Development of a real-time simulation laboratory for energy utilities

This article describes the development of a simulation laboratory to carry out tests of protection philosophies using the computational capabilities of equipment with high processing power dedicated to the simulation of Electric Power Systems (EPS). The main equipment of the laboratory will be the real-time simulator. This equipment assists in the study of the electrical grid’s behavior with simulations in real time or offline, with the benefit of optimizing the distribution networks. The real-time simulator also assists in the company’s digitalization process, allowing to develop digital simulation models of the transmission and distribution grid. The study presented in this article is part of the Urban Futurability research and development (R&D) project, by Enel Distribuição São Paulo. The project was carried out in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in a region with a high load density and about 20,000 consumer units of the residential and commercial type.