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McEachern, Alex

Publications and source records attributed to McEachern, Alex.

6 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Measurements for Resilient Integration of Inverter-Based Resources: PROGRESS MATRIX Final Report

As nearly every aspect of the electric power grid undergoes rapid change, measurement technologies that support grid operation and planning must evolve as well. The rapid large-scale deployment of inverter-based resources (IBRs) vital to achieving the nation’s clean energy goals has in some cases led to negative impacts on the reliability and security of the bulk power system (BPS). Advanced power system measurements, including synchronized phasor and waveform measurements, are key to making IBR integration secure and reliable. To this end, the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the PROGRESS MATRIX project to develop advanced measurement capabilities and analytics that will accelerate adoption of IBRs while improving the reliability and resilience of the BPS. This report discusses the outcomes of the project, which was a joint effort between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). In the project’s first year, PNNL, NREL, and ORNL partnered with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) to understand their existing measurement capabilities and the gaps limiting deployment of IBR-focused measurement systems and analytics. The other primary activity in the first year was deployment of GridSweep instruments, which provide unprecedented precision in waveform measurement while probing distribution systems. The instruments were deployed at Dominion Energy and the University of California, Riverside. In the project’s second year, the input from partner utilities and collected measurements were used to advance measurement capabilities. Twelve analytical methods spanning disturbance analysis, power plant evaluation, feeder evaluation, and modeling were developed. Two software tools were developed, one to analyze GridSweep measurements and another to automatically evaluate the control performance of power plants connected to the BPS. Testbeds at ORNL and NREL were augmented to better enable studies of IBR integration. The project culminated in demonstrations of these analytical methods, software tools, and testbeds, both in the field and in the laboratory. This report discusses these various accomplishments and documents the significant progress in developing advanced measurement capabilities to support the secure, reliable, and accelerated adoption of IBRs in the BPS.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

GridSweep Processing and Graphing Software v1.0

This software is used to process the raw data from the GridSweep instrument, a device developed under subcontract by McEachern Laboroatories for a DOE GMLC project. The software scrubbs, demodulates, and transforms point on wave voltage timeseries data into frequency/voltage amplitude/time data. It also has a GUI that allows for user selection of processed experimental data and graphing in heatmaps or 3-D plots. It was created alongside the GridSweep instrument as a part of the same project and is required to be open-source.

McEachern, Alex↗
DOE OSTI2019

Learning Behavior of Distribution System Discrete Control Devices for Cyber-Physical Security

Conventional cyber-security intrusion detection systems monitor network traffic for malicious activity and indications that an adversary has gained access to the system. The approach discussed here expands the idea of a traditional intrusion detection system within electrical power systems, specifically power distribution networks, by monitoring the physical behavior of the grid. This is achieved through the use of high-rate distribution Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), alongside SCADA packets analysis, for the purpose of monitoring the behavior of discrete control devices. In this work we present a set of algorithms for passively learning the control logic of voltage regulators and switched capacitor banks. Upon detection of an abnormal operation, the operator is alerted and further action can be taken. Finally, the proposed learning algorithms are validated on both simulated data and on measured PMU data from a utility pilot deployment site.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Anomaly Detection Using Optimally-Placed μPMU Sensors in Distribution Grids

IEEE As the distribution grid moves toward a tightly-monitored network, it is important to automate the analysis of the enormous amount of data produced by the sensors to increase the operators situational awareness about the system. Here, focusing on Micro-Phasor Measurement Unit (μPMU) data, we propose a hierarchical architecture for monitoring the grid and establish a set of analytics and sensor fusion primitives for the detection of abnormal behavior in the control perimeter. And due to the key role of the μPMU devices in our architecture, a source-constrained optimal μPMU placement is also described that finds the best location of the devices with respect to our rules. The effectiveness of the proposed methods are tested through the synthetic and real μPMU data.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2010

Toward the Holy Grail of Perfect Information: Lessons Learned Implementing an Energy Information System in a Commercial Building

Energy information systems (real-time acquisition, analysis, and presentation of information from energy end-uses) in commercial buildings have demonstrated value as tools for improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort. These improvements include characterization through benchmarking, identification of retrofit opportunities, anomaly detection to inform retro-commissioning, and feedback to occupants to encourage shifts in behavior. Energy information systems can play a vital role in achieving a variety of ambitious sustainability goals for the existing stock of commercial buildings, but their implementation is often fraught with pitfalls. In this paper, we present a case study of an EIS and sub-metering project executed in a representative commercial office building. We describe the building, highlight a few of its problems, and detail the hardware and software technologies we employed to address them. We summarize the difficulties encountered and lessons learned, and suggest general guidelines for future EIS projects to improve performance and save energy in the commercial building fleet. These guidelines include measurement criteria, monitoring strategies, and analysis methods. In particular, we propose processes for: - Defining project goals, - Selecting end-use targets and depth of metering, - Selecting contractors and software vendors, - Installing and networking measurement devices, - Commissioning and using the energy information system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