Development of a Low-cost Phasor Measurement Unit

ABSTRACT The electric power grid is a very large and complex system that is a necessity in todays society. Traditional grid monitoring systems such as SCADA are being replaced by the Phasor Measurements Units due to their superior capabilities such as real-time and synchronize measurements. PMUs have many applications from gird protection to grid control, the down side however is that commercial PMUs have a high price tag staring at $2,400 and can go up to $10,000 USD. This large price can make it difficult to install a large number of PMUs to achieve full observability in a power grid. This thesis discusses the development of a low-cost single phase voltage PMU. Including is part selection, circuit design and programing methods. The PMU developed has an estimated cost range of $800 to $1,000 USD which is significantly lower than other commercial available PMUs. The PMU developed was tested by comparing a single-phase voltage measurement with a commercial PMU. The comparison showed that the low-cost PMU closely followed that of the commercial PMU with low errors in RMS voltage, frequency and phase angle. These results validate the accuracy of the low-cost PMU and its ability to be an alternative solution to the higher priced commercial PMUs.

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