The IEEE Standards Association has approved two new projects to develop future standardization of phasor data concentrators (PDCs): IEEE PC37.247™ “Standard for Phasor Data Concentrators for Power Systems” and IEEE PC37.248™ “Guide for Common Format for Naming Intelligent Electronic Devices.” Both development projects are intended to produce standards that improve fault management and other smart grid functionality.
As utilities work to enhance current electricity infrastructure and introduce new technologies—such as smart grid functionality—the need for data aggregation requirements increase and an emphasis on automation becomes vital to reporting. As a phasor measurement unit (PMU) measures electrical waves on an electricity grid, the synchrophasor data is collected using PDC technologies—either on-site or at centralized locations, depending on the electric utility’s requirements.
“Having standards in place to assist with locating faults on an electric grid is vital to the industry’s forward progress,” said Bill Ash, strategic technology program director with the IEEE-SA. “An electric utility is measuring the various currents and voltages that are collected by PDCs. The future standards from these two projects are intended to help electric utilities with commonality among naming structures, formats and conventions. The standards that apply to the smart grid with intelligent electronic devices and many others all require the same naming convention to accurately identify and comprehend the data collected from PDCs.”
IEEE PC37.247 is intended to improve interoperability of devices, systems and applications that use synchrophasors and other synchronized data by standardizing requirements for PDCs. Because this standard specifies the requirements of PDCs for power systems, it handles data aggregation, processing of synchrophasors and other synchronized data, handling of commands, performance and testing.
“For several years, synchrophasor data has existed on a small scale, or as a first project. But in the last few years, more and more synchrophasor systems are getting installed,” said Vasudev Gharpure, chair of the IEEE Phasor Data Concentrators for Power Systems Working Group. “Because PDCs are becoming more common, their functionality requires standardization. This project provides the requirements for what functions PDCs must perform and how it should perform them, which is the purpose of our working group.”
IEEE PC37.248 is a guide that provides convention for naming physical and virtual intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). The guide is intended to provide consistency to the point that automated systems and persons unfamiliar with the particular electrical system could determine what entities the IEDs are monitoring or reporting. In addition, the guide provides a common convention for naming physical and virtual IEDs and discusses the various environments where device names are needed and how a common naming convention would be beneficial.
“The idea for this project goes back to the big blackout in the U.S. Northeast in 2003,” said Rick Cornelison, chair of the IEEE Naming Intelligent Electronic Devices Working Group (COMDEV). “During the blackout, the various electric utilities received reports. As they tried to analyze the data from the reports, they couldn’t correctly identify what they were looking at. What we hope to do with this standard is to establish universal naming conventions to provide consistency and avoid future confusion with the data.”