Validation of power system models for power flow and dynamic studies is very important for ensuring that these models are accurate and up to date. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) MOD 026/027 Reliability Standard that requires verification of excitation and governor models with effective date on July 1st 2014.
Disturbance recordings, especially phasor measurement unit (PMU) measurements, are very helpful for dynamic model verification. Model validation based on synchrophasor measurements is acceptable way to meet the standard. PNNL, Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) Joint Synchronized Information Subcommittee (JSIS), North American Synchrophasor Initiative (NASPI), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) collaborate on the common goals to deliver to the industry applications for power system analysis based on synchrophasor measurements.
One of the applications developed by PNNL is the Power Plant Model Validation (PPMV) tool. The PPMV is used to validate generator model using disturbance recordings. The PPMV tool contains a collection of power plant models and model validation studies, as well as disturbance recordings from a number of historic grid events. The user can import data from a new disturbance into the database, which converts PMU and SCADA data into GE PSLF format, and then run the tool to validate (or invalidate) the model for a specific power plant against its actual performance.