Abstract: A capacitor bank controller may obtain voltage and current measurements while the capacitor bank is disconnected from the power line. Further, the capacitor bank controller may obtain voltage and current measurements while the capacitor bank is connected to the power line. The capacitor bank controller may determine the size of the capacitor bank based on impedances from the voltage and current measurements while the capacitor bank is connected and disconnected.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for testing communication systems. In one embodiment, a communication device tester may include a traffic disciplining subsystem to generate a first stream of data packets satisfying a metric and may communicate the first stream of data packets to a test device in a first test scenario. A delay subsystem may generate a variable delay in a second stream of data packets and communicate the second stream of data packets to the test device in a second test scenario. A data corruption subsystem may corrupt a third stream of data packets and communicate the third stream of data packets to the test device in a third test scenario. A test subsystem may determine whether the test device satisfies at least one criterion of each of the first test scenario, the second test scenario, and the third test scenario.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for safe electric power delivery protection within a high-risk area while maintaining electric power availability in non-faulted areas. Fault signals from wireless sensors are used at a recloser to block reclosing onto a faulted high-risk zone. Fault signals from wireless sensors are used at a recloser to permit reclosing when the reclosing operation will not close onto a fault location within the high-risk zone. Portions of the power system may be selectively openable by sectionalizers. When a fault is reported by a wireless sensor as being on a portion of the power system selectively openable, a recloser may be permitted to attempt a reclose operation affecting the high-risk zone and the selectively openable portion.

Abstract: A microgrid power flow monitoring and control system is described herein. The control system may determine active and reactive power sharing shortage on the electric power delivery system. The control system may utilize the control strategies of generation units, such as ISO control, droop control and constant power control to estimate power flow within a microgrid or other isolated system. A control strategy of one or more generators may be modified based on the determined power flow.

Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) of an electric power distribution system includes processing circuitry and a memory that includes a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable comprising instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to receive operating data associated with the electric power distribution system, determine whether the operating data matches with expected operating data, generate a connectivity association key (CAK) based on the operating data in response to a determination that the operating data matches with the expected operating data, and establishing a connectivity association based on the CAK.

Abstract: A network communication system may include intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in a ring communication network. A software-defined networking device may be programmed by a removable or disconnectable software-defined network (SDN) controller to control the flow path of data packets to the IEDs in the ring network. The software-defined networking device may inspect a data packet intended for a first IED to determine that the inspected data packet requests a responsive data packet from the first IED. A flow path failure may be identified based on a failure to detect a responsive data packet from the first IED within an expected response time.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of sag in a power line. In an embodiment, a monitoring device may include a distance sensor and an operating parameter sensor. A processor of the monitoring device may acquire, via the distance sensor, a first distance measurement. The processor may acquire, via the operating parameter sensor, a first operating parameter measurement. The processor may provide an output signal indicating that the power line is sagging when a combination of the first distance measurement and the first operating parameter measurement exceed a first combined distance-operating parameter threshold.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein to detect an open-phase condition associated with an inverter-based resource for electric power generation within an electric power delivery system. An electric power delivery system may include one or more inverter-based resources that provide three phased electric power to one or more loads of an electric utility. A controller may include circuitry to measure voltage unbalances between different phases, high voltage sequences, phase voltage waveform harmonic distortions, voltage levels, and current levels to dependably detect an open-phase condition of the electric power delivery system.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for automating the configuration of a software defined network (“SDN”). In one embodiment, a system may include a first communication host and a second communication host configured to transmit information to the first communication host. A network may provide communication between the first communication host and the second communication host using a plurality of network devices. An SDN controller in communication with the network may include an approved service subsystem to match the communication with an approved service. The SDN controller may also include an analysis subsystem configured to identify a communication flow corresponding to information transmitted by the second communication host to the first communication host. A traffic routing subsystem of the SDN controller may create the communication flow identified by the analysis subsystem between the second communication host and the first communication host.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods to compress an input signal representing a parameter in an electric power system. In one embodiment, a system includes a data acquisition subsystem to receive an input signal comprising a plurality of high-speed representations of electrical conditions. A linear prediction subsystem generates an excitation signal estimate based on the input signal, a plurality of linear prediction coefficients based on the input signal, and an estimated signal based on the excitation signal estimate and the plurality of linear prediction coefficients. An error encoding subsystem may generate an encoding of an error signal based on a difference between the input signal and the estimated signal. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store an encoded and compressed representation of the input signal comprising the excitation signal estimate, the plurality of linear prediction coefficients, and the encoding of the error signal.

