Nicosia: The KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence at the University of Cyprus is spearheading a new research project called ‘GridGnosis: Real Time Monitoring of Power Systems for Enhanced Stability’, funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus. The project aims to create a comprehensive solution for monitoring and protecting power systems to improve their resilience, integrity, and security.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the GridGnosis project focuses on real-time and precise monitoring of grid operating conditions and variable parameters, which are essential for maintaining the security and reliability of power systems. This monitoring not only enhances the situational awareness of power system operators but also ensures the grid’s resilience and stability by allowing remote adjustments to protection schemes.
Timely information regarding the type and location of faults in the power system is crucial for quick grid restoration. Such monitoring and protection features are increasingly important in modern power systems that are vulnerable to large disturbances due to operation near physical limits and the high penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), which reduce system inertia.
The GridGnosis initiative will develop a platform to integrate advanced monitoring methodologies for accurately estimating system states, line parameters, and system inertia. It will also include adaptive protection and coordination schemes to enhance the reliability of line distance and underfrequency protection relays. Fault diagnosis schemes will be developed to automatically locate and classify short circuit faults for rapid grid restoration.
All methodologies in the GridGnosis platform will rely on measurements from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) installed in the Cyprus transmission system. The platform’s effectiveness will be validated and demonstrated in an operational environment using real-time PMU measurements from the Cyprus power system. The KIOS CoE will lead the development of PMU-based methodologies and play a key role in integrating these into the GridGnosis platform.
The results of GridGnosis will directly address the current and future challenges faced by power system operators. Applying the GridGnosis platform to the Cyprus power system will enhance system stability and promote uninterrupted energy supply to end users, impacting the economic sustainability of Cypriot citizens. Additionally, the project will enable higher RES penetration reliably, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and bringing positive socio-economic impacts to the quality of life in Cyprus.