A method used to distribute highly precise timing and frequency reference signals between distant locations. Grid operators rely on this synchronization to measure phase angles accurately across vast transmission networks. It ensures that data from phasor measurement units align perfectly for stability analysis and fault location.
Heard on the job
We lost the GPS signal at the substation, so the time and frequency transfer to the local relays is drifting.
Related terms
SCADA
Supervisory control and data acquisition: the system that lets a control room watch and switch remote plant.
Phase
A single distinct oscillating voltage or current in a multi-conductor electrical system.
Protection relay
Device that watches currents and voltages and orders a circuit breaker to trip when it detects a fault.