Abstract: Detection of, and protection against faults within a restricted earth fault (REF) zone of a transformer or a generator is disclosed herein. Security of the REF protection element uses comparison of a negative-sequence reference quantity. The REF condition is only detected when there is sufficient ground involvement and a fault in the reverse detection has not been detected. Dependability of the REF protection element in low-impedance grounded systems is improved by ensuring that the element operates when a zero-sequence reference quantity and a neutral operate quantity are orthogonal to each other. The REF protection element further determines an open CT condition and blocks detection of an REF fault upon determination of the open CT condition. A tripping subsystem may issue a trip command based upon detection of the REF condition.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods to share data in a point-to-point system. In one embodiment, a system to share point-to-point information may be used in an electric power system, and the system may include a communication interface to communicate using a point-to-point protocol using at least a first port and a second port. A point-to-point information sharing subsystem may receive an indication that point-to-point information received on the first port is to be shared on the second port and may configure the second port to share point-to-point information received on the first port. In some embodiments, a delay associated with the communication link may be added to the shared point-to-point information prior to transmission.

Abstract: Protection of an electric power delivery system using a traveling wave overcurrent element is disclosed herein. A maximum traveling wave mode among the alpha and beta modes is selected and compared with a traveling wave overcurrent threshold to determine a traveling wave overcurrent. Traveling wave overcurrent protection may be enabled depending on a termination status of the protected electric power delivery system. When a remote terminal is terminated on high surge impedance, a local protection system may use local traveling wave current quantities to determine a traveling wave overcurrent, and the traveling wave overcurrent may be used for line protection. Systems for detecting a termination status use local and remote current quantities.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for time aligning electric power system measurements at an intelligent electronic device (IED) using samples and sample time offset from merging units. The merging units do not require access to a common time signal. The IED does not require storage of a communication latency with the merging units. The sample time offset corresponds to a latency between obtaining the sample and receipt of the sample at the IED. The IED aligns samples from various merging units using sample time offset values communicated from the merging units to the IED. The IED performs monitoring and protection functions using the time aligned samples.

Abstract: System, methods, and techniques for load management in a microgrid are disclosed. A system of load management includes one or more processors configured to receive a time threshold value defining a time period of power demand in a microgrid, determine a battery rating of the microgrid, and trigger load shedding or load restoration in the microgrid based on one or more of the time threshold value and the battery rating. The load shedding includes selecting and shedding a first load in the microgrid for load shedding, thereby removing a measured power consumption of the selected first load from an overall power consumption of the microgrid by the shedding. The load restoration includes selecting and restoring the first load in the microgrid, there by adding the measured power consumption of the selected first load to an overall power consumption of the microgrid by restoration.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for measuring electrical parameters in an electric power system. In one embodiment, a system may include a line-mounted wireless current sensor comprising a current monitoring subsystem to generate a current measurement of an alternating current flow through an electrical conductor. The line-mounted wireless current sensor may harvest power from the electrical conductor. A processing subsystem may generate a message comprising the current measurement, and the message may be transmitted at a synchronization point using a wireless communication subsystem. An intelligent electronic device (IED) may receive the message. The IED may further generate a voltage and generate a phasor based on the current measurement and the voltage measurement. A control action subsystem may implement a control action (e.g., selectively connecting or disconnecting a capacitor bank) based on the phasor.

Abstract: A key server device obtains authorization information of a user associated with an intelligent electronic device (TED). The key server communicates the authorization information to the TED, via a Media Access Control Security (MACsec) Key Agreement (MKA) protocol to allow the TED to authenticate the user. The key server receives one or more commands from the user. The key server communicates the one or more commands to the TED to allow the TED to perform operations based on the one or more commands.

Abstract: A control system of an electric power distribution system includes processing circuitry and a memory having instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations that include receiving an indication of a profile, generating a connectivity association key (CAK) based on the profile, distributing a copy of the CAK to a device of the electric power distribution system, and establishing a connectivity association with the device in accordance with the profile based on a verification that the device possesses the copy of the CAK.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that use blockchain technology to protect power system data. For example, a receiving device may receive a smart contract. The receiving device may obtain the encrypted power system measurements from the smart contract via distributed ledger. The receiving device may decrypt the power system measurements from the smart contract using a private key of the receiving device. The receiving device may display the decrypted power system measurements on a display of the receiving device.

Abstract: An intelligent electronic device (IED) of an electric distribution system includes processing circuitry and a memory having instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations that include receiving an indication to establish a media access control security (MACsec) communication link in accordance with a confidential mode configured to block access to communication traffic associated with the MACsec communication link, indicating that the MACsec communication link is to be established in accordance with the confidential mode, receiving establishment of the MACsec communication link in accordance with the confidential mode, and communicating data via the MACsec communication link.