A co-simulation framework for Smart Grid wide-area monitoring networks

The next generation of the electrical power grid, called the Smart Grid, overcomes the deficiencies of the existing system using several Information and Communication Technology (ICT) mechanisms. One such mechanism is wide-area grid monitoring based on phasor measurement units (PMU). The data from these units are communicated to several applications (such as control, market brokerage, etc.) using a communication network framework called the North American Synchro-Phasor Initiative Network (NASPInet). To understand the performance and to guide design decisions of wide-area monitoring based Smart Grid applications, there is a need for a simulator that has both power system and communication system simulation capabilities. In this paper, we present a co-simulation framework developed using two existing public-domain simulators (OpenDSS and OMNET++ respectively for power systems and communication networks simulation). The former is based on continuous-time and the latter on discrete-time simulation. The proposed framework also deals with the time synchronization between these two systems. This framework has been implemented at IIT Madras for public use. A hybrid state estimation application, a voltage monitoring application and a renewable energy integration application are implemented over this framework. The results obtained from the applications verify their field correctness and also validate the correctness of the co-simulation framework.