The electrical distribution network is continuously evolving, aided by the development of increasingly advanced management and control systems that maximize the presence of distributed generation and renewable energy sources, while ensuring appropriate standards of reliability, safety, and service quality. To ensure proper management and control of these networks, multiple measures are necessary. However, distribution networks are characterized by a limited number of measurements provided by devices installed at critical points in the network.

Against this backdrop, the research described in this document aims to develop the software tools needed to improve the observability of the distribution network through the use of measurements obtained from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). Specifically, the work involves developing methods for network state estimation, network parameter estimation, islanding detection, topological reconstruction, and optimal PMU placement.

Methods for network state estimation based on synchrophasor measurements have been developed and validated in a simulation environment. The nature of these measurements and the ability to use Cartesian quantities allow for the rewriting of a linear network model, which provides computational advantages. State estimation can be performed using least squares methods without the need to linearize the system. As demonstrated by the simulations, these methods compensate for measurement errors, yielding state estimates close to the actual network values.

Additionally, methods for network topology identification and impedance estimation have been developed. These methods, also based on least squares approaches, allow for accurate monitoring of network quantities, as shown by the simulation results and experimental tests, ensuring that parameters are correctly updated for state estimation.

Finally, a methodology has been developed for the optimal placement of PMUs, considering the presence of nodes with zero injection, measurement redundancy, the limited number of channels per PMU, network reconfiguration, and the monitoring of certain network nodes to detect islanding and estimate the impedance of lines connecting two nodes.