A Novel Hierarchical Multi-Agent Architecture for Automatic Restoration of Smart Grids

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel hierarchical multi-agent architecture for the automatic fault detection and restoration of smart grids based on traditional power transmission systems that are composed of a lot of electric substations (ESs). Each agent is associated with an ES to control the ES. If a fault occurs in the input lines of an ES, the agent corresponding to the ES can automatically detect the fault and choose a solution from other agents. The ES of the chosen agent can supply power to the faulty ES by closing a corresponding electric switch and then the fault is restored. Furthermore, a coordination protocol is proposed to allow the fault restoration. Moreover, the agents are formally modeled by timed automata and the coordination protocol is verified by the model checker UPPAAL. Finally, the contribution of this paper is applied to a real-world system. © 2014 SERSC.