A Wide Area Network for Data Acquisition and Real-time Control of the Cameroon Power System

Abstract

As part of the on-going deregulation of the electricity sector in Cameroon, the Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) is exploring the application of Information Technology as support systems to power system operation. Such IT-based corporate business strategies have the twin-objective of quality enhancement and cost reduction. Both power and service qualities are enhanced while both the operation and maintenance costs are reduced. This is the context of, and motivation for, the research project described in this paper. The project involves the development of a Wide Area Monitoring System which can significantly improve grid utilization during phases of peak transmission demand while enabling the detection of critical factors influencing network stability. The monitoring applications also significantly reduce investment cost for utilities while safeguarding high levels of dynamic grid loading and availability. The integration of mobile agents, data acquisition systems and high performance communication networks endows the system with an adaptive protection capability as well as real-time automatic power restoration procedures.