Synchronized monitoring of power network through time synchronizing unit

Abstract

Absolute time and relative time are essential parameters to establish the cause and effect relationship of an event or chain of events. For establishing the sequence of operations of events in a power system especially under contingent system condition, time synchronization of the time base of various equipment at different substations in a network becomes very important. In this context the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is widely used as an ideal standard time and is traceable to the International Atomic Time (TAI). Among various systems, the Global Positioning System (GPS) offers the desired accuracy, compactness and cost for usage in wide variety of applications. Central Power Research Institute resorted to UTC and GPS receiver and developed a time synchronizing unit (TSU) that would form a STRATUM time source for down line equipment and other related functions. This paper would present the design methodologies and validation measures that have gone into the development of TSU which is found to be a very useful tool for monitoring/controlling the EHV substations and power network.