Online In-Situ Estimation of Network Parameters Under Intermittent Excitation Conditions

Abstract

Online in-situ estimation of network parameters is potential tool to evaluate electrical network and conductor health. The integration of the physics-based models with stochastic models can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information. Correct diagnoses and prognoses using the model-based techniques therefore depend on accurate estimations of the physical parameters. As artificial excitation of the modeled dynamics is not always possible for in-situ applications, the information necessary to make accurate estimations can be intermittent over time. Continuous online estimation and tracking of physics-based parameters using recursive least-squares with directional forgetting is proposed to account for the intermittency in the excitation. This method makes optimal use of the available information while still allowing the solution to following time-varying parameter changes. Computationally efficient statistical inference measures are also provided to gauge the confidence of each parameter estimate. Additionally, identification requirements of the methods and multiple network and conductor models are determined. Finally, the method is shown to be effective in estimating and tracking parameter changes in both the DC and AC networks as well as both time and frequency domain models.