USA: A grid-monitoring technology developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been licensed to Virginia-based software company Simple Thread and is being prepared for utility deployment under the name Aion Pulse.
The software automatically evaluates how large generators respond to grid disturbances, replacing manual review of individual events with standardised performance assessments. It is based on PNNL’s Generator Scorecard, developed with US Department of Energy funding and validated through field demonstrations coordinated by Bonneville Power Administration.
Aion Pulse analyses three areas of generator performance: frequency response, voltage response and voltage schedule tracking. The system uses time-synchronised measurements from phasor measurement units to detect disturbances and identify generators requiring further investigation.
PNNL has also expanded the technology to analyse very fast generator responses occurring within approximately eight seconds of a disturbance, compared with the original analysis window of around 50 seconds.
A version compatible with SCADA measurements has also been developed, extending potential use to utilities without extensive PMU coverage.
The technology is now transitioning from a research prototype to a commercially supported platform, with Simple Thread responsible for bringing it into utility operations.
Source: PNNL
