Publications Details

PDCI Damping Controller Test Results and Project Summary

Schoenwald, David A.; Pierre, Brian J.; Wilches Bernal, Felipe; Elliott, Ryan T.; Byrne, Raymond H.; Neely, Jason C.; Trudnowski, Daniel J.

This report presents the results from testing of the Pacific DC Intertie (PDCI) wide-area damping controller (DCON) on the actual electric power grid in the western region of North America known as the Western Interconnection (WI). In addition, this report summarizes the key contributions and development strategy of the DCON. Therefore, this report also serves as the final report for the DCON project, which is known as TIP (Technology Innovation Project) no. 289. The purpose of the DCON is to mitigate inter-area oscillations in the WI by active improvement of oscillatory mode damping using phasor measurement unit (PMU) feedback to modulate power flow in the PDCI. This report describes the tests conducted, analysis of the results, and conclusions drawn as to the performance and safety of the DCON in the improvement of damping for inter-area oscillations in the WI. The DCON is the result of a collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Montana Technological University (MTU), and the Department of Energy Office of Electricity (DOE-OE).