European project iTesla comes to an end

As part of European project iTesla (Innovative Tools for Electrical System Security within Large Areas), which now comes to an end, INESC TEC has developed a flexible, modular and interoperable platform that makes it possible to assess the dynamic security of the power system in real time, for several contingencies and types of security problems, taking into consideration the uncertainty associated with the growing integration of renewable power.

Platform developed is available online

The platform developed, whose code is available online with the MPL 2.0 licence (https://github.com/itesla/ipst), will make it possible to support the decision making process of the system operator, from two days prior to real time. This is done by analysing and suggesting preventive and corrective measures necessary to maintain the system’s safety.

The iTesla platform was developed in order to integrate the operation processes of systems with different sizes, from national systems to systems supplying electricity to regions with a continental dimension.

Project developed other tools besides the platform

Other than the platform, project iTesla developed an open-source library called iTesla Power Systems Library (iPSL – https://github.com/itesla/ipsl), which uses the Modelica modelling language to characterise the models of the components used to perform the dynamic simulation of the electrical power systems.

Other tools have also been developed such as the RaPld (https://github.com/SmarTS-Lab/iTesla_RaPId), which is used to calibrate the models’ parameters, in accordance with the real behaviour of the components.

The project featured research and development activities where the goal was to establish defence plans against electricity blackouts.

INESC TEC played fundamental role in the European project

INESC TEC played a fundamental role in the success of project iTesla. Besides being responsible for the development and integration of the platform’s modules, namely the  Fuzzy Power Flow module, the INESC TEC team also defined the integration methodology and validated all modules developed by the different partners.

Simultaneously, INESC TEC supervised and performed integration tests, and supported the network operators in the execution of validation case studies, by performing a technical analysis on the results obtained.

INESC TEC also evaluated the benefits of including renewable energy sources, namely large wind parks, in the process of restoring the service in order to reduce the amount of time the consumers do not have access to electricity.

The INESC TEC team involved in the project is composed of João Abel Peças Lopes, Luís Seca, André Madureira, Helena Vasconcelos, Leonel Carvalho and José Meirinhos.

A total of 20 partners formed the iTesla consortium

Project iTesla, coordinated by the French transmission system operator, RTE, also featured other five TSOs as partners – ELIA (Belgium), IPTO (Greece), STATNETT (Norway), REN (Portugal) and National Grid (United Kingdom) –, as well as the leading coordination for enhanced reliability of supply (CORESO), a set of 12 universities and research and development institutes, as well as a company providing management and innovation services.

The iTesla was co-funded by the 7^th EU Framework Programme.

The INESC TEC researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC and UP- FEUP.

Credits for photo No. 6: iTesla website

INESC TEC, May 2016