Simulating the Smart Electric Power Grid of the 21st Century

To ensure the reliable operation of the electric grid when subject to disturbances, tools are needed for the design and analysis of wide-area control and protection algorithms. This project will develop a new platform that that will enable power system engineers to study the impact of protective relay switching on the overall dynamic behavior of the system. This new tool combines the much-used electromechanical transient stability function with a detailed protection system simulation. It will enable the study of different contingencies and scenarios, some of which may lead to cascading outages. For those that do, the engineers will be able to tune the relay settings to confine their effect to a small area. Phase I established a link between a commercial protective relay simulation program and a transient stability analysis program. Via this link, the effect of protective relay operation on the dynamic behavior of the electric grid was simulated. It was shown that, by modifying relay settings or introducing additional protection components, system behavior could be altered. Phase II will consolidate this link and integrate the two simulation programs to operate fast and efficiently as one simulation tool. A user interface for this new simulation will be developed to enable engineers to design and analyze smart grid applications. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The analysis and simulation capability should be of great value to the industry in evaluating and improving the reliability of the electric grid