IEEE/NIST Timing Challenges in the Smart Grid Workshop

On October 26, NIST will host the IEEE-SA/NIST Timing Challenges in the Smart Grid Workshop. The result of the workshop is to enable stakeholders to delve further into their issues in wide area precision clock synchronization in current and future power systems, and to collaborate in prioritizing key research and standards activities. A NIST report summarizing the challenges of wide area clock synchronization and potential solutions will be drafted.

Background

Dynamic distributed measurement and control systems are time sensitive. In distributed control where scheduling of resources, seamlessly orchestrated coordination, and hard deadlines; must be met, measurement data, state estimators and control commands are temporally valid for a specific, sometimes brief, duration. In order to provide the common time reference for correct temporal behavior, all systems must be synchronized to a traceable time and frequency source.

In the North American power grid, where each interconnection stretches over a large spatial expanse, achieving correct timing can be challenging. Timing needs include one microsecond synchronization to a traceable time and frequency reference for data fusion. Issues include, but are not limited to, GPS and communication infrastructure as well as concerns for reliability and resilience; if a reference source becomes unavailable.

Workshop Objectives

To clearly identify and analyze the practical challenges that are currently being experienced in wide area time synchronization in current measurement and control deployments as well as timing-related barriers that prevent the power industry from realizing future measurement and control technologies. Workshop organizers plan to initiate discussion on potential solutions and evaluate the need for standard and metrology enhancements.

Networking Social Hour

IEEE-SA will be sponsoring a networking social hour following the workshop at the Gaithersburg Hilton.

Workshop Steering Committee

Workshop Chair: Doug Arnold (IEEE 1588 WG Co-Chair)

Program Committee

• Cuong.Ngyuen [at] nist.gov (Cuong Nguyen) (Cyber-Physical Systems / Smart Grid Program Office, NIST)
• Ravi Subramaniam (IEEE Standards Association)
• Jason Allnut (IEEE Standards Association)
• Rudi Schubert (IEEE Standards Association)
• Ya-Shian Li-Baboud (Precision Timing in Smart Grid, NIST)

Technical Program Committee

• Dhananjay Anand (Precision Timing in Smart Grid, NIST)
• Allen Goldstein (Synchrometrology Lab, NIST)
• Aaron Martin (IEEE 1588™ Power Profile CASC, BPA)
• Bob Noseworthy (IEEE 1588™ Power Profile Interoperability Lab, UNH)