Smart electric grid for the EU
Europe currently faces significant challenges in operating and controlling electricity grids as well as in measurement and data acquisition methods. This problem is compounded by the diverse renewable energy sources now providing power to the grid. To counteract the problem of irregular power generation, the EU-funded REAL-SMART (Using real-time measurements for monitoring and management of power transmission dynamics for the smart grid) initiative worked to develop real-time measurement methods for monitoring and managing high-voltage transmission grids. The researchers focused on network modelling for quick error detection and controlling the being added to the system to make power transmission more secure. REAL-SMART targeted developing methods to convert wide-area measurement data into information about system operation and performance in real time. The researchers anticipated that this information would help quantify the impact of wind-generated power on the grid. The team worked to understand and quantify the impact of heavy industrial loads, to prevent the electric grid from crashing. They worked on grid planning methods to better manage large-scale wind power. REAL-SMART developed seven prototype software tools, one of which is being tested in the field. Two others have led to patents and may be developed commercially. Project work has provided several new insights into problems such as the effect of wind farms on damping and stability in the transmission grid. In particular, the researchers improved visualisation of the grid status for monitoring and maintenance.
Keywords
Electricity grids, REAL-SMART, power transmission, smart grid, wind-generated power
