Power line data based grid identification using signal processing

Power recordings obtained from different grids have different patterns which are not clearly predictable. These power line data can be used to identify the region of recordings by detecting their pattern. Normally The Electric Network Frequency(ENF) of power distribution network is used to estimate the location of recordings. Existing techniques estimate ENF around the base frequency of 50/60Hz. In this paper a technique is proposed to classify the grids by exploiting the ENF at different harmonics of nominal frequency. This method does not rely on power references to differentiate amongst various power grids. It applies feature extraction techniques of clean power signal which can be measured directly from the power mains through electrical outlet using a step-down transformer and voltage divider.