based on the distributed dynamic state estimation (DDSE) that is applied to a single renewable distributed energy resource (DER) or other components. First, the DDSE can be used for setting-less component protection that applies dynamic state estimation on a component under protection with real-time measurements and dynamic models of the component. Based on the results, the well-known chi-square test yields the confidence level that quantifies the goodness of fit of models to measurements, indicating the health status of the component. With this approach, renewable DERs in microgrids can be protected on an autonomous and adaptive basis. Meanwhile, the estimated state variables of each component are converted to phasor data with time tags, and then collected to the distributed energy resources management (DERMS) of microgrids. These aggregated phasor data that are once filtered by the DDSE are input to the static state estimation in the DERMS along with unfiltered data sent from conventional meters, relays, and digital fault recorders, ultimately generating real-time operating conditions of microgrids. This paper also provides numerical simulations for comparing the DDSE-based approach with the conventional centralized state estimation in terms of data accuracy and computational speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the safety assessment of a grounding system at an indoor-type 161/23.9-kV substation based on voltage-dependent body resistance. For a grounding system to be safe, the maximum actual touch and step voltages should not exceed postulated safety criteria. Thus, the safety assessment of a grounding system is referred to a procedure by which the actual maximum touch and step voltages are computed and compared to the maximum allowable (safe) touch and step voltages. The safety criteria in terms of allowable body current have been defined by two widely accepted standards, i.e., the IEEE Std. 80 and the IEC 60479-1. Then, the allowable body current is translated into the allowable touch and step voltages. However, the two standards differ in their definitions of body resistance. The IEC 6047-1 provides data for the body resistance as a function of body voltage and data for the body resistance as a function of path, while the IEEE Std. 80 uses a constant value of 1000 $\Omega$ for the body resistance. Thus, a comparison of allowable touch and step voltages computed by these two standards is included in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate bus-oriented, three-phase modeling of power systems is desirable for advanced applications and has become practical due to increased computational capability. To assist research activities in this area, this paper presents a benchmark three-phase test system. The proposed system is based on the 24-bus IEEE Reliability Test System that has been converted into a 24-substation, breaker-oriented, three-phase model. The model is available in electronic form at the site: http:llpscal.ece.gatech.edu/testsys/. The proposed model is intended for use in research for three-phase power flow analysis, reliability analysis, fault analysis, transient stability, evaluation of fault currents through specific breakers, risk assessment of breaker failures, and other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective relaying is a fundamental discipline of power system engineering. At Georgia Tech, we offer three courses that cover protective relaying: an undergraduate course that devotes one-third of the semester on relaying, a graduate course entitled "Power System Protection," and a three-and-a-half-day short course for practicing engineers. To maximize student understanding and training on the concepts, theory, and technology associated with protective relaying, we have developed a number of educational tools, all wrapped in a virtual environment. The virtual environment includes a) a power system simulator, b) a simulator of instrumentation for protective relaying with visualization and animation modules, c) specific protective relay models with visualization and animation modules, and d) Interfaces to hardware so that testing of actual relaying equipment can be performed. We refer to this set of software as the. "virtual power system." The virtual power system permits the in-depth coverage of the protective relaying concepts in minimum time and maximizes student understanding. The tool is not used in a passive way. Indeed, the students actively participate with well-designed projects such as a) design and implementation of multifunctional relays, b) relay testing for specific disturbances, etc. The paper describes the virtual power system organization and "engines," such as solver, visualization, and animation of protective relays, etc. It also discusses the utilization of this tool in the courses via specific application examples and student assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an energy storage system (ESS) sizing model and reliability assessment framework to quantify reliability improvements due to ESS of electric energy systems with high penetration of renewables. The model formulation takes into account: (a) variable generation (VG) forced outage rates (FORs), (b) reserve and demand requirements, and (c) conventional generation (CG) operational constraints and practices. Correlation coefficients among wind speed, solar radiation, and demand are computed using the least square estimation method (LSE). Depending on the correlation, probabilistic models for the composite demand are computed and integrated into the ESS sizing model. Subsequently, the ESS optimal sizes are computed along with the ESS optimal charging and discharging schedules. Then, the reliability is quantified using the probabilistic production costing (PPC) method. A