New capability shields grid from solar storms
WAPA has developed a GIC-monitoring system to alert system operators, gather data ahead of and during GMD events.
Image for illustration purposes
USA, Washington D.C.: WAPA has developed a GIC-monitoring system to alert system operators, gather data ahead of and during GMD events.
Scientists call it “Solar Cycle 25” and WAPA is getting ready for it. According to a recent NASA press release, researchers believe that the sun passed its cyclical minimum of solar activity in December 2019, and a new period of potential solar outbursts has begun. Space weather, predominantly affected by varying solar activity, such as solar flares, can have dramatic impacts on Earth, including on the electrical transmission system.
Space weather events can cause geomagnetic disturbances, or GMDs, in the Earth’s magnetic field that induce electric currents in grounded transmission equipment. These geomagnetically induced currents, or GICs, can cause physical damage to transformers and protection systems, as well as stress the transmission system’s ability to compensate for abnormal, widespread voltage dips that can compromise electrical service delivery to customers.
“GMD is a tough scientific and engineering challenge,” said Electrical Engineer Chris Colson. “Solar storms are impossible for earthlings to predict, but we have observed the sun’s ability to disrupt our modern electric power system, most significantly during the October 2003 ‘dark Halloween’ solar storm, and earlier during the March 1989 ‘Quebec blackout’ event.”
In both cases, tens of thousands of customers lost power and millions of dollars’ worth of equipment was damaged. Major solar storms, referred to as Carrington-level events after a record-setting 1859 geomagnetic disturbance, occur regularly.
By partnering with the Electric Power Research Institute’s SUNBURST program, which collects diverse GMD-related data across the U.S., WAPA is contributing to a body of industry data that can help scientists model GICs, forecast when they will happen and develop ways to protect the grid.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center uses observations from geostationary satellites along with complex mathematical models to develop short-term forecasts of geomagnetic effects on Earth, similar to the way in which terrestrial weather forecasts are made.
The scientific research that SUNBURST has contributed has helped utilities better understand the nature of geomagnetically-induced impacts to the power system and employ the SWPC forecasts to prepare for solar storms.
“While the electric power industry has known about GMD effects for decades, only recently have high-fidelity tools become available that allow us to simulate and assess the effects on the interconnected transmission system,” said Colson. “These tools along with real-time monitoring give us on Earth a fighting chance to protect the integrity of the power system during solar storms.”
Because of the potential damage that can be caused by these currents and the persistent risk that UGP faces, WAPA has developed a GIC-monitoring system to alert system operators and gather data ahead of and during GMD events.
Source: T&D World