Sensor Development for Smart Grid Multi-Agent System Development

This paper describes part of the conversion of WVU's analog power simulator into a micro-grid-of-the-future test bed. The simulator is a hardware representation of the grid which contains traditional hardware, both digital and analog. It is important to note that this simulator is a hardware implementation, and as such is capable of testing smart grid ideas in the most realistic setting available without affecting real customers. This project attempts to fill the gap between the computer simulations and the real world by modifying an existing platform to cost effectively allow real time control of a small scale power grid with real world components and without the pitfalls of testing on the real grid. The simulator modifications included the installation of new digital relays, three phase voltage and current energy meter integrated circuits sensors, and solid state switches. The sensors and energy meter integrated circuits were selected to give the most data possible in a small enough package to be implemented on the existing simulator while considering the hardware data interface. Microcontroller units were investigated and selected based on the desire to provide multi mode communication and state of the art compact processing power. This paper gives an overview of the project and focuses on the energy meter integrated circuits sensor selection, testing and results.