Genetic Algorithm Based Optimal PMU Placement for Enhanced Power System Observability and Reliability

The phasor measurement unit (PMU) is a vital component in the modern power grid because of its ability to deliver synchrophasors for wide-area control and monitoring. Owing to higher installation costs, PMUs are not viable to put at every accessible node of the system. Hence, in power system modeling, limiting the quantity of PMU while considering the system’s overall observability and reliability has become a topic of interest. An optimal PMU placement methodology based on genetic algorithm (GA) has been analyzed in this research work. This approach combines two seemingly contradictory objectives, including the attainment of complete power system observability using the least number of PMUs and desired level of reliability with such a reduction in the number of PMUs. To test the efficacy of the suggested technique, it has been applied to the IEEE 14-node, 30-node, and NE 39-node test systems. Simulation results show that the proposed methodology outperforms the existing techniques in the literature.