A sensitivity study of PMU-based fault detection on smart grid

Phasor measurement units (PMUs) are widely used in power transmission systems to provide synchronized measurements for the purpose of fault detection. However, how to efficiently deploy those devices across a power grid — so that a comprehensive coverage can be provided at a relatively low cost — remains a challenge. In this paper, we present a sensitivity study of a PMU-based fault detection method using three different distance metrics. This study can serve as a guideline for efficient PMU deployment. To illustrate the effectiveness of this approach, we have derived an alternative PMU placement plan for a power grid. Experimental results show that our PMU placement reduces the required PMU deployment by more than 80% as compared to the original placement, yet still provides similar level of accuracy in fault detection.