Python‐based multi‐agent platform for application on power grids

Abstract

Concerns about the future energy needs challenge energy experts to present advanced power grids making them smarter. Smart grids employ digital technology and are based on highly collaborative and responsive decision-making strategies. Current trends to control and manage their operation lead to the use of multi-agent system (MAS) technology. This paper aims to present the design, specification, and application of the Python Agent DEvelopment (PADE) framework, an open source platform implemented in Python language and conceived for the implementation of multi-agent systems on power systems. PADE is compliant with specifications of the Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents and eases the development of solutions to power systems based on MAS. For demonstration of the effectiveness of PADE, an automatic restoration system MAS-based is presented. A test bed that encompasses agents embedded on computation devices is used to demonstrate the practical implementation of a PADE-based multi-agent systems in a power distribution network.