Forced Oscillation Detection: Correlation-Based Methodology and Approach to Pinpoint Power Grid Disturbances

Abstract

One of the most important things when operating a power grid today is the effort to maintain reliability. With the current size and continuous expansion of the grid, everything in the United States from healthcare for the sick down to charging a phone battery is at the convenience of the electric grid. When reliability in the grid is compromised, disruptions to daily life are inevitable. Recent events in the United States and around the world the past few decades have shown that there is a concern with large-scale blackouts occurring due to forced oscillations within the power grid [2], [10]. Small oscillations that are uncontrolled or undetected stay persistent and ultimately lead to disruptions in power and voltage. When these events do occur, it is important that grid operators are able to identify the type of disturbance, pinpoint it to a location, and remove that source of a forced oscillation from the grid. This research done focuses on locating or pinpointing the source of a forced oscillation. Using a dynamic model and measurements collected from a forced oscillation, a correlation-based strategy pinpoints a location of the disturbance. A 122-bus simplified model of the western grid in the United States was used to test this method, with results and recommendations for future work provided.