Incorporation of real-time synchronized phasor measurements in the control of power grids can play an important role in maintaining the overall closed-loop stability of the power system. In the past, instability in the power grid caused disturbances ranging from small local perturbations to severe large scale blackouts as can be seen from Figure 1. Currently, the synchronization achieved in measurements collected using devices known as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is not robust enough for efficient monitoring the power grid.
By Inside GNSSSwift Navigation co-founders Fergus Noble (29) and Colin Beighley (28) have been honored in the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 Consumer Technology list.
Swift Navigation is a San Francisco-based startup that provides centimeter-accurate real-time kinematics (RTK) GPS and GNSS positioning technology for autonomous vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), precision agriculture, robotics, surveying, space applications and more.
By Inside GNSSAt the traditional January media briefing in Paris yesterday (January 18, 2017), European Space Agency (ESA) General Director Jan Woerner was forthright in laying out the knowns and unknowns about the failed rubidium and hydrogen maser clocks onboard orbiting Galileo satellites, clocks that are absolutely crucial for accurate positioning.
By Inside GNSSAfter a yearslong wait the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking for comments on whether it should allow signals from Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system to be used for non-federal applications in the United States. The call for public feedback is part of a process to grant a waiver so that Galileo-capable receivers don’t have to be licensed in the United States.
By Inside GNSSSecurities regulators recently approved a plan to improve the tracking of financial trades by creating a single, comprehensive database that, among other things, incorporates tightened clock synchronization standards.
By Inside GNSSThough the schedule is still uncertain, progress is being made on completing the new GPS ground system, said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, who credited a crack group of private-sector computer wizards with helping get the program back on course.
Calling the GPS Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX), a "terribly, terribly important program," James said, however, she still did not consider the software-focused effort to be "out of the woods."
By Dee Ann DivisTRAK Microwave, a brand of London, England– and Stuart, Florida–based Smiths Interconnect, has released its 8835 GPS Clock, a GPS time and frequency instrument. The 8835 GPS Clock is designed to deliver optimal power and interoperability options while maintaining GPS accuracy and reliability.
By Inside GNSSNottingham Scientific Ltd (NSL) has announced that the company’s founder and CEO, Professor Vidal Ashkenazi, has been named an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE ) in the 2017 New Year’s Honors List for “Services to Science.”
The OBE was created by King George V in 1917 and is awarded by the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The honor recognizes distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the civil service, and work with charitable and welfare organizations.
By Inside GNSSThe U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) says it continues to work on GPS III ceramic capacitor testing and plans to have an updated launch schedule published late next month.
As Inside GNSS reported, the first GPS III satellite’s delivery, originally scheduled for August, was delayed by four months because of a Lockheed Martin subcontractor’s failure to test a ceramic capacitor.
By Inside GNSSYesterday (December 23, 2016) President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, a $619-billion bill with a number of provisions affecting satellite navigation.
The legislation (S. 2943) fully authorizes the administration’s requests for all the elements of the GPS program — and signals indirectly that appropriators eventually will provide comparable support — although the NDAA does put additional requirements on those developing the new GPS ground system.
By Dee Ann DivisThis week’s Navitec Conference, entitled “Navigating the Future of Transportation,” delivered good news to an appreciative crowd at the European Space Agency’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA/ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
By Inside GNSSToday (December 15, 2016) the European Commission (EC), owner of Europe’s GNSS system, Galileo, formally announced the start of Galileo Initial Services, the first step towards full operational capability.
Further launches will continue to build the satellite constellation, which will gradually improve the system performance and availability worldwide.
By Inside GNSS