Abstract
Smart grids are a new trend in electric power distribution, which has been guiding the digitization of electric ecosystems. These smart networks are continually being introduced in order to improve the dependability (reliability, availability) and efficiency of power grid systems. However, smart grids are often complex, composed of heterogeneous components (intelligent automation systems, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) control systems, power systems, smart metering systems, and others). Additionally, they are organized under a hierarchical topology infrastructure demanded by priority-based services, resulting in a costly modeling and evaluation of their dependability requirements. This work explores smart grid modeling as a graph in order to propose a methodology for dependability evaluation. The methodology is based on Fault Tree formalism, where the top event is generated automatically and encompasses the hierarchical infrastructure, redundant features, load priorities, and failure and repair distribution rates of all components of a smart grid. The methodology is suitable to be applied in early design stages, making possible to evaluate instantaneous and average measurements of reliability and availability, as well as to identify eventual critical regions and components of smart grid. The study of a specific use-case of low-voltage distribution network is used for validation purposes.
Highlights
Nowadays, power grid infrastructures are not designed to support the upcoming transition towards decentralized and distributed energy system
The resulting logical expressions are combined by the failure condition and transformed into a fault tree that can be processed by any Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) resolver
Microgrids allow smart grid concepts to be applied in the current power supply system and can operate concomitant with main grid or independently
Summary
Power grid infrastructures are not designed to support the upcoming transition towards decentralized and distributed energy system. These electric networks became widely interconnected with large-scale generating stations built to provide massive amounts of energy. Despite the introduction of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the power generation industry, this innovation is concentrated in central nodes and partially incorporated to remote substations, whereas remote terminals are almost entirely archaic [6]. Factors such as population growth, climate change, equipment failures, restrictions in power generation capacity, demand for resilience and the reduction of fossil fuels are identified as reason for the creation of a new infrastructure for power distribution [7]
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