Preparing the electrical data recorder for comparative power network measurements

As the power system management currently advances from rigid to flexible, highly sophisticated monitoring and control is required in the future. By developing the Electrical Data Recorder (EDR) and preparing the device for comparative tests in low voltage power network at multiple locations we intend to contribute to a more detailed analysis and to provide a fundamental database for simulation and investigation. Using EDR devices, high rate captures of low voltage time series are acquired synchronously and are stored in a central large database without any information reduction. We performed extensive tests according to the IEC 61000-4-30 standard in order to assure the comparability of the measured values. Special attention was paid to the synchronization for achieving temporal coincidence of values measured at different locations. We developed methods for large scale data storage and interfaces for 3^rd party simulation packages. In this paper we present the preparation of the device and the test procedures as well as the results. We report on the methods we already provide for data management and analysis. We conclude that the EDR provides sufficient accuracy and precision for comparative tests; our data storage and retrieval methods are fast and reliable; and we did not find 3^rd party simulation tools appropriate for our needs, yet. However, the measurement system is ready for productive use in the low voltage supply grid.