Pulsar Based Alternative Timing Source for Grid Synchronization and Operation

The need for timing sources that are alternatives to GPS has been under consideration for years. The reliance of power systems instrumentation and control systems on GPS timing serves as the basis for the study reported in this paper. The issues associated with grid timing requirements are reviewed within the context of a GPS-based clock source. Of principle investigation is the possibility of using millisecond rotation neutron stars, pulsars, as the alternative time source. A design of an instrument (referred to as a pulsar based timing instrument, PBTI) that would use stable and accurate pulsar signals for grid timing is presented. The described PBTI design has been logically separated into software and hardware segments. Flexible signal processing is performed in software which will transfer the raw pulse data from the pulsars into a pulse per second (PPS) signal which can be directly utilized in the power system components and applications. The hardware aspects of the PBTI design concentrate on the antenna requirements, with specific concern associated with the required size and pointing/tracking needs, back-end, filters, amplifiers, and signal generator design. An overall block diagram and the detailed descriptions of both the software and hardware designs are presented. Finally, the potential future applications and problems of the pulsar based timing instrument are discussed.