Distributed Widely Linear Frequency Estimation in Unbalanced Three Phase Power Systems

A novel method for distributed estimation of the frequency of power systems is introduced based on the cooperation between multiple measurement nodes. The proposed distributed widely linear complex Kalman filter (D-ACKF) and the distributed widely linear extended complex Kalman filter (D-AECKF) employ a widely linear state space and augmented complex statistics to deal with unbalanced system conditions and the generality complex signals, both second order circular (proper) and second order noncircular (improper). It is shown that the current, strictly linear, estimators are inadequate for unbalanced systems, a typical case in smart grids, as they do not account for either the noncircularity of Clarke’s αβ voltage in unbalanced conditions or the correlated nature of nodal disturbances. We illuminate the relationship between the degree of circularity of Clarke’s voltage and system imbalance, and prove that the proposed widely linear estimators are optimal for such conditions, while also accounting for the correlated and noncircular nature of real-world nodal disturbances. Synthetic and real world case studies over a range of power system conditions illustrate the theoretical and practical advantages of the proposed methodology.