Interfacing Power System and ICT Simulators: Challenges, State-of-the-Art, and Case Studies

TLDR

The transition to a smart grid has tightly coupled the power system with ICT infrastructure, yet simulating their interdependency is difficult because of fundamentally different modeling concepts. This paper aims to provide an overview of state‑of‑the‑art solutions for interfacing power system and ICT simulators. The authors review co‑simulation approaches, focusing on time synchronization and event handling, and present two case studies that model ICT impacts on power system operations. The case studies demonstrate that a holistic approach is essential and that current co‑simulation platforms can effectively capture ICT effects on power system operation.

Abstract

With the transition toward a smart grid, the power system has become strongly intertwined with the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. The interdependency of both domains requires a combined analysis of physical and ICT processes, but simulating these together is a major challenge due to the fundamentally different modeling and simulation concepts. After outlining these challenges, such as time synchronization and event handling, this paper presents an overview of state-of-the-art solutions to interface power system and ICT simulators. Due to their prominence in recent research, a special focus is set on co-simulation approaches and their challenges and potentials. Further, two case studies analyzing the impact of ICT on applications in power system operation illustrate the necessity of a holistic approach and show the capabilities of state-of-the-art co-simulation platforms.