Novel Multi-Stage Phasor Measurement Unit Placement on Critical Buses with Observability Assessment

Phasor measurement units (PMUs) provide synchronized measurements to enhance power system monitoring, strategically placed to achieve full network observability with minimal cost. In this paper, the PMU placement problem for critical buses is addressed using integer linear programming, taking into account both PMU contingencies and the impact of zero-injection buses. The primary contribution is the development of a multi-stage approach to place PMUs on critical buses. Moreover, it is demonstrated that considering PMU contingencies inherently accounts for line contingencies. Furthermore, a new performance metric, the Bus Coverage Index (BCI), is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of the placement strategy. This index overcomes the limitations of existing indices, such as the Sum of Redundancy Index (SORI) and Bus Observability Index (BOI). The results are tested on various IEEE benchmark systems under four different cases, showing significantly improved results in terms of network observability and minimized number of PMUs. In Case 1, SORI values improved significantly for the IEEE 7 and IEEE 118 bus systems, while in Case 2, enhancements were observed in the IEEE 30 and IEEE 118 systems. Case 3 demonstrated consistency in results across systems. Notably, in Case 4, the number of required PMUs was reduced in the IEEE 30, IEEE 57, IEEE 118, and New England 39 bus systems, with complete network observability.