case study is presented in which one VG was approximated as independent variable because of its low correlation with demand and other VG. The case study compares the error when treating the VG as independent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection against dc faults is one of the main technical challenges for the operation of converter-based HVdc systems. Protection becomes even more challenging when the HVdc systems are expanded to multi-terminal dc (MTdc) grids with more than two terminals/converter stations. Similar to their ac counterparts, proper protection of the MTdc grids necessitates both primary and backup protection schemes in which, in case of malfunctioning/failure of primary protection, backup protection trips as fast as possible. Although several backup relaying algorithms, such as current threshold- and classifier-based methods, have been proposed, none of them offers sufficient speed, robustness, and scalability. In this paper, a novel backup protection algorithm based on quickest change detection technique is proposed, which offers fast and robust backup protection functionality for the primary relay. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are evaluated and verified with time-domain simulation studies in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. The study results confirm satisfactory performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of accuracy, robustness, and speed under various fault scenarios. The proposed method is applicable to different grid configurations and is able to cooperate with different primary protection algorithms and breaker configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast and reliable dc line protection is one of the key techniques for flexible dc grid with the development of flexible dc transmission technology. However, the serious overcurrent caused by dc faults has a prominent contradiction with the weak overcurrent capability of power electronics. In this article, the high-fidelity dynamic model of the transmission line is first established based on the frequency-dependent characteristic of line parameters. Then, a new dynamic state estimation based protection (DSEBP) scheme is proposed, which uses the redundancy feature of state estimation to improve the dependability of protection. Finally, the actual measurements and the estimated states are compared with the similarity to identify the fault by the chi-square distribution. The proposed method's effectiveness is verified through simulations power systems computer aided design (PSCAD)/electromagnetic transients including DC (EMTDC) and experiments, and the factors affecting the performance of DSEBP are analyzed. Compared with the existing protection methods, the proposed method is more dependable, more sensitive, and available for actual projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) are vulnerable to DC short-circuit faults. Analytical estimation of the AC and DC short-circuit currents in the AC in-feed steady-state stage is essential to reveal fault mechanisms and design protections. However, the nonlinearity of the MMC has brought significant difficulties to the calculation. This paper proposes a novel analytical calculation method for the steady-state AC and DC short-circuit currents. First, various working modes of the MMC in the AC in-feed stage are specified, and the relations between the arm current and the short-circuit current in each mode are studied. Subsequently, the arm current is divided into multiple sub-intervals, and the analytical expressions of the steady-state AC and DC fault current are deduced by solving the arm current in the sub-intervals one by one. Moreover, the derived expressions are further optimized considering the resistive-inductive (R/X) characteristic of AC grids, making them applicable for various scenarios. These analytical expressions intuitively show the relations between the system parameters and the short-circuit currents, thus can guide the rating and tuning of protection devices and power equipment. Finally, the effectiveness of the derived expressions is verified, and the influences of the system parameters on the fault currents are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic state estimation (DSE) accurately tracks the dynamics of a power system and provides the evolution of the system state in real-time. This paper focuses on the control and protection applications of DSE, comprehensively presenting different facets of control and protection challenges arising in modern power systems. It is demonstrated how these challenges are effectively addressed with DSE-enabled solutions. As precursors to these solutions, reformulation of DSE considering both synchrophasor and sampled value measurements and comprehensive comparisons of DSE and observers have been presented. The usefulness and necessity of DSE based solutions in ensuring system stability, reliable protection and security, and resilience by revamping of control and protection methods are shown through examples, practical applications, and suggestions for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestion revenue rights (CRRs) are property rights that entitle and/or obligate their holders to receive specified (possibly negative) congestion revenues. They provide price certainty for transmission customers who need to purchase open access transmission service. Auctions and bilateral transactions allocate CRRs to market participants who value the transmission rights the most. If valued correctly, CRRs would yield market signals required in valuing congested transmission facilities and inducing capital investment in the transmission sector. Financial transmission rights (FTRs) and flowgate rights (FGRs) are two specific forms of CRRs. This