MODELING AND THEORY FOR GRIDWISE

PNNL is targeting research toward the challenge of providing for complete exploration of local and global control opportunities and their effects on the stability of the coupled economic and engineering systems in real-time. Answering this challenge involves:

Developing advanced computational techniques that capture the underlying mathematics of the coupled engineering and economic systems. PNNL has been investing in Petri nets as an approach to make this practical because they allow the network connectivity and influences to be largely pre-computed.
Coupling these methods with advanced computers suitable for simulation of multitudes of relatively simple agents and devices at extremely high speeds. PNNL has been exploring the potential of programmable gate-arrays to accelerate such analyses synergistically with advanced network algorithms.
Developing a theoretical understanding of the behavior of the transactive, market-driven energy network envisioned by GridWise. Having a rigorous theoretical understanding allows us to predict the global properties and behavior of the system and the outcomes from controllable influences, such as market structures and regulatory options.

Petri Net Analysis Applied to the Electric Systems

PNNL scientists have been developing an advanced network analysis technique called Petri nets to help analyze the combined engineering and market aspects of the grid. They capture the underlying mathematics of the coupled models in a way that will provide us with insights into how the complexity of the system may be managed with existing computational machinery. Because the network connectivity and influences are largely pre-computed, they have the potential to allow exploration of both local and global control opportunities and their effects on the stability of the coupled systems in near real-time.

Project Lead: Janet Jones-Oliveira

Modeling Power Systems as Complex Adaptive Systems

PNNL is developing a novel approach, involving statistical mechanics methodology analogous to the statistical thermodynamics of molecular particles, to analyze the overall functional properties of populations of machines in a transactive grid. It has already made predictions of the distribution of electricity prices over time that match observations from some of today's wholesale markets. Such a theory can provide insights on whether a market is operating in an abnormal condition (i.e., being manipulated), a critical basis to reassuring regulators and the public that the benefits of GridWise are being equitably distributed among the stakeholders.

Project Lead: Dave Chassin

Related GridWise Sites

MODELING AND THEORY FOR GRIDWISE

Petri Net Analysis Applied to the Electric Systems

Modeling Power Systems as Complex Adaptive Systems