Statistical analysis of the FNET/grideye-detected inter-area oscillations in Eastern Interconnection (EI)

FNET/GridEye has been continuously monitoring the power grids in North America for more than ten years. Using the GPS-synchronized phasor measurements, a real time application has been developed on the FNET/GridEye platform to detect inter-area oscillations and perform oscillation modal analysis. This paper conducted statistical analysis on the captured inter-area oscillations in the Eastern Interconnection (EI) from 2013 to 2015. The results show strong correlation between inter-area oscillation and system load. The system is more vulnerable to inter-area oscillations under lower load conditions than heavy load conditions. Two major inter-area oscillation modes are found in EI. It is suspected that significant changes took place in 2013, which led to the notable alterations of inter-area oscillations in the system afterwards: the number of observed oscillations significantly increased; the pattern of the oscillation mode frequency distribution changed; and the predominating cause of the inter-area oscillations is shifted from line trip to other disturbances.