Visualizing Real-Time Security Threats Using Hybrid SCADA / PMU Measurement Displays

This paper explores ways to highlight threats to power system security by displaying data from phasor measurement units (PMUs) and SCADA data sources simultaneously. SCADA measurements provide a picture of the steady-state health of the system, whereas PMUs capture the faster variations that may indicate small-signal stability problems. The software system described in this system gathers SCADA and PMU data and displays them on a geographic map of the system. The system uses contour plots to show the variation of a measurement with location, even when adjacent measurement points are widely spread. The system superimposes trend plots on this display to show the past variation of a quantity over a user-specified time window. The goal of the system is to help operators gauge the present security of the grid.