PMU placement with multi-objective optimization considering resilient communication infrastructure

A Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) is the most advanced equipment used to bring a good level of situational awareness to Wide-Area Measurement System (WAMS) in power systems. However, the underlying cost for such PMU-based supervisory systems is the limiting factor that affects the extent of installed syncrophasor devices in a power network. This work aims to formulate the optimal PMU placement problem in a power transmission system which seeks to jointly minimize the risk of inobservability for State Estimation and also the overall total cost. Thus, it is proposed a multi-objective algorithm that uses numerical observability indicators to characterize measurement plan robustness and also graph theory tools to address the total cost optimization problem, which considers practical and more realistic aspects of the installation of PMUs, as well as addressing costs for the network communication infrastructure. Moreover, non-dominated Pareto solutions are built, which in a real scenario, would serve better for judicious decisions by the planners of a measurement system.