Operational-based techno-economic PMU installation approach using grey wolf optimisation algorithm (GWOA)

Phasor measurement units (PMUs) are currently the most useful devices to obtain fast, precise, and synchronised measurement data. Owing to the high cost of installation, the minimum number of PMUs required for the full observability of a network must be determined. However, power companies do not consider such optimal PMU installation (OPI), because their main concerns are preventing cascaded tripping and secure grid separation, for which critical buses (CBs) should be prioritised for direct observability. In practice, utility grids (UGs) may lose their full observability status during islanding, which the OPI problem should account for. On the other hand, actual bus-to-bus variations in the PMU installation cost are not properly addressed in the PMU installation problem. Considering these practical aspects, an operational-based multiphase PMU installation approach is proposed here using the grey wolf optimisation algorithm for CB prioritisation. A PMU cost minimisation-based OPI problem that considers the full observability of each UG during islanding is formulated. To determine quality outputs, logical and unique mathematical equations are developed. A novel multiple bus selection approach is proposed for a phase-wise bus assortment. The results of the proposed algorithm are compared with those of other existing methods.