“Frequency” and the PMU standard

The Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) has revolutionized power system management by providing high-resolution, time-stamped, spatial, and temporal measurements of the state of power systems. However, the standards defining the measured quantities have ambiguities that cause uncertainty, irreproducibility, and loss of interoperability during periods of change where the measurements should have the greatest value. This paper examines PMU frequency measurement to highlight the problems. It develops some suggestions for the scope and the next evolutionary improvements to the documentary standards. The aim is to improve the meaningfulness and trustworthiness of dynamic power system measurements.