Distributed Framework for Prototyping of Observability Concepts in Smart Grids

—Development and testing of distributed monitoring, visualisation, and decision support concepts for future power systems require appropriate modelling tools that represent both the electrical side of the grid, as well as the communication and logical relations between the acting entities. This work presents an Observability Framework for distributed data acquisition and knowledge inference that aims to facilitate the development of these distributed concepts. They are realised as applications that run within the framework and are able to access the information on the grid topology and states via an abstract information model. Data is acquired dynamically over low-level data interfaces that allow for easy integration within heterogeneous environments. A Multi-Agent System platform was chosen for implementation, where agents represent the different electrical and logical grid elements and perform data acquisition, processing, and exchange. The basic capabilities of the framework together with a simple visualisation concept are demonstrated using a simulation of the Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) laboratory distribution grid.