Design of management dashboard (smart electric grids)

Management of Smart Electricity Grids

A dashboard to monitor and control power in a way of the future.

Final Year Design Project by: Jatin Pherwani (Final Year B.Des)
Guided by Prof. Pradeep Yammiyavar (Head, CET, IIT Guwahati)

Aim : this project is to allow efficient management of smart electricity grids.

distributed generation

smart grids

=

efficient distribution

intelligent
secure

Problem ?
How do we know what occurs within the grid ?
Answers lie in the Data Visualizations of an immense amount of data
produced by an established network of information in the electricity grids.

1. Design of Dynamic Infographs

What do we do once the events in a grid are visible ?

We take decisions and actions to make sure the grid remains healthy
and those bulbs in each of our homes keep shining.

2. Design of Dashboard

Objectives
• To study the smart electricity grid phenomena holistically.
• Perform a thorough need analysis at the management end of the grid network
• Visualize the data generated from the use of smart grid (by making comprehensible dynamic info graphs)
• Design a wholesome dashboard which can assist easy and quick decision making.
• Test the proposed concept with the users in their work environment.
• Explore new visualization mediums to depict the same information.

Methodology
1. Background Study and Secondary research
1.1 Literature Review
1.2 Subject Matter Expert (SME) interviews

3. Design
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4

Data gathering / analysis
Ideate visualizations
Prototype concepts
Wireframe dashboard structure.

2. User requirement analysis
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5

Workstation observations
Contextual Interviews
Task analysis and Card sorting
User personas
Use case scenarios

4. Evaluate
3.1 System Usability Scale
3.2 Eye Tracking
3.3 Task Performance Analysis

SME Interviews
1. Assistant professor (Dr.) Praveen Kumar at the Dept. of
Electrical Engineering IIT Guwahati. Many observations were
made, a few proved to be very insightful in the further design.

2. Mr. H.C. Phukan, Chief General Manager at the
State Load Dispatch Center(SLDC), Kahilipara Assam.

Workstation Observations
The field visits covered observation sessions at the users actual workplace, in our case being the State Load Dispatch
center, Kahilipara in Guwahati, Assam. The center is one of the 18 present in the entire nation and is responsible for all
electricity transmission, distribution and electric grid related regulations of the North-East Grid, one of the 5 major grids
of the country.

Contextual Interviews
Mr. Jatinder Baishya is the Assistant General Manager at
the Load Dispatch division in SLDC Assam. Other than
holding a bachelors degree in electrical engineering, he
has had a 3 month training for handling SCADA systems
used in huge electrical networks. Most of his days at the
office are busy, however he agreed to give us a couple
of appointments to discuss the his role in the
management of the electricity grids in the state.

Present Visualizations and Dashboards
Line Diagrams : These are reduced versions of the electricity
grid’s physical components like transmission lines,
transformers, substations and power stations. All information is
mediated by SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)

Import – Export Power Tables : The column charts depict the
state of generation and supply of power to various end points.

Present Visualizations and Dashboards
Frequency Regulation : The grid at any point has a specific
frequency at which the power is being generated and injected
into it. This is the average of generating frequencies of all the
power stations in the grid.

Data Charts and Archives : The power distribution authorities
have a set of protocols, which every grid managing organization
must follow.

A few Consolidated Insights.
Abstraction of Line diagrams : Looking at so much of coded
information, taking a decisions in a quick glance is difficult
for the engineers. The overlapping of lines and excess chart
junk present in these diagrams, increase the cognitive
workload of the users resulting in errors and taking more
time to act on a situation.
Visualizing the Input Output Table : The scheduling of load
dispatch occurs viewing at this table, certainly it can help in a
better decision making, if backed with a comprehensive
visualization.
Monitoring Frequency at power station Levels : Where the
overall state of a grid is represented by the average frequency,
at generation levels it has huge variations which may be
depicted by visualizations.

Instant Scheduling and load shedding : Allowing engineers and
managers to schedule loads for coming time and force load
shedding when required.
Integrated Communication system for smooth operations : An instant
communication system between the RLDCs, NLDCs and substations
shall keep everyone on the same table.

Inclusion of archives and protocols often used : All decisions
pertaining to load shedding and scheduling are supported by written
documents and protocols which are often referred. Also used are
previous archives of grid behavior and short term load forecasting
(STLF) files.

Insights from Task Analysis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Monitor bilateral power supply agreement.
Scheduling for Merit Order Dispatch.
Restoration procedure planning and implementation.
Coordination with RLDC and other constituents
Maintaining system frequency in 49.0Hz to 50.5Hz.
Regulating Generation Load Balance.
Schedule for Central Sector Drawl & Regulate it.
Load Shedding implementation.
Send notices to substations and public
Demand Estimation for operational purpose.
Unscheduled Interchangeability Rate.
.

Schedule
Scheduling for Merit Order Dispatch.
Regulating Generation Load Balance.
Schedule for Central Sector Drawl & Regulate it.
Load Shedding implementation.

Archiving and Referral
Restoration procedure planning and implementation.
Monitor bilateral power supply agreement.
Demand Estimation for operational purpose.

Monitor

Maintaining system frequency in 49.0Hz to 50.5Hz.
Unscheduled Interchangeability Rate

Communicate
Coordination with RLDC and other constituents
Send notices to substations and public

Use Case scenario
Looking at the system status.

Notices exception in power consumption

Look at the Archives

Load Shed

Allot more power

Acknowledgements
I express my sincere gratitude to the following people and authorities for their
cooperation in my project’s field study and expert consultation.
• Assistant professor (Dr.) Praveen Kumar (Dept. of Electrical Engineering IIT
Guwahati).
• The Assam State Electricity Board ASEB substation (IIT Gate).
• Engineers at State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), Assam.
• Mr. H.C. Phukan, Chief General Manager(SLDC) Mr. Jatinder Baishya,
Assistant General Manager(LDC)
• Mr. Abhishek Singh, my classmate for his help in prototyping

References
• U.S. Department of Energy. "Smart Grid / Department of Energy". Retrieved August 20, 2013.
• Jump up "Smart Grids European Technology Platform | www.smartgrids.eu". smartgrids.eu. 2011 [last update]≤.
Retrieved August 11, 2013.
• Visualizing the Electric Grid BY THOMAS J . OVERBYE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign & JAMES D.
WEBER PowerWorld Corp.
• Smart Grid Analytics Aaron DeYonker VP of Products @ eMeter, a Siemens Business
• LiveData SmartGrid Manager report Exploring the imperative of revitalizing America’s electric infrastructure. (prepared
for the U.S. Department of Energy by Litos Strategic Communication under contract No. DE-AC26-04NT41817, Subtask
560.01.04)
• Visualizing Energy Resources Dynamically on Earth Arjun Shankar1, PhD John Stovall2, Steve Fernandez1, Rangan
Sukumar1, Alex Sorokine1, and Femi Omitaomu1 1Computational Sciences; 2Energy Sciences Oak Ridge National
Laboratory

Design of management dashboard (smart electric grids)

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