Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology
Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology

Interaction tests between different actors in the smart grid

Applications and benefits

The message bus architecture of OpSim enables users to connect different controllers and optimizers (e.g. grid- or market-based) to a power system simulation and investigate their interplay.

Application examples:

  • Interaction tests between two grid operation strategies (for example, to achieve an optimal reactive power flow at the connection points between distribution and transmission grid).
  • Interaction tests between grid operation and market actor strategies (e.g. real-time testing of ancillary service markets).

User-Story „DSO-TSO Sim“

This investigation focused on achieving an optimal reactive power flow between a distribution and a transmission grid, through dynamic reactive power set points from transmission- to distribution system operator (TSO and DSO).  A simulated “DSO” informs the “TSO” periodically, how much reactive power can be provided at the connection point; the “TSO” then decides a reactive power set point. Through OpSim it was shown that this concept can be performed in real-time and the reactive power data was analyzed in some exemplar simulations.

PowerTech Eindhoven 2015
M. Vogt, F. Marten, L. Löwer, D. Horst, K. Brauns, D. Fetzer, J.-H. Menke, M. Troncia, J. Hegemann, C. Töbermann, M. Braun.
Evaluation of interactions between multiple grid operators based on sparse grid knowledge in context of a smart grid co-simulation environment

Further applications of OpSim

Development and test of controller concepts
Test and virtual commissioning of operative software systems
Research of smart grid cyber security risks
Annual simulations for economic studies
Benchmark tests of power/gas/heat control concepts