RealTime GIC Simulator

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Real-Time GIC Simulator D. H. BOTELER, L.
TRICHTCHENKO, J. PARMELEE, S. SOUKSALY
Geomagnetic Laboratory, Natural Resources
Canada R. PIRJOLA Space Research, Finnish
Meteorological Institute L. MARTI Investment
Planning Division, Hydro One
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OBJECTIVES

• Provide information to power system operators

gt to help them manage the power system during
geomagnetic disturbances
gt to prevent equipment damage (transformer
overheating)
gt and system failures (power blackouts)
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USER
HYDRO ONE Operator of the Power Transmission
Network in the Province of Ontario

• 640,000 square km region
• 28,600 km grid 500, 230, 135 kV
• 520,000 transformers
• 25,000 MW peak power

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USER
NEEDS

• Keep Ontario supplied with power

• Protect against natural disasters lightning,
  ice storm, earthquakes, magnetic storms

• Know when GIC are building up in the system

• Alert power system operators to hazardous GIC
  levels

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USER SATISFACTION

• Pleased with displays
• Engineers using system to monitor GIC during
  storms
• Want more verification of system before putting
  in control centre
• Installing GIC sensors at some sites

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SUSTAINABILITY

• Ongoing operation supported by Geomagnetic Lab.
  part of Canadian Space Weather Forecast
  Service extra effort nil, incremental cost
  zero

• Further development of the system is being
  funded though Natural Resources Canada
  Energy Infrastructure Protection Division

• Final system will be transferred to Hydro One
  to operate on the main control centre computers.
  We provide feed of real-time geomagnetic data

• Future Funding options
• 1) paid service 2) government funded

option (2) is most likely - energy protection
is critical to the health and safety of the
public.
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IMPROVEMENTS (1)

• Include GIC Measurements in Simulation -
  overdetermined solution - need best fit
• - change matrix solution to use Singular
  Value Decomposition

• Add more magnetic field measuring sites -
  non-uniform magnetic source fields

• Further develop modelling of geo-electric
  fields - 2D/3D ground conductivity structure

• Transition to Control Centre computers -
  allows automatic updates of system configuration

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IMPROVEMENTS (2)

• Operating the Services in a Network?

User - only accessing one specific
service
Supplier - only using local inputs
- only delivering to one specific client

• Improved upstream data provision?

Add more magnetic field measuring sites
- use research-funded satellite links
- paying full cost for links would make
service unsustainable.
- could be done at lower cost with
Internet connections