FROM THE EDITOR

A Bright Future

Power technology in 2008
Mel Olken

 
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Many of our issues are theme centered with most, though not necessarily all, of the feature articles devoted to the selected theme. This practice, reaffirmed by our Editorial Board, allows us to focus on subjects of great and/or timely interest to our readers, to select acknowledged experts in the theme's technology as well as to have the ability to offer these themes to advertisers (returning and potential), enabling them to target specific messages to interested readers. However, this issue, and the one to follow, does not comply to this policy and are more eclectic in nature, providing an avenue for multiple subjects of interest. As you will note from the feature article descriptions that follow, the issue is related to major challenges within the power grid and contains articles and authors from Europe, Canada, and the United States.

To those interested in the themes that will be featured in the remaining 2008 issues, I offer them below, though with editorial poetic license:

  • March/April: T&D conference related
  • May/June: microgrids
  • July/August: hydro power worldwide revisited
  • September/October: WAMS and power system reliability
  • November/December: energy efficiency.

In This Issue

A number of factors are ensuring that cascading outages are becoming more prevalent. AC-based technology capable of minimizing cascading can be developed and used to ensure security. Such strategy will require great expenses for equipment and very complex systems, most of which are yet to be developed. Also, installing ac ties and devices will add to the complexities of grid operations and dynamics that are the core of over reliability. The article "Softening the Blow of Disturbances," by Clark, Edris, El-Gasseir, Epp, Isaacs, and Woodford proposes segmenting a large ac interconnection into a set of asynchronously operated dc-interconnected sectors (networks). They make the case for decomposing a large interregional grid into a set of asynchronously operated and dc-interconnected sectors that will result in minimizing cascading outages and increasing intersector power transfer capability.

The Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE) is France's transmission system operator (TSO). It was created in 2000, and at that time RTE's chief executive officer decided to set up a special entity, the System Reliability Audit Mission, independent of the operational units of RTE, which reports directly to him. This entity is specifically entrusted with ensuring that the "reliability" issue is taken into account. The article "Mission: Reliability" by Tesseron presents the experience derived by a TSO after six years of public reporting and specific auditing on operating reliability. The details of the reliability audits are reviewed in detail and provide a background for such activities in other areas of the world. The success of the approach is based on a precise methodology of risk assessment (in particular for the identification of the reliability audit plan), and on a clear and explicit engagement directed by the System Reliability Audit Mission as well as on a relationship of confidence between auditors and operations personnel. Though limited to France at present, the methodology will, in time, have to be applied at the European level, a task that may require intense effort as well as time.

Today's power systems are complex and all too often forced to operate far too close to their limits. In the article "Dawn of the Grid Synchronization," authors Novosel, Madani, Bhargava, Vu, and Cole present the rationale for application of wide-area systems to manage reliability and security. Synchronized measurements are now at a stage where they can provide support for wide-area monitoring, protection, and control. This article reviews major existing and potential applications and describes benefits for individual users and in improving overall grid reliability. Some recommendations include near-, mid-, and long-term development and deployment road maps and a process to transition the technology to full commercial application. Findings described in the article might serve as a base for deployment of individual road maps by the users and could offer guidance to vendors to assist their development to support the grid revitalization and reliability. Well-planned, system-wide synchronized measurement deployment infrastructure is necessary to take a full advantage of the technology. It requires many organizations to facilitate required data exchange.

The article that follows, "First Steps to Wide Area Control," by Atanackovic, Clapauch, Dwernychuk, Gurney, and Lee, provides a description of an operating system that has incorporated phasor measurements into key control center applications to enable the operation of a more reliable, secure, and efficient power system and for making informed decisions with respect to scheduling transmission capacity and reacting to specific conditions. Among the most critical aspects of power system operation is the ability to understand the operating state of the power system in order to make informed decisions with respect to scheduling transmission capacity and responding to contingencies. To that end, the Canadian utilities British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) and British Columbia Hydro (BC Hydro) have incorporated. The key is the application of synchronized phasor measurements for system monitoring and control that is being applied in increasing use within the power industry. In their article, the authors review the history and background of the BCTC/BC Hydro phasor network and its implications and the insertion of phasor measurements into the state estimator. They also review implementation of the project as well as operating experience. Included is a glimpse into the future where it is projected that the system will include digital relays that will greatly enhance the wide area measurement system as well as the exchange phasor measurements with other utilities in the WECC grid for integration to EMS applications.

The emergence of supercapacitors operating in conjunction with fuel cells appears to be a very promising development as a hybrid power source for automotive power generation. So say authors Thounthong, Davat, and Raël in the article "Drive Friendly." They offer a primer in fuel cell technology and in its limitations. That is followed by similar treatment of the developing supercapacitor technology and the merging of these devices to produce a batteryless power source which offers the promises of great advantages for the future of the hybrid automobile.

Power of the Future and the Past

Associate Editor Gerry Sheblé has taken out his crystal ball and offers a look at the opportunities that exist in today's environment to invest in the solution to our energy future. His profound and whimsical offering in "The Business Scene," "Smart Grid Millionaire" takes us through the myriad of possibilities and debunks most of the claims as a product of flawed analysis and hopeful assumptions. This column is required reading for all interested in investment opportunities related to energy biz who do want to become millionaires.

Until 2006, 25-Hz ac power had been in service in the western areas of New York State for over 100 years. Tom Blalock, a frequent and most welcome history column contributor, and Craig Woodworth are the authors of this issue's "History" column, the first of a two-part presentation on this subject. Associate Editor Carl Sulzberger has once again used his talents to work with the authors and produce an interesting piece, albeit with some sense of mystery. Our column delves into the story of hydroelectric development in the Niagara Falls area the late 19th and early 20th centuries and paints a vivid picture of that era.

Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions are certainly on center stage in the United States. In our "In My View" column, Quin Shea, the executive director, Environment, at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the organization that represents investor-owned electric utilities in the United States, reviews the status of developing advanced coal technology plants to address both air and greenhouse gas emissions. He presents the status of some systems under development: integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), circulating fluidized bed (CFB), supercritical pulverized coal, and carbon capture and storage. Mr. Shea also discusses the formation of a recent EEI entity, the Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE). This group will work closely with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to determine how utilities and customers can best direct technology towards the efficient use of energy.