paper presents a simulation based approach for valuing FTRs and FGRs. Using the proposed approach, we derive the probabilistic characteristics of FTR and FGR values under market uncertainties resulting from fluctuating system loads, varying fuel prices, and other system contingencies such as unplanned transmission circuit and generator outages. A theoretical framework consisting of a multilateral-transaction model, a nonconforming electric load model, and CRR valuation models under different market structures incorporating market aforementioned uncertainties is proposed. A Monte Carlo simulation procedure is employed to obtain the distributions of FTR and FGR values. Numerical implementation of the proposed approach is illustrated on a sample test system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power system dynamic state estimation (DSE) remains an active research area. This is driven by the absence of accurate models, the increasing availability of fast-sampled, time-synchronized measurements, and the advances in the capability, scalability, and affordability of computing and communications. This paper discusses the advantages of DSE as compared to static state estimation, and the implementation differences between the two, including the measurement configuration, modeling framework and support software features. The important roles of DSE are discussed from modeling, monitoring and operation aspects for today's synchronous machine dominated systems and the future power electronics-interfaced generation systems. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the benefits of DSE on enhancing the operational robustness and resilience of 21st century power system through time critical applications. Future research directions are identified and discussed, paving the way for developing the next generation of energy management systems and novel system monitoring, control and protection tools to achieve better reliability and resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a time-domain method to calculate the fault response in multiterminal dc (MTdc) grids and the performance of hybrid dc breakers. The proposed method, based on traveling waves: 1) provides a sound representation of fault performance by considering all created traveling waves; 2) introduces a new approach to estimate the reflection coefficients; and 3) provides an approximation of the worst case fault location. Then, based on the analytical results, three parameters of the hybrid dc circuit breaker, i.e., current limiting reactor, arrester rated voltage, and time delay are optimally selected with respect to maximum overcurrent, maximum overvoltage, fault clearance time, and energy absorption in arresters through multiobjective optimization. Accuracy and performance of the proposed method are evaluated and verified by time-domain simulation studies in the power systems computer aided design (PSCAD)/electromagnetic transients including DC (EMTDC) environment using frequency-dependent models. The results confirm reasonable accuracy of the proposed fault performance calculation and represent a further step towards optimized design of hybrid dc circuit breakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sequential switching strategy for hybrid dc circuit breaker (CB) is proposed to improve transients during dc fault interruption in multiterminal high voltage direct current (HVdc) grids. Compared to the conventionally tripped dc CB, the proposed switching strategy, which sequentially trips the breaking modules within the CB, reduces the peak fault current and overvoltage as well as fault clearance time. These metrics are analytically computed through a time-domain calculation approach considering the traveling wave phenomena in dc transmission systems. By rescheduling the tripping sequence and optimal rating and number of individual modules of the CB, the energy distributed among the modules is well balanced. Finally, an analytic evaluation of the proposed sequential tripping is performed and, subsequently, the best practice and the optimal design process are provided. Performance of the sequential switching strategy as well as the optimal design process are verified through simulation studies in the PSCAD/EMTdc software environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the technical activities of the Task Force on Power System Dynamic State and Parameter Estimation. This Task Force was established by the IEEE Working Group on State Estimation Algorithms to investigate the added benefits of dynamic state and parameter estimation for the enhancement of the reliability, security, and resilience of electric power systems. The motivations and engineering values of dynamic state estimation (DSE) are discussed in detail. Then, a set of potential applications that will rely on DSE is presented and discussed. Furthermore, a unified framework is proposed to clarify the important concepts related to DSE, forecasting-aided state estimation, tracking state estimation, and static state estimation. An overview of the current progress in DSE and dynamic parameter estimation is provided. The paper also provides future research needs and directions for the power engineering community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an autonomous state estimation based on robotic concepts and advanced state estimation methods. An autonomous, intelligent monitoring infrastructure is proposed that reliably and automatically detects devices as they are plugged-in or -out; it identifies changes in system state and automatically updates the real-time model of the system. The real-time model is used for control, operation, and optimization of the system via application software that are not addressed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]