Digital substations for a stable electrical power grid

The decarbonisation of energy systems has resulted in significant changes in electrical power grids, due to the wide-scale connection of decentralised renewable energy resources.

Switchyards are the keys to power distribution in the European grids, handling energy flows under high voltage up to 400 kV, to minimize power loss in the transmission. Before energy is consumed in industries and houses the voltage is transformed down to e.g., 230 V for our power outlets. The existing switchyards have an old technology based on an analogue design, are at the end of their lifespan, and is time consuming to maintain, monitor and control. The energy transmission in the power grid is undergoing a significant change for a wide scale connection of decentralised renewable energy resources, energy storage and an increase demand for e.g. electrical vehicles.

Support for power grid operation

The project will develop solutions and groundwork for grid operation and surveillance in real time of substations equipped with digital measurement techniques. The main task is to ensure the timing of events in the power grids. The task is to provide methods for measurements and calibrations, proposals for new metrology infrastructure and propose and contribute to the revision of standards for equipment in digital substations in cooperation with international standardization organisations e.g., IEC.

A stable and reliable power grid

The results from the project will be implemented by power grid operators e.g., SvK - Svenska Kraftnät responsible for power distribution in Sweden. The project will provide new standardized solutions for the transition from old analogue measurement techniques to control in new digital instruments, thereby contributing to a stable and reliable power grid and fair trade of electrical power. 

Objective

The overall goal of this project is to develop the metrology infrastructure for the traceable measurement and calibration of digital substation instrumentation.

Acknowledgements

This research was performed within the project 21NRM02 (Metrology for digital substation instrumentation). The project 21NRM02 received funding from the EPM programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Partnership on Metrology research funding programme.