A critical review of methods for optimal placement of phasor measurement units

Abstract

Situational awareness of the electric power system is the need of the hour. This is in the wake of recent blackouts in various parts of the world. These blackouts could have been prevented with better telemetry and real-time monitoring of power system states. A fast and reliable measuring system with devices optimally employed across the network shall enable reliable system operation. Faster situational awareness and visualization helps the system operator to take faster preventive measures and maintain system stability. Wide Area Monitoring System uses phasor measurement units (PMUs) to measure power system states. PMUs measure synchronously real-time voltages at various buses and current phasors, which are flowing toward these buses. But, there is a need to optimally find the locations for installation of PMUs in the network for an observable system, with minimum investment. This optimal placement of PMUs (OPP) is a binary optimization problem, combinatorial in nature. In this paper, progress achieved until now in the field of OPP studies are consolidated. A discussion on the characteristics of problem formulations and shortcomings of methods and constraints considered has been done. Challenges have been highlighted to provide a good foundation for new researchers. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd