Practical Testing and Performance Analysis of Phasor Measurement Unit Using Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS)

Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS) and Wide Area Monitoring, Protection and Control Systems (WAMPACS) have evolved rapidly over the last two decades [1]. This fast emerging technology enables real time synchronized monitoring of power systems. Presently, WAMS are mainly used for real time visualisation and post event analysis of power systems. It is expected however, that through integration with traditional Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, closed loop control applications will be possible. Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are fundamental components of WAMS.
Large WAMS may support PMUs from multiple manufacturers and therefore it is important that there is a way of standardising the measurement performance of these devices. Currently the IEEE Standard C37.118 is used to quantify the measurement performance of PMUs. While standard specifications are also available for the testing of PMUs [2] there is a lack of specialised test equipment for performing such testing efficiently [3].
In this paper, RTDS based steady state and dynamic testing of the ALSTOM MiCOM P847 PMU using hardware in the loop is demonstrated. A correction algorithm supported by promising results is also proposed to realize highly precise phasoreasurements. Further a comparative study based on features of PMUs from different major manufacturers is presented. The selection of optimal parameters, such as phasor format and filter length is also discussed for various applications.