On the frequency measurement in Wide Area Measurement and Control Systems

Emerging power systems are requiring changes on all layers: planning, operation and markets. Smart grids operation, including control of the energy flow in active distribution grids adds more challenges to the measurement layer. Presently there is a gap between the models used for the current and voltage waveforms in the corresponding measurement algorithms implemented by devices deployed in power systems and the functionalities (like choice of available reporting rates) of the new generation of synchronized measurement units (SMU). Overlooking these issues can determine a significant depreciation of the information mediated by the control systems that are relying on real-time measurements delivered by equipment. Moreover, several applications require an estimation of the measurement quality thus enabling an effective control: state estimation, power quality improvement, voltage control, frequency control, network parameter' estimation etc. Wide Area Measurement and Control Systems (WAMCS) have to accommodate multiple measurement approaches: on one side, the existing time-aggregation based measurements offered by currently deployed Intelligent Electronic Devices in SCADA framework, including smart meters and other emerging units; while on the other side, the high-resolution waveform-based monitoring devices like Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) with fault-recorder functionality. In this paper the case of frequency measurement is analysed, addressing the measurement paradigm on a long term vision of future energy systems.