Distributed real-time simulations for electric power engineering

Real-Time Simulations (RTS) are increasingly being used to understand the complex device and system level interactions in power grids. RTS provides the capability to create detailed, highly accurate, and diverse set of power and control system components at low time steps (order of microseconds) that are based on “real-world clock-time.” RT simulator is a unique architecture with specialized processors and communication boards that allow time synchronization of simulations and the clocktime. Lean operating systems, specialized processors, faster communications, etc. are the typical attributes of RT simulators. RT simulators provide a unique capability of interfacing with power and control components via analog and digital interfaces. However, RT simulators have limited computational capability that constrains the size of power and control systems that can be simulated. Multiple simulators connected locally is typically used to increase the computation capability, however this is not always economical. Additionally, RT simulators are used at facilities with unique test infrastructure in the form of grid emulators, inverters, photovoltaic, wind turbine, microgrids, etc. Performing distributed RTS via Internet can augment simulation capacity and leverage unique infrastructure that is dispersed in academia and research laboratories. Research related to distributed RTS and its application in electric power engineering is discussed in this chapter.