Intelligent Electronic Devices for Power Grid Blackout Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric power delivery systems face challenges in managing under-frequency conditions, leading to potential blackouts due to power imbalances, as existing technologies struggle to effectively mitigate these imbalances through load shedding and generator rebalancing across wide-area systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) that utilize under-frequency load shedding techniques and over-frequency generation shedding, along with rotating inertia information, to determine which loads or generators should be disconnected or run-back to rebalance the system, thereby preventing blackouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If under-frequency load shedding is implemented to prevent blackouts, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for wide-area monitoring and coordinated control across multiple sub-grids
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is divided into multiple sub-grids, each monitored and controlled independently by local IEDs. This segmentation allows decentralized decision-making for load shedding while maintaining overall system reliability, reducing the complexity burden on any single control device.
Solution Approach 2:
Load shedding actions are predetermined based on frequency thresholds and load priority classifications. When under-frequency conditions occur, pre-programmed shedding sequences are executed immediately without requiring complex real-time optimization, improving response speed while managing control complexity.
2Measurement precision
If time-synchronized phasor measurement is used to identify sub-grids and prioritize load disconnection, then load shedding precision is improved, but measurement precision requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The IEDs are designed to perform multiple functions: frequency monitoring, phasor measurement, sub-grid identification, load priority management, and coordinated control. This multi-functionality consolidates complex measurement and control tasks into single devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Time-synchronized phasor measurements serve as an intermediary mechanism to indirectly identify sub-grid boundaries and load characteristics without requiring direct physical measurement of each parameter. This intermediary approach simplifies the measurement system while achieving precise load shedding control.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for managing an electric power delivery system is disclosed that includes a set of remote intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and a central IED. The remote IEDs may be configured to obtain information related to rotor angles, operating frequencies, rate of change of frequency, rotating inertia, and power consumption levels of loads and generators included in the electric power delivery system. The central IED may communicate with the remote IEDs to determine which loads and generators are associated with a sub-grid of the electric power delivery system and whether to disconnected certain loads or generators. Based on this determination, the central IED may direct the remote IEDs to disconnect loads or generators from the electric power delivery system, or to rapidly increase or decrease generator output as appropriate.