A Flexible Distributed Infrastructure for Real-Time Cosimulations in Smart Grids

© 2005-2012 IEEE. Due to the increasing penetration of distributed generation, storage, electric vehicles, and new information communication technologies, distribution networks are evolving toward the smart grid paradigm. For this reason, new control strategies, algorithms, and technologies need to be tested and validated before their actual field implementation. In this paper, we present a novel modular distributed infrastructure, based on real-time simulation, for multipurpose smart grid studies. The different components of the infrastructure are described, and the system is applied to a case study based on a real urban district located in northern Italy. The presented infrastructure is shown to be flexible and useful for different and multidisciplinary smart grid studies.