Smart Grid Anomaly Detection using a Deep Learning Digital Twin

The power grid is considered to be the most critical piece of infrastructure in the United States because each of the other fifteen critical infrastructures, as defined by the Cyber-security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), require the energy sector to properly function. Due the critical nature of the power grid, the ability to detect anomalies in the power grid is of critical importance to prevent power outages, avoid damage to sensitive equipment and to maintain a working power grid. Over the past few decades, the modern power grid has evolved into a large Cyber Physical System (CPS) equipped with wide area monitoring systems (WAMS) and distributed control. As smart technology advances, the power grid continues to be upgraded with high fidelity sensors and measurement devices, such as phasor measurement units (PMUs), that can report the state of the system with a high temporal resolution. However, this influx of data can often become overwhelming to the legacy Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, as well as, the power system operator. In this paper, we propose using a deep learning (DL) convolutional neural network (CNN) as a module within the Automatic Network Guardian for ELectrical systems (ANGEL) Digital Twin environment to detect physical faults in a power system. The presented approach uses high fidelity measurement data from the IEEE 9-bus and IEEE 39-bus benchmark power systems to not only detect if there is a fault in the power system but also applies the algorithm to classify which bus contains the fault.

Automated summary

The power grid is considered the most critical piece of infrastructure in the United States, as it is essential for the proper functioning of the other critical infrastructures. In recent decades, the modern power grid has evolved into a large network equipped with wide area monitoring systems and distributed control systems.