Research Objectives and Approaches: The objective of this research is to develop effective, efficient, and practical algorithms for phasor measurement unit operation and application. The approach is to: 1) develop the next generation phasor measurement unit with novel signal modeling and processing to enable both static and dynamic analysis; 2) gain a thorough understanding of bad phasor data processing by exploring methods of bad data identification and removal; 3) establish a theoretical framework to explicitly deal with bad data using statistical inference and compressive sensing; and 4) identify from simulation where our methods bring improved situational awareness, and verify with field data.
Intellectual Merit: The gap between the current state of the art in phasor measurement units and their envisioned capability calls for advanced technology beyond today?s industry standards. This research proposal will contribute to this endeavor by developing novel signal processing techniques tailored for the phasor measurement unit and its applications. Successful development of the algorithms will also have impact on a number of fundamental problems of synchronization and anomaly detection in signal processing.
Broader Impacts: In the U.S., power interruptions cost up to $135 billion each year. A main cause is inadequate situational awareness. With the proposed advancement, the next generation phasor measurement units will provide a picture of grid conditions that is truly accurate, anytime, and everywhere. Besides integrating research issues into our curriculum, special efforts will be made to enrich graduate student training with industrial internships, and to recruit and retain women and underprivileged students.
