Reliability Analysis of Phasor Measurement Unit Using Hidden Markov Model

Recently, electrical power systems have emerged as the largest and most complex machine because of its inordinate growth due to technological innovations and because of geographical sprawl. This growth has necessitated a commensurate system for operation, monitoring, and control, which is known as the wide-area measurement system (WAMS). The edifice of WAMS is the phasor measurement unit (PMU). Its failure adversely affects WAMS as a whole; therefore, reliability analysis of the PMU is extremely essential. This paper uses hidden Markov model to perform the reliability analysis of PMU. Although many reliability evaluation methods have been used for computing steady-state probabilities, the proposed methodology has the unique ability to compute transient probability, leading to better system monitoring during transient states to ensure proper restorative initiatives. This paper validates the efficacy of the proposed methodology with relevant case studies for real-time application in a modern power system to ensure reliable monitoring using PMUs.