Implementing world class PMU algorithms on economic acquisition and computation platforms for ubiquitous deployment

ESR07 Yljon pursues the research started previously by Muhammad aiming to contribute to the scope of MEAN4SG by developping new, practical methods for instrumenting power networks, which will enable future intelligent applications and to accelerate decarbonisation efforts.

The work focuses in designing a low-cost Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) platform and transferring a standardised PMU algorithm. More specifically the researcher is focused in the detailed understanding of hardware and software components, required for a PMU to operate. Then in identifying the cheapest viable hardware and/or making relevant improvements in hardware and software in order to support the PMU operation in cheap platforms without compromising the reliability and high performance of this instruments when facing reduced power quality conditions of the electricity grids under measurement.

There is a growing demand for PMU measurements utilisation in transmission and especially in the distribution grids for protection applications, monitoring, power quality (PQ) analysis and other network studies. However, the high cost of these instruments and their installation limits their massive utilisation, either for the immediate network needs or for further research studies. In such context, the output of this research aims to propose an accurate, reliable and cheap PMU instrument to support the extensive research in other fields of studies and the network needs

Achievements

The core research project is to establish a high-performance, yet cost-effective, Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) platform for large-scale electrical grid monitoring. The work finds an evidence-based solution appropriate trade-off in PMU design to achieve acceptable real-world accuracy, at minimal cost. In particular, the design of the analogue systems, processing platform, and algorithm will be considered. The designs are being prototyped and tested at the University of Strathclyde (including using a real-time power system simulator), and in collaboration with external metrology labs.

Furthermore, the ESR has received additional training and experience in signal processing techniques which are relevant to railway electrical systems, which will be used in the main research to development next-generation PMU algorithms.

The main contribution of the ESR07 research activity have been the following:

• Answer to the Development of cost-effective PMU by analysing hardware and software requirements. Results: Initial hardware prototype developed
• Answer to the Novel algorithm development by Assessing algorithm performance using real measurement data. Results: New techniques for event and PQ localisation
• 5 papers delivered or about to be delivered

Thesis title

Implementing world class PMU algorithms on economic acquisition and computation platforms for ubiquitous deployment

Publications

• “Power Quality Event Analysis in 25 kV 50 Hz AC Railway System Networks”. Yljon Seferi, Paul Clarkson, Steven M. Blair, Andrea Mariscotti, Brian G. Stewart (2019 IEEE 10th International Workshop on Applied Measurements for Power Systems (AMPS)) [Repository Link: https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/files/90996120/Seferi_etal_AMPS2019_Power_quality_event_analysis_in_25_kV_50_Hz_AC_railway_system_networks.pdf]
• “Analysis and selection of appropriate components for power system metrology instruments”. R. Quijano Cetina, Yljon Seferi, Steven M. Blair, Paul S. Wright (2019 2nd International Colloquium on Smart Grid Metrology (SMAGRIMET)) [Repository Link: https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/89081032/Quijano_Cetina_etal_ICSGM_2019_Analysis_and_selection_of_appropriate_components_for_power_system_metrology_instruments.pdf]

Current position

Researcher at University of Strathclyde