Optimal placement of Phasor Measurement Unit considering System Observability Redundancy Index: case study of the Kenya power transmission network

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Power Systems Analysis
• Optimization Algorithms

Background:

• Modern power systems rely on advanced monitoring and control.
• Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are essential for synchrophasor technology but are costly.
• Optimal PMU placement (OPP) is necessary to maximize network observability and minimize costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and compare optimal PMU placement methods for the Kenya Power Transmission Network (Nairobi Region 30-bus system).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of Depth-First, Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP), and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithms.
• To analyze the impact of Zero Injection Buses (ZIBs) on system observability using the System Observability Redundancy Index (SORI).

Main Methods:

• Implemented Depth-First, MILP (using intlinprog), and ABC algorithms on IEEE-14 and 30-bus test systems for verification.
• Applied the verified algorithms to the Kenya Power Transmission Network (Nairobi Region 30-bus system).
• Modeled case studies in Power System Analysis Toolbox (PSAT) and simulated using MATLAB, considering SORI and Observability Index (OI) for ZIBs.

Main Results:

• The ABC algorithm achieved the highest SORI compared to Depth-First and MILP when ZIBs were excluded.
• The Nairobi region 30-bus system requires 12 PMUs for complete observability.
• Optimal PMU locations identified are buses 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 21, 24, 27, and 29, yielding a SORI of 43.

Conclusions:

• The Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm is superior for optimal PMU placement in terms of maximizing system observability redundancy.
• The study provides a validated methodology for OPP applicable to real-world power grids.
• The findings contribute to enhancing the reliability and efficiency of power system monitoring and control.