Deploying a large-scale PMU system for the Brazilian interconnected power system

Recent power system blackouts around the world have driven attention to the need of Wide Area Measurement, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) systems. Currently, the Brazilian electric power industry is making an effort, lead by independent system operator ONS, to implement a large-scale wide-area measurement system utilizing the synchronized phasor measurement technology. The system will be utilized to realize many off-line and real-time operation applications for improving the reliability and economical operations of the National Interconnected Power System (NIPS). The novelty of the technology and the task to implement such a system in a deregulated environment present some special challenges to the project and ONS. This paper describes the overall approach that the Brazilian power industry and ONS had adopted in implementing this system. The approach aims to address several main aspects of the project that are critical for a successful implementation of the system, such as the regulatory framework, under which the system is to be deployed, deployment planning, and overall system performance assurance measures. The project has successfully completed the system architecture design and corresponding system components specifications. ONS is currently in the process to hire a qualified test entity to perform the PMU homologation testing and calibration.