Practical applications of multi-agent systems in electric power systems

The transformation of energy networks from passive to active systems requires the embedding of intelligence within the network. One suitable approach to integrating distributed intelligent systems is multi-agent systems technology, where components of functionality run as autonomous agents capable of interaction through messaging. This provides loose coupling between components that can benefit the complex systems envisioned for the smart grid. This paper reviews the key milestones of demonstrated agent systems in the power industry and considers which aspects of agent design must still be addressed for widespread application of agent technology to occur

The role of intelligent systems in delivering the smart grid

The development of "smart" or "intelligent" energy networks has been proposed by both EPRI's IntelliGrid initiative and the European SmartGrids Technology Platform as a key step in meeting our future energy needs. A central challenge in delivering the energy networks of the future is the judicious selection and development of an appropriate set of technologies and techniques which will form "a toolbox of proven technical solutions". This paper considers functionality required to deliver key parts of the Smart Grid vision of future energy networks. The role of intelligent systems in providing these networks with the requisite decision-making functionality is discussed. In addition to that functionality, the paper considers the role of intelligent systems, in particular multi-agent systems, in providing flexible and extensible architectures for deploying intelligence within the Smart Grid. Beyond exploiting intelligent systems as architectural elements of the Smart Grid, with the purpose of meeting a set of engineering requirements, the role of intelligent systems as a tool for understanding what those requirements are in the first instance, is also briefly discussed

An open platform for rapid-prototyping protection and control schemes with IEC 61850

Communications is becoming increasingly important to the operation of protection and control schemes. Although offering many benefits, using standards-based communications, particularly IEC 61850, in the course of the research and development of novel schemes can be complex. This paper describes an open-source platform which enables the rapid prototyping of communications-enhanced schemes. The platform automatically generates the data model and communications code required for an intelligent electronic device to implement a publisher-subscriber generic object-oriented substation event and sampled-value messaging. The generated code is tailored to a particular system configuration description (SCD) file, and is therefore extremely efficient at runtime. It is shown here how a model-centric tool, such as the open-source Eclipse Modeling Framework, can be used to manage the complexity of the IEC 61850 standard, by providing a framework for validating SCD files and by automating parts of the code generation process. The flexibility and convenience of the platform are demonstrated through a prototype of a real-time, fast-acting load-shedding scheme for a low-voltage microgrid network. The platform is the first open-source implementation of IEC 61850 which is suitable for real-time applications, such as protection, and is therefore readily available for research and education

Development and implementation of a LabVIEW based SCADA system for a meshed multi-terminal VSC-HVDC grid scaled platform

This project is oriented to the development of a Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software to control and supervise electrical variables from a scaled platform that represents a meshed HVDC grid employing National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW logic environment. The objective is to obtain real time visualization of DC and AC electrical variables and a lossless data stream acquisition. The acquisition system hardware elements have been configured, tested and installed on the grid platform. The system is composed of three chassis, each inside of a VSC terminal cabinet, with integrated Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), one of them connected via PCI bus to a local processor and the rest too via Ethernet through a switch. Analogical acquisition modules were A/D conversion takes place are inserted into the chassis. A personal computer is used as host, screen terminal and storing space. There are two main access modes to the FPGAs through the real time system. It has been implemented a Scan mode VI to monitor all the grid DC signals and a faster FPGA access mode VI to monitor one converter AC and DC values. The FPGA application consists of two tasks running at different rates and a FIFO has been implemented to communicate between them without data loss. Multiple structures have been tested on the grid platform and evaluated, ensuring the compliance of previously established specifications, such as sampling and scanning rate, screen refreshment or possible data loss. Additionally a turbine emulator was implemented and tested in Labview for further testing

Assessing and augmenting SCADA cyber security: a survey of techniques

SCADA systems monitor and control critical infrastructures of national importance such as power generation and distribution, water supply, transportation networks, and manufacturing facilities. The pervasiveness, miniaturisations and declining costs of internet connectivity have transformed these systems from strictly isolated to highly interconnected networks. The connectivity provides immense benefits such as reliability, scalability and remote connectivity, but at the same time exposes an otherwise isolated and secure system, to global cyber security threats. This inevitable transformation to highly connected systems thus necessitates effective security safeguards to be in place as any compromise or downtime of SCADA systems can have severe economic, safety and security ramifications. One way to ensure vital asset protection is to adopt a viewpoint similar to an attacker to determine weaknesses and loopholes in defences. Such mind sets help to identify and fix potential breaches before their exploitation. This paper surveys tools and techniques to uncover SCADA system vulnerabilities. A comprehensive review of the selected approaches is provided along with their applicability

Middleware architectures for the smart grid: A survey on the state-of-the-art, taxonomy and main open issues

The integration of small-scale renewable energy sources in the smart grid depends on several challenges that must be overcome. One of them is the presence of devices with very different characteristics present in the grid or how they can interact among them in terms of interoperability and data sharing. While this issue is usually solved by implementing a middleware layer among the available pieces of equipment in order to hide any hardware heterogeneity and offer the application layer a collection of homogenous resources to access lower levels, the variety and differences among them make the definition of what is needed in each particular case challenging. This paper offers a description of the most prominent middleware architectures for the smart grid and assesses the functionalities they have, considering the performance and features expected from them in the context of this application domain

An Assessment of PIER Electric Grid Research 2003-2014 White Paper

This white paper describes the circumstances in California around the turn of the 21st century that led the California Energy Commission (CEC) to direct additional Public Interest Energy Research funds to address critical electric grid issues, especially those arising from integrating high penetrations of variable renewable generation with the electric grid. It contains an assessment of the beneficial science and technology advances of the resultant portfolio of electric grid research projects administered under the direction of the CEC by a competitively selected contractor, the University of California’s California Institute for Energy and the Environment, from 2003-2014

Ocean Energy in Belgium - 2019

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Tidal stream generators, current state and potential opportunities for condition monitoring

Tidal power industry has made significant progress towards commercialization over the past decade. Significant investments from sector leaders, strong technical progress and positive media coverage have established the credibility of this specific renewable energy source. However, its progress is being retarded by operation and maintenance problems, which results in very low operational availability times, as low as 25 %. This paper presents a literature review of the current state of tidal device operators as well as some commercial tidal turbine condition monitoring solutions. Furthermore, an overview is given of the global tidal activity status (tidal energy market size and geography), the key industry activity and the regulations-standards related with tidal energy industry. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to provide a bird’s view of the current status of the tidal power industry to serve as a roadmap for the academia regarding the real needs of the tidal power industry