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To cite this Article Ramesh, L., Choudhury, S. P., Chowdhury, S. and Crossley, P. A.(2008)'Electrical Power System State Estimation
Meter Placement—A Comparative Survey Report',Electric Power Components and Systems,36:10,1115 — 1129
To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/15325000802046918
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15325000802046918
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Electric Power Components and Systems, 36:1115–1129, 2008
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1532-5008 print/1532-5016 online
DOI: 10.1080/15325000802046918
4
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of
Manchester, United Kingdom
Keywords state estimation, neural network, tabu search, genetic algorithm, meter
placement
1. Introduction
State estimation (SE) is one of the main tools in real-time operation and control of
modern power systems. Prof. Schweppe, the leading researcher of the power systems
engineering group at MIT, was the first to propose and develop the idea of SE for power
systems monitoring and control. The quality of the SE solutions is also highly dependent
on the measurement configuration for a given network topology.
The location and types of measurements should allow the state variable of the entire
network to be calculated uniquely as well as providing enough redundancy to detect and
eliminate bad data in the observable part of the network. The problem of choosing meters
and their locations for optimal monitoring of a power system is referred to as the meter
placement problem. In choosing the types and locations of new measurements, there may
be several different concerns, such as maintaining a desired accuracy level for the state
estimates obtained, maintaining an observable network when one or more measurements
are lost, maintaining an observable network when one or more network branches are
1115
1116 L. Ramesh et al.
disconnected, being able to detect and identify bad data in one or more measurements,
and minimizing the cost of meters and remote terminal units (RTUs).
In this article, meter placement for power system state estimation (PSSE), distribution
systems, load estimation, harmonic estimation, phasor measurement units (PMUs), and
voltage sags are discussed. In Section 2, different algorithms (genetic algorithm [GA],
simulated annealing [SA], artificial neural network [ANN], integer programming [IP],
linear programming [LP], tabu search [TS], sparse triangular factorization [STF]) that are
used for PSSE meter placement are discussed in detail. In Section 3, the meter placement
problem, formation of distribution systems, load estimation, harmonic estimation, and
PMU and voltage sag estimation are explained. Section 4 contains a comparative study
of the literature published with respect to number of years, and Section 5 concludes with
a future scope of the research.
J D EŒ.y O t w.y
y/ O
y/;
The proposed method is adopted for the IEEE 14-bus system and produced an optimal
measurement system design that guarantees the observability for any single outage. The
critical redundancy rate and the investment cost may, however, be reduced slightly. The
above algorithm has the limitation of not being suitable for too many measurement
failures due to excessive computation time.
C D .H t R 1 H / 1 ;
S D H.H t R 1 H / 1 H t R 1 :
SE PI was demonstrated. The PI of the SE can be evaluated via the covariance matrix
of the error of the estimated state vector and computation time, which are important for
on-line monitoring and control. Based on these PIs, the inputs to the proposed ANN
will be the estimated state error variance and running time. The assumptions made for
modeling output layer are bus P -Q power in pair. Line P -Q power in pair, all available
meters, line current, and phase angle are not considered.
The structure of the proposed ANN is as follows.
1. The first layer (the input layer) comprises a number of neurons equal to Ns C 1,
where Ns is the number of system states, representing the design objectives and
required accuracy level of the SE solution and running time.
2. The second layer (the hidden layer) contains a number of neurons and is normally
determined through experimental comparisons, depending on the system size,
number of I/O variables, and number of I/O training patterns.
3. In the third layer (the output layer), three pieces of information are presented,
namely the required number of measurements, the type of meters employed, and
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2.4. LP Algorithm
A method for designing measurement systems that will not only make the systems
observable but also will maintain observability against loss of network branches was
presented in [4]. This is accomplished in two steps. The first step involves an LP-
based measurement placement method with the objective to find a minimum number of
additional measurements to make the system barely observable but vulnerable to branch
outages. In the second step, an optimal number and type of measurements are found and
appended to the measurement set to ensure observability against single-branch outages.
The objective function for choosing a minimal set of essential measurements is
Minimize CTy
Subjected to Ay D z and y 0;
where
C D Œw1 ; w2; : : : ; wm , where and w is the weight for the i th measurement;
A D ŒH j H jI jI j I , where I is the identity matrix, and H is a Jacobian matrix;
z is the measurement vector; and
y is the phase-angle mismatch vector matrix.
Power System State Estimation Meter Placement 1119
Minimize ST x
Subject to Ax 1; xi D 1 or 0;
where S is the normalized installation cost, A is the matrix that relates the branches to
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2.5. TS Algorithm
In [5], the focus was on meter placement to enhance topological observability, and the
relationship between meter placement and network configurations was discussed. Mathe-
matically, the problem results in complicated combinatorial optimization. To sufficiently
overcome this problem, a TS-based method was presented. The idea of a TS is based on
the hill-climbing method, which is one of local search. The problem is
F D min F .x/; x 2 X;
withstand any single-branch outage or loss of single measurement without losing network
observability. It is a numerical method based on the measurement Jacobian and STF,
making its implementation easy in existing state estimators.
