Placement of PMUs with channel limits

Synchronized phasor measurements are changing the way power systems are monitored and operated. Their efficient incorporation into various applications which are executed in energy management control centers, require strategic placement of these devices. Earlier studies which consider placement of PMUs to be used for state estimation, assume that these devices will have unlimited channel capacities to record as many phase voltages and currents as needed. However, all existing PMUs come with a limited number of channels and their costs vary accordingly. In this study, a revised formulation of the placement problem and its associated solution algorithm will be presented. Examples will be used to illustrate the impact of having limited number of channels on the location and number of required PMUs to make the system observable. Developed methods will take into account existing injections measurements, in particular the virtual measurements such as zero injections that are available at no cost at electrically passive buses.