Algorithm for screening PMU data for power system events

Wide Area Monitoring Systems (WAMS) are a Smart Grid technology which can enhance real-time situational awareness for power sytem operators. WAMS are created from a network of synchronized measurement devices taking voltage and current measurements from the power system. This network is also known as a synchrophasor network. A synchrophasor network was created at the University of Texas at Austin to obtain real power system measurements for power system analysis. The network is continuously operating and recording voltage phasor data (voltage magnitude, angle, and frequency) at a rate of 30 data points per second. Because of the high volume of PMU data generated it is difficult to detect and analyze power system events of interest. To help power system operators more easily monitor the power system and easily detect events in PMU data, two different types of methods were created to automatically screen the data for events. The first method screens a small window of PMU voltage data and detects events based on a variety of techniques. The second method is an off-line method that detects events based on the magnitude of low frequency oscillations in PMU voltage data.