The problem is proposed to be solved in two stages.
1. Selecting candidates by modified Jacobian and STF.
0 mod 1
He
mod { n, essential
H D @ A
B C
{ m n, redundant;
Hemod
where H mod is the modified Jacobian with outage of tree branch k-j , m is the total
number of measurements that are installed or likely to be installed. Triangular
factorization of H mod with a pivoting row that is restricted to the first n essential
measurement rows will yield a zero pivot at the last, nth diagonal of Hemod . This
pivot will then be selected from the redundant measurements. Any one of these
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Minimize CT : X
Subject to A : X b;
where
(
1 if measurement j is a candidate for contingency i
Aij D
0 otherwise,
(
1 if measurement I is selected
X.i / D
0 otherwise.
2.7. SA Algorithm
Power system state estimators usually require a set of redundant measurements, which
are appropriately chosen according to the type, number, and location of the measurement
point in the supervised electric network. This article presents a metaheuristics-based
methodology to solve the problem of meter placement for PSSE. A simple objective
function is proposed, which takes into account the distribution and installation costs of
a measuring device and whose minimization is sought via SA. The meter placement
Power System State Estimation Meter Placement 1121
1 otherwise
and
Level 0 is r .i / D z.i / z 1 .i / D 0,
Level 1 is rN .i /=rN .j / D 1.
where C and C.x/ are the costs of the current and proposed configurations,
respectively, and T is the temperature. The algorithm is run until a stopping
condition is reached, typically a minimum temperature value, specified as part
of the annealing schedule.
The proposed method is tested for the IEEE 30-bus system, in terms of the mean
values obtained in 15 implementations of the algorithm and greater reliability at lower
cost. The average computation time is 1770 sec for D 0. It proved that a sizeable
number of configurations with no critical measurements and sets can be obtained in a
short computing time.
1122 L. Ramesh et al.
2.8. GA
A methodology for designing optimal metering systems for real-time power system
monitoring, taking into account different topologies that the network may experiment,
was presented in [7]. The GA is employed to achieve a trade-off between investment
cost and reliability of the SE process under many different topology scenarios. This is
done by formulating a fitness function (FF) where the cost of the metering system is
minimized, while no critical measurements are allowed in the optimal solution.
This objective function can be formulated as
where Cmet and CRTU represent, respectively, the cost of meters and RTUs to be in-
stalled. The performance requirements refer to the SE process. The optimization problem
represented above is combinatorial and adequate for the application of global search
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Maximize f .x/
where
Pobs.i / is the penalty factor applied to the i th non-observable scenario,
N T is the number of topologies being considered,
ki is condition of the topological scenario,
NC m .i / represents the number of critical measurements,
PC m .i / is a penalty factor applied when critical measurements are detected,
NmC s .i / represents the total number of measurements, and
PC s .i / is a penalty factor applied when critical sets are detected.
The FF flexibility makes possible to reduce investment costs by partially satisfying
the problem constraints. The proposed method is tested with the ELETROPAULO net-
work with 61 buses and 74 branches. The GA chromosome is represented by a vector of
Power System State Estimation Meter Placement 1123
209 genes, where 148 genes are associated with possible power flow measurement loca-
tions and 61 genes are associated with possible power injection measurement locations.
It has been observed that the best result is obtained with less convergence times.
3. Meter Placement
through meter placement were identified in [8]. The main goal of meter placement is
determining the number, place, and type of meters that need to be placed on a given
feeder, such that the SE with these measurements will have the desired performance. The
cost considerations usually limit the number of meters that can be placed on distribution
feeders, usually below the minimum needed for SE. To overcome this observability
problem, forecasted load data needs to be added as pseudo-measurements. The rule-based
meter placement scheme is adapted in this article for identifying meters in distribution
feeders.
GA-based optimal meter placement methodology for real-time power distribution
systems monitoring was presented in [9]. The characteristics of the proposed methodol-
ogy are codification of the metering system, performance requirements, use of pseudo-
measurements, and methodology description. Test results with the IEEE 14-bus system
show that the proposed methodology is capable of obtaining optimal metering systems
that attend constraints such as network observability and absence of critical measure-
ments. The work in [10] presented a heuristic approach to identify potential points for
location of voltage measurements for SE as part of a proposed distribution management
system controller.
The algorithm formulation for proposed method is discussed below.
1. Select bus bars on which measurements are assumed; run load flow to get V0m .
m
2. Change; load randomly to calculate VRand and obtained error function .V0m
m 2
VRand / .
3. Check error function for acceptable value. If acceptable, go to step 4; else, go to
step 2.
4. Store voltage magnitude at all buses and check for minimum number of voltage
set obtained.
5. If minimum number is satisfies, calculate standard deviation and check whether
acceptable; else, go to step 2.
