First, I am the lead author of EPOCHS, a middleware platform
combining electric power and communication simulators together.
As
my work progressed, it became increasingly obvious that a tool like
EPOCHS was necessary to pursue serious study of the impact of
distributed communication protocols and strategies in electric power
systems. A case study has already been published utilizing EPOCHS
to investigate the use of agents in power system relays communicating
over a Utility Intranet. Much larger and more interesting studies
are currently underway. EPOCHS is research software that is
available to the public. You download the software from the EPOCHS web page. An article describing the
EPOCHS architecture appeared in the Winter Simulation Conference in
December 2003.
The second focus of my work has been on creating realistic power
system scenarios that have the clear potential to benefit from the use
of a Utility Intranet. Each of these scenarios has been modeled
in the EPOCHS environment. Experimental data has shown
improvements over traditional protection and control systems in each
case.
Giovanini, R.; Coury, D.V.; Hopkinson, K.M.; Thorp, J.S., Improving
Local and Backup Protection Using Area Agents. IEE Eighth International
Conference on Developments in Power System Protection. 5-8 of
April 2004, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Wang, X.R.; Hopkinson, K.M.; Thorp,
J.S.; Giovanini, R.; Birman, K.; Coury, D., Developing an Agent-based Backup Protection System for
Transmission Networks. First International Conference on Power
Systems and Communication Systems Infrastructures for the Future. 23-27
of September 2002, Beijing, China.
An additional case that examines special protection systems can be
found in the book chapter that I wrote with my co-authors.
The third focal point has been examining ways to strengthen the properties of best-effort IP-based networks in order to better support applications with real-time requirements. A first step in that direction is investigating the efficient management and control of large networks of agents within systems with disparate areas of control and varying levels of interest in information flows depending on their location, distance, and ownership. More specifically, I have been investigating the prospect of using the DIAL communication protocol for Bilateral Load Following (aka Load Frequency Regulation). Bilateral Load Following is the concept of allowing variable electric power contracts between loads and generators in different control areas within the electric power grid. This is not possible today because it requires constant communication of power needs between the areas in question. The possibility of contingencies also requires that backup entities receive communication updates as well, though at less frequent intervals. The idea behind DIAL is that entities that wish to receive a certain fraction of message updates by a given message expiration time can do so with high probability using an appropriately weighted coin where the weights are determined using a straightforward recurrence relation. An early effort to address the problem appeared in this ICDCS article. This early attempt introduced the recurrence relation and gave an algorithm that could be used in static situations. A great deal of progress has been made in the dynamic case since that time and will appear in a new article in the near future.
The focus of early work was on investigating the general concept of whether communication could be used to improve the operation of the electric power grid and in what ways it could do so. We showed that backup distance relay operation could be greatly improved using network communication. Using representative simulations of Internet measurements we also showed that the Internet could not be used for the types of scenarios that we were investigating despite the interest in the power community to do so. We recommended a Utility Intranet as an alternative with many positive qualities.
Coury, D.V.; Thorp, J.S.; Hopkinson,
K.M.; Birman, K.P. Improving the Protection of EHV Teed Feeders
Using Local Agents IEEE Seventh International Conference on
Developments
in Power System Protection,
9 - 12 April 2001, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
A book chapter geared towards electric power engineers was written
in March 2003 and subsequently published in July 2003. This
chapter discusses the EPOCHS platform and three sample power scenarios
that demonstrate areas where significant benefits can be achieved by
using a Utility Intranet to improve upon the protection and control of
the electric power grid.
Thorp, J.S.; Wang, X.R.; Hopkinson, K.M.; Coury, D.; Giovanini, R.,
“Agent Technology Applied to the Protection of Power Systems”,
Autonomous Systems and Intelligent Agents in Power System Control and
Operation, July 2003.
Teaching Assistant CS 414 [Operating Systems] and Instructor CS 415
[OS Practicum] Fall 2001 and Fall 2002
Teaching Assistant CS 502 [Digital Libraries] Spring 2001
Teaching Assistant and Recitation Instructor CS 501 [Software
Engineering] Fall 2000, Spring 2003, and Spring 2004
Teaching Assistant and Recitation Instructor CS 100 [Introduction to
Computer Science] Spring 1999
Teaching Assistant and Project Supervisor CS 514 [Intermediate
Distributed Systems] Fall 1998
Teaching Assistant CS 100 [Introduction to Computer Science]
Spring 1998
Ken Birman
serves as my capable advisor. You can click his picture to learn
more about him.
Jim Thorp is a lead
committee member in the department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering.
This
is a link to Ken's research group. The group's current
research focus is on the Spinglass project.
You can click here to view general information as well as many of the
group's publications.
(Ensemble is used here because it is the last group project with an
icon.)
Page Last Modified
10/30/04