Application of NavIC Based Standard Time Signal Receiver in Indian Power System

Power System can be broadly divided into three key sectors viz. Generation, Transmission & Distribution. In all three sectors, automation systems are used for the day-to-day operation of the concerned segment of the Power System. These systems use different applications for effective visualization of Power System devices. However, a common feature of all these systems is the need of having accurate time and synchronization of their clocks for desired level of precision in operation, control, coordination and studies. For this purpose, standard time signal receivers are used which are based on the Navigational Satellite Systems. Presently, Global Positioning System (GPS) is being used as a de-facto standard in various equipment in the Indian Power System to effect time synchronization of various devices & control systems. However, the GPS carries certain inherent technical & strategic vulnerabilities with it. In this context, NavIC (Navigation through Indian Constellation) based standard time signal receivers may prove to be a much better substitute for critical Power System applications. NavIC (an acronym for Navigation with Indian Constellation; also, navik ‘sailor’ or ‘navigator’ in Sanskrit, and many other Indian languages) is the operational name of the indigenously developed Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This paper attempts to explain the operational experience of Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO), with NavIC standard time signal receivers in place of GPS.