An Integer Linear Programming Approach for Phasor Measurement Unit Placement

Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are essential devices in the monitoring and protection of modern power systems. However, its prohibitive cost may limit the wide installation of this device in the networks. For this reason, in this paper, the problem of optimal PMU placement was solved using Integer Linear Programming and some metaheuristic techniques, such as, the Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization and Cuckoo Search. In addition, the test feeders were modeled as graphs, in order to introduce the domination concepts of graph theory in this problem formulation and, using the upper and lower bounds of the domination number, evaluate the optimization algorithms results. The proposed methodology was performed using the IEEE 13, 34, 37 and 123 node test feeders, and it can be generalized for feeders with higher dimensions. Based on the results, it is possible to conclude that the Integer Linear Programming is the most suitable for this application, presenting the lowest number of PMUs and the fastest convergence.