Statistical Behavior of PMU Measurement Errors: An Experimental Characterization

Different power system applications based on synchrophasors measured in different nodes of the electric grid require information about the statistical distribution of the errors introduced by the phasor measurement units (PMUs). The performance of these applications can be significantly affected by possible incorrect assumptions. The Gaussian distribution has been historically assumed in most of the approaches, but some more recent studies suggest the possibility of considering different distributions for more accurate modeling of the actual situation. In this article, proper statistical tools applied to the results achieved through a high-performance experimental test system are proposed to assess the statistical distribution of PMU errors under controlled steady-state conditions, thus providing a basis for defining suitable models to be used in specific applications.