VCL Products > Grid Islanding & WAMS Solutions - Comparison

Grid Islanding & WAMS Solutions - Comparison

Grid Islanding...

To monitor the power grid at various transmission points and to deliberately isolate the critical portion of the power grid to ensure the availability of power for critical services to the specific, strategic areas during an outage, under various conditions as explained in the following slides. In a controlled grid islanding scheme, specific, strategic areas of the power grid continue to be energized and operate independently, even though it has been disconnected from the main power grid. For example: In an event of a Northern Grid Failure, the power supply of certain critical zones remains in healthy condition, within a specified area.

Comparison Table: PMUs with Tele-protection and CPU vs. Standalone Under-Frequency Relays

Feature/Advantage	PMUs with Tele-protection and CPU based Grid-Islanding Scheme	Standalone Under-Frequency Relay based Grid-Islanding Scheme
Principle of Operation	Under-frequency, ROCOF, Phase angle deviation, synchronized data acquisition, real-time data analysis and decision making by centralized servers running application specific grid-islanding software.	Under-frequency and possibly ROCOF Only.
Real-time Monitoring and Control	Provides high-speed, real-time monitoring of frequency, ROCOF, phase-angle deviations and control, enhancing with decision making implemented on centralized servers resulting in the enhanced, real-time reporting of grid status and very fast response times. High Speed data reporting, at data rates of up to 50 frames (50 data sets) per second.	Relies solely on frequency measurements, and possibly ROCOF. Slow data reporting. Does not provide real-time precision for grid dynamics.
Wide-Area Situational Awareness	Enables wide-area situational awareness, allowing for centralized, coordinated and informed decision-making across the grid.	Limited to local measurements and responses, lacking a broader view of the grid status.
Data Accuracy and Resolution	High-resolution data with precise time synchronization, improving the detection of grid anomalies and disturbances.	Lower resolution data, with less precision in detecting grid disturbances.
Speed of Response	Faster response times due to the integration of teleprotection and high-speed communication interfaces and I/Os.	Slower response times as it only reacts to local frequency changes.
Dynamic Perimeter Adjustment	Central monitoring and response to dynamically change the perimeter of the island by constantly measuring the load and generation of predefined islands. This feature allows to automatically to grow and shrink the size of the island dynamically.	No such features offered or available.
Monitoring parameters	Decisions based on real-time load and generation values based on data being reported by multiple PMUs by a centralized server and decision making based on application specific grid-protection software and big-data analysis.	Works on static and pre-defined values under-frequency values. Relays act independently on pre-determined and pre-set under-frequency values. No centralized data analysis or decision making based on a grid over-view.
Dynamic Stability Assessment	Can assess dynamic stability in real-time, providing early warning of potential instabilities.	Limited to frequency-based detection, without comprehensive stability assessment capabilities.
Enhanced Protection and Control	Combines protection, control, and monitoring in a unified system, improving overall grid reliability and security.	Provides basic protection based on under-frequency thresholds, without an integrated, centralized control or advanced monitoring.
Adaptive and Predictive Capabilities	Capable of adaptive and predictive analysis using advanced algorithms and centralized data processing.	Reactive approach with fixed settings and thresholds, lacking adaptability and predictive capabilities.
Integration with Modern Grid Technologies	Easily integrates with other smart grid technologies, such as Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and demand response systems.	Limited integration capabilities, primarily designed for traditional grid setups.
Data Logging and Analytics	Offers comprehensive data logging and advanced analytics for post-event analysis and system improvements.	Basic data logging, with limited analytics and insights.
Scalability and Flexibility	Highly scalable and flexible, suitable for complex grid environments and dynamically evolving requirements.	Limited scalability, best suited for simpler grid configurations.
Reliability and Redundancy	Higher reliability and redundancy due to the use of multiple data sources and centralized processing.	Single-point measurement with limited redundancy options.