Modular Simulation of electrical distribution networks with detailed building models
The goal of this project is to develop a flexible simulation platform where the loads and distributed sources can be modeled in detail, with particular attention to thermal and electrical model of buildings.
This simulation platform enables the analysis of combinations of time domain load and source behavior instead of relying on lumped quantities such as statistical load profiles from historic data. The electrical distribution network is implemented in RTDS, and it is modular even with respect to the RTDS hardware as each module is fit for one rack. The modular portions of the distribution network are then interconnected in RTDS at substation level. The real time loads and sources, including the building models comprising the thermal behavior, are modeled in Modelica.
In this project, one sample German distribution network is used as a case study. To cover a variety of topologies and characteristics, it comprises rural zones, village zones, and urban and suburban zones. Each zone is implemented on one rack of RTDS, and connected to a substation. The substations are connected through a standard IEEE 5- bus MV network. The loads of buildings and the distributed sources are simulated with Linux RT system. These calculated values are then passed on to RTDS to be used as load and source values.