Description of the FNET system
The big power outage
in the north-eastern United States in 2003, provided plenty of incentive for
studying how disturbances in the power grid propagate. A real-time network of
monitoring instruments tied to a central server would provide a mechanism for
studying the power grid and potentially a new means for controlling fluctuations in
the grid to prevent wide area outages.
The objective of the FNET system is to create a low cost and quickly deployable
wide-area frequency measurement network with high dynamic accuracy. This
objective is realized through the use of Frequency Disturbance Recorders
(FDRs). Each FDR is capable of accurately measuring the frequency of the
voltage waveform at a 110 V outlet. A timestamp from the atomic clocks
available in GPS satellites is used to synchronize the measured data which is sent across the
internet to the central FNET server housed at Virginia Tech. The server saves
the incoming frequency measurements and performs real-time analysis on the
data.
An example mock-up of possible installations can be seen below. Units can be moved from time to
time depending on need and for specific research purposes. Different strategies
from analyzing wide network phenomenon to high density deployment govern FDR
placement. You may be reading this page because you have been asked to install
an FDR unit at your geographic location. Clicking on the various menu tabs will
show you other aspects of FNET, and assure you of the ease of
installation.
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