Synchrophasor Technology Applications and Optimal Placement of Micro-Phasor Measurement Unit (μPMU): Part I

The transition from the conventional power grid to the smart grid is accompanied by an increase in complexity due to the integration of diverse Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and demand-side management. The extensive integration of converter-interfaced DERs has introduced numerous stability concerns and greatly altered the operational intricacies of Active Distribution Networks (ADN). The enormous number of DER systems with complicated designs, parameters that change over time, and controllers with unknown internal workings greatly increase the complexity of dynamic models. As a result, the computational requirements for stability analysis and control based on these models are significantly higher. To ensure the security and reliability of the smart Power System (PS), it is crucial to have advanced monitoring and measurement technologies, mostly controlled by SCADA systems. Synchrophasor-based Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) play a crucial role in processing and analyzing substantial volumes of data in real-time. After an overview of the synchrophasor and its operation, this article examines the applications of PMUs and PMUs in ADNs and Transmission Lines (TL), with a particular focus on PMUs, through an analysis of 234 well-regarded papers. We will elucidate on how PMUs facilitate effective situational awareness, protection, and fault location functions, and new control algorithms and enhanced power management programs. To provide a more comprehensive analysis, we have partitioned this article into two sections. This part (Part I) will examine system state awareness, grid operation control, and optimal PMU placement.