A Testbed for the Experimental Characterization of Estimation Algorithms for Phasor Measurement Units

The proliferation of estimation algorithms for Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) makes performance analysis and comparison between different techniques a challenging task. This paper presents a testbed conceived to perform a flexible and accurate characterization of different estimation algorithms in various testing conditions reported in the IEEE Standard C37.118.1-2011 and its Amendment C37.118.1a-2014 while including additional uncertainty contributions, such as those due to measurement transducers, data acquisition and synchronization modules, which can be hardly considered in simulations. The testbed relies on a Fluke calibrator 6135A/PMUCAL and a PXI system equipped with data acquisition boards, a synchronization module, voltage and current transducers and a Virtual Instrument (VI) developed in LabVIEW. The testbed is remotely controlled and automated through Ethernet and GPIB interfaces. Different estimation algorithms can be easily included as dynamic link libraries (DLL) and replaced in the LabVIEW application by using a common function wrapper. The structure of the proposed testbed is particularly useful in development and prototyping stages.