Low-cost implementation and characterization of an active phasor data concentrator

The main components of an advanced measurement system based on synchrophasor technology for the monitoring of power systems are the phasor measurement unit (PMU), which represents the ‘sensor’, and the phasor data concentrator (PDC), which collects the data forwarded by PMUs installed on the field. For the purpose of extending the benefit of synchrophasor technology from transmission grids to distribution networks, different projects are seeking to use low-cost platforms to design devices with PMU functionalities. In this perspective, in order to achieve a complete synchrophasor-based measurement architecture based on low-cost technologies, this work presents a PDC design based on a low-cost platform. Despite the simplicity of the considered hardware, advanced PDC functionalities and innovative control logics are implemented in the prototype. The proposed device is characterised by several experimental tests aimed at assessing its performance in terms of both time synchronisation and capability of managing several PMU data streams. The feasibility of some additional functionalities and control logics is evaluated in the context of different possible scenarios.