Real-Time Asynchronous Information Processing in Distributed Power Systems Control

Centralized power system algorithms are gradually augmented and substituted with distributed counterparts, where timely updated asynchronous information processing is critical for real-time implementation. This paper presents two methods to achieve the desired real-time performance. Distributed sequencing method simulates a synchronous system on an asynchronous network using a distributed logical vector clock. The second method, adaptive asynchronous processing, handles asynchrony at each iteration step through adaptive dynamics of the network agents. Necessity of the developed methods is discussed based on the specific requirements of the communication network in terms of algorithm accuracy, network size and time-varying message delays. A case study on the distributed power system state estimation for networked microgrids is presented to validate the developed methods implementing industrial publish/subscribe protocols. The results demonstrate that the developed information processing methods can be efficiently applied for real-world industrial implementation.