OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Precision
timekeeping plays a critical role in the operation and eff iciency of the power grid
UTILITIES BENEFIT According to Irvin, there are many applications in the power grid that can benefi t from more precise timekeeping.
- MULTI-RATE BILLING To get better utilisation of the grid, power utilities often charge diff erent prices at diff erent times of the day. The revenue meters of utility and consumer as well as the machines and processes at the user’s site need a common time-base. “Although this application does not
require exceptional time accuracy, it can benefi t utilities that implement a multi-rate billing structure,” says Irvin. “To ensure they are charging the end customer accurately, they need to have a precise time source to know when they should switch the rates.”
- EVENT RECONSTRUCTION Events in the power grid need a spatial-temporal frame of reference (what happened where and when) so that cause and eff ect can be correctly understood.
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www.engineerlive.com “If some devices have a less
accurate time source than others, then manual adjustments are required to properly reconstruct the events,” says Irvin. “Synchronising the devices in the network with a satellite clock eliminates a lot of this type of work.”
- POWER-FLOW MONITORING The phase component of the so- called synchrophasors can be used to estimate the power fl ow and the stability of a power grid. The computation of synchrophasors is only possible if all the phasor measurement units (PMUs) use a common time base.
- TRAVELING WAVE-BASED FAULT LOCATION The location of faults can be accomplished by precisely time tagging wavefronts. Faults on the power transmission system cause transients that propagate along the transmission line as waves. Each wave is a composite of several frequencies, ranging from a few kilohertz to several megahertz, having a fast- rising front and a slower decaying tail.
- INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES To connect to the national grid, the electrical energy from solar panels, wind turbines, or batteries is passed through inverters or power electronic converters. These devices convert the DC (direct current) output from the sources into AC (alternating current) suitable for transmission and distribution on the grid. In order to integrate renewable energy into the grid eff ectively, it must be synchronised with the existing grid frequency. For utilities, precision
timekeeping plays a critical role in the operation and eff iciency of the power grid, emphasising the necessity for exact time synchronisation across devices to enhance reliability, minimise costs, and facilitate fault prediction and prevention.
For more information visit:
www.novatechautomation.com
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