Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Cyber-physical security of the electricity grid is becoming a top priority in Canada and around the world. Electric energy consumption in Canada has steadily increased and is expected to triple in the next few years, especially with the electrification of the transportation sector. In a smart grid, electric energy consumption should be securely managed by optimizing the operation of the grid resources and loads to ensure minimum impact on the electricity grid and the quality of power delivery. The energy automation and management mainly consist of two phases; monitoring, development of an energy management system and testing it. At Ontario Tech University, the applicant has established a Smart Energy Internet Research Laboratory to investigate and study energy automation and management (A&M) systems in the context of the smart grid. Intelligent Electronic devices and a real-time digital grid simulator in addition to power quality and energy monitoring devices all interconnected with state-of-the-art communications protocols are available at the Smart Energy Internet Research Laboratory at Ontario Tech. Furthermore, an energy automation and management system (A&M) that integrates advanced monitoring systems and advanced knowledge discovery tools is developed to achieve fully automated and resilient grid equipped with self-healing capabilities and operated at high efficiency, reliability and digital grade power quality. Since the main connectivity of the components making the Smart Energy Internet Research Laboratory is through the internet, these components as well as the developed Energy A&M system are prone to cyber-physical attacks. In order to ensure proper operation of the developed Energy A&M system as well as full compliance with industrial standards, this system has to undergo extensive testing, which is an essential part to evaluate its performance in the smart grid working environment. The successful completion of the testing phase of the developed Energy A&M system will have significant economic and environmental benefit to Canada as a result of deploying such a system. The EXata cyber-physical toolbox that is requested in this application represents an essential part for completing the Smart Energy Internet Research Laboratory, which will help testing the performance of the developed energy A&M system and assessing its immunity against cyber-attacks. These facilities will provide the graduate students with an excellent opportunity for training and having hand-on experience in energy management and cyber-security of the smart grid, which is a very needed and challenging area in the electric power industry. Moreover, theses facilities will support interdisciplinary research programs in smart grid, cyber security and artificial intelligence.