6. If voltage deviations are acceptable, end the process; else, go to step 7.
7. Move measurements to higher standard deviation and check for additional
measurements.
8. If yes, add additional measurements and go to step 2; else, go to step 2.
For this study, a small section of 11-KV overhead lines consisting of 95 busbars
with 2 wind farms was used. Simulation results have shown that, in the case studied,
1124 L. Ramesh et al.
the estimator took four to five iterations to converge and was completed in less than a
second.
sequential technique can guarantee only near-optimal solutions. A new HSE algorithm,
based on singular-value decomposition (SVD) method, was presented in [12] along with
a new solution technique for optimal measurement placement.
The normal state equation is
X D .H T H / 1 H T Z:
1
X D VW U T Z;
where V and U are orthogonal matrices, M is the possible location, and N is the number
of states.
The algorithm for optimal harmonic meter placement is
1. Form the measurement matrix with possible location.
2. Each row of H is temporary eliminated one at a time and calculates the condition
number of H .
3. The row of H that has minimum condition number is permanently eliminated.
4. When M D N , go to step 5; else, go to step 2.
5. The rest of the M row should be optimal measurement placement.
Two test systems are used to test the proposed algorithm, namely the IEEE 14-bus
and New Zealand 220-KV interconnected grid. It is found that the algorithm can yield a
solution for measurement placement that makes the power system completely observable.
where x is the decision row vector, and MRA (monitor reach area index) gives the number
of meters. The problem is a binary integer optimization program, the solution of which
minimizes the number of meters subject to the convergence of the entire network.
The GA is implemented to explore the solution space.
The Colombia 500-KV interconnected system is taken as example for demonstrating
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Minimum J D Cost.z/
where z represents the sets of possible candidates, the measurement scheme represents
the upper limit for the errors, PL and QL are the real and reactive loads, respectively,
represents the standard deviation of the loads, and k is the number of buses whose loads
are estimated by the meter. The proposed method is tested on some sample systems
that are straightforward and can handle large distribution systems with only moderate
computation requirements.
A fast analysis method for power system topology observability by optimal PMU
placement was presented in [15]. The PMU placement problem is formulated as to
minimize the number of PMU installations that are subjected to full network observability
and enough redundancy. TS is proposed to solve the combinatorial optimization problem,
and a priority list based on heuristic rule is embedded to accelerate optimization.
The problem an be formulated as
where np represents the number of PMUs, S.np / represents the placement set, and Obs
represents the observability evaluation function.
The algorithm is as follows.
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4. Discussion
SE is essential for the monitoring, control, and optimization of a power system. Regardless
of the different estimation algorithms, the location, types of measurements, cost of meters,
and cost of RTUs are always decisive factors for successful SE.
In this article, the authors discussed different types of algorithms used for PSSE meter
placement, distribution system meter placement, PMU placement, meter placement for
voltage sag, harmonic meter placement, and meter placement for load estimation.
A comparison of a number of papers for various years for PSSE meter placement
is represented in Figure 1. Meter placement for PSSE started in the year 1975. In total,
nine different approaches are discussed for optimal meter placement of PSSE in the past
30 years [16]. System observability and some hybrid methods are also discussed. Huge
numbers of works are done in the years between 1999 to 2001, and still the work is
continuing with new approaches like distributed generation.
A comparison of the number of papers over various years for distribution system
meter placement is represented in Figure 2. Distribution system meter placement work
started in the year 1994. Only a limited number of algorithms with fewer works have been
done in this area, where there is a huge scope for pursuing research work by considering
distributed generation.
A comparison of the number of papers of various years for PMU meter placement
is represented in Figure 3. PMU meter placement work started in year 1990. Currently,
more work is going on in this area that gives much better SE performance. More research
must be done in this area for optimal operation and control of power system networks.
Power System State Estimation Meter Placement 1127
Figure 1. Comparison of number of papers (with years) for PSSE meter placement.
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Figure 2. Comparison of number of papers (with years) for distribution meter placement.
A comparison of the number of algorithms and their CPU processing times for meter
placement is represented in Figure 4. Various algorithms (SA, GA, TS, ANN, and one
numerical method) are tested with the IEEE 30-bus system. It is seen that TS is better
than the others in terms of cost function and average CPU processing time.
1128 L. Ramesh et al.
The optimum placement of meters for load estimation, harmonic estimation, and
voltage-sag estimation are discussed in the last section of the article. More concentration
must be given to these areas for security monitoring.
5. Conclusion
This article presented a classified list of algorithms for PSSE meter placement covering
approximately 30 years of extensive research, and it is a comprehensive survey report
on electric PSSE meter placement. The authors welcome discussions on the missing
algorithms, if any. To establish an overall idea about the time evolution of the total
number of papers per year, three graphs are presented. The authors conclude that the
scope of research in the area of meter placement in distribution systems, PMU, load
estimation, harmonic estimation, and voltage-sag estimation is quite encouraging and
timely.
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