New methods for the visualization of electric power system information

Abstract

One area in need of new research in information visualization is the operation and analysis of large-scale electric power systems. In analyzing power systems, one is usually confronted with a large amount of multivariate data. With systems containing tens of thousands of electrical nodes (buses), a key challenge is to present this data in a form so the user can assess the state of the system in an intuitive and quick manner. This is particularly true when trying to analyze relationships between actual network power flows, the scheduled power flows, and the capacity of the transmission system. With electric industry restructuring and the move towards having a single entity, such as an independent system operator or pool, operate a much larger system, this need has become more acute. This paper presents several power system visualization techniques to help in this task. These techniques include animation of power system flow values, contouring of bus and transmission line flow values, data aggregation techniques and interactive 3D data visualization.