Online Assessment of Flexibility on Active Distribution Network Planning through Digital Twin

Abstract

The flexibility planning of Active Distribution Networks (ADNs) is essential to increase flexibility of both the local network and the regional power system. In the execution phases, continuous assessments of planning will help operators find ADNs' performance ratings, weak points, even emergent events. It is more important that this kind of assessments will contribute to promote planning's quality as the basis of more economical ADN with enough flexibility. A simulation-based flexibility assessment scheme is proposed to trace the effectiveness and deviation of the ADN planning in execution. The scheme includes developing Digital Twin applications representing ADN flexibility planning. For simulation, real-time operating data are pumped from the physical distribution network to the Digital Twin applications. Assessment algorithms are running in Digital Twin applications and flexibility metrics are computed and monitored lively within Digital Twin. Using the metrics, performance indices of the status quo flexibility assets, operational flexibility, and flexibility investments, as well as achieved values are computed within our online flexibility assessment framework. The main contribution of the proposed framework is to improve ADN flexibility planning and build a closed loop system including ADN planning, enactment, and operation with different time scales. Further studies will focus on the typical scenario generations of Digital Twin.