Situational awareness in an electric utility's control center of its generators' damping capabilities

Abstract

Poorly damped low frequency oscillations in power systems have led to system blackouts in the past. Power system stabilizers (PSSs) are installed to improve synchronous generator's oscillation damping capabilities. PSS parameter tuning by various traditional and new optimization methods are studied to ensure stable and secure operation of interconnected power systems with uncertainties. It is imperative to evaluate the tuned PSSs with the different methods to ensure continued security of a power system during operation. There is a lack of such situational awareness at electric utility control centers to assist system operators with the knowledge of synchronous generator's oscillation damping capabilities. Since the human brain responses to images and colors faster compared to text and numbers, it is desirable to develop advanced visualizations and avail them to system operators. These visualizations could utilize real-time data from phasor measurement units. This paper presents the development of a new tool for use in control centers for modal analysis visualization (MAV). Modal analysis is performed on oscillations exhibited by generators in a power system. The MAV enhances situational awareness at control centers by providing near real-time insight into generators' oscillation damping capabilities.