Using Synchrophasor Data to Diagnose Equipment Mis -operations and Health

1. Using Synchrophasor Data to Diagnose Equipment Mis-operations and Health Alison Silverstein WECC JSIS Meeting, September 10, 2014

2. Background and thesis of paper Background of paper • Pulling this together under contract to DOE SGIG program, to extract insights from the SGIG-SGDP synchrophasor projects • Process – review examples and stray mentions from NASPI presentations and conversations, find company experts to provide additional detail Thesis of paper • Operating engineers are using synxr data to identify and diagnose a wide number of generation and transmission events. This off-line use is producing tremendous value in terms of potential equipment damage avoided and potential outages averted. • By documenting the examples and the diagnostic and deductive processes used for each case, the entire industry can learn quickly and implement this great synxr value source

3. Mis-operations examples 1) Generator settings and generator equipment failures • Cumberland nuke PSS setting (TVA) • Malfunctioning generator PSS (NYISO) • Redbud powerplant oscillations (OG&E) • Malfunctioning generator AVR control system (NYISO) • Voltage oscillations at nuclear plant (Dominion) • Faulty generator control card (ERCOT) • Protecting power system stabilizers (Manitoba Hydro) • Colstrip control unit malfunction (EPG) • Governor control malfunction in Alberta caused large power oscillations on California-Oregon lines (CAISO)

4. Mis-operations examples 2) Wind plants and oscillations • Wind plant oscillations (OG&E) • Wind controller software update flawed (ERCOT) • Wind events and turbine controllers (ERCOT)

5. Mis-operations examples • Transmission equipment • Failing potential transformer (ATC) • Finding loose connections in potential circuits at fuses and terminal blocks (OG&E) • Voltage transformer failing (Dominion) • Identifying 69 kV arrester failure affecting customers (ATC) • Voltage pull-downs linked to line communications carrier (OG&E) • PQ monitoring (OG&E) • Transmission-level fault analysis (NYISO)

6. Mis-operations examples • Proactive uses of PMUs for equipment installation and protection • Monitoring system current imbalance to protect large power generator rotors (Dominion) • Using PMUs to install and calibrate equipment (Dominion)

7. What happens next? • Still collecting examples, writing paper, and fact-checking • Paper to be released in October at CIGRE and NASPI mtgs • Start outreach campaign at NERC, NATF, NAGF, JSIS, and more • Would like to build a library of synxr data for these examples, that analysts can examine to look for event signatures for automated diagnosis – have asked WECC if we can use the formats and structure for their automated grid disturbance library to set up a separate data library for these small events (potentially hosted at PNNL) • Look at OG&E automated event reports to see if these are share-able

8. Got good examples to add to the list? Please let me know asap, and be prepared to provide high-quality synxr data images and spend two 30 minute sessions on the phone with me to explain the event and then answer additional questions. Thanks! -- alisonsilverstein@mac.com 512-670-3497