Modeling and Testing of a Phasor Measurement Unit Under Normal and Abnormal Conditions Using Real-Time Simulator

Modeling and Testing of a Phasor Measurement Unit Under Normal and Abnormal Conditions Using Real-Time Simulator

Scopus Article

Abnormal operations, such as faults occurring in an electrical power system (EPS), dis-rupt its balanced operation, posing potential hazards to human lives and the system’s equipment. Effective monitoring, control, protection, and coordination are essential to mitigate these risks. The complexity of these processes is further compounded by the presence of intermittent distributed energy resources (DERs) in active distribution networks (ADNs) with bidirectional power flow, which introduces a fast-changing dy-namic aspect to the system. The deployment of phasor measurement units (PMUs) within the EPS as highly responsive equipment can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges, enhancing the system’s resilience and reliability. However, synchro-phasor measurement-based studies and analyses of power system phenomena may be hindered by the absence of PMU blocks in certain simulation tools, such as PSCAD, or by the existing PMU block in Matlab/Simulink R2021b, which exhibit technical limita-tions. These limitations include providing only the positive sequence component of the measurements and lacking information about individual phases, rendering them un-suitable for certain measurements, including unbalanced and non-symmetrical fault operations. This study proposes a new reliable PMU model in Matlab and tests it under normal and abnormal conditions, applying real-time simulation and control-ler-hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) techniques.

Abnormal operations, such as faults occurring in an electrical power system (EPS), dis-rupt its balanced operation, posing potential hazards to human lives and the system’s equipment. Effective monitoring, control, protection, and coordination are essential to mitigate these risks. The complexity of these processes is further compounded by the presence of intermittent distributed energy resources (DERs) in active distribution networks (ADNs) with bidirectional power flow, which introduces a fast-changing dy-namic aspect to the system. The deployment of phasor measurement units (PMUs) within the EPS as highly responsive equipment can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges, enhancing the system’s resilience and reliability. However, synchro-phasor measurement-based studies and analyses of power system phenomena may be hindered by the absence of PMU blocks in certain simulation tools, such as PSCAD, or by the existing PMU block in Matlab/Simulink R2021b, which exhibit technical limita-tions. These limitations include providing only the positive sequence component of the measurements and lacking information about individual phases, rendering them un-suitable for certain measurements, including unbalanced and non-symmetrical fault operations. This study proposes a new reliable PMU model in Matlab and tests it under normal and abnormal conditions, applying real-time simulation and control-ler-hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) techniques.

phasor measurement unit; real-time simulator; fault conditions; real controller; hard-ware-in-the-loop

phasor measurement unit; real-time simulator; fault conditions; real controller; hard-ware-in-the-loop

MUHAYIMANA, O.; TOMAN, P.; AL-JAZAERI, A.; LAAMIM, M.; LAHMER, A.; UWAMAHORO, J.; ROCHD, A.

09.07.2025

MDPI

Basel, Switzerland

1996-1073

ENERGIES

18

13

Swiss Confederation

1

26

26

https://doi.org/10.3390/en18143624