HELICS: A Co-Simulation Framework for Scalable Multi-Domain Modeling and Analysis

Abstract

As both the generation resources and load types have changed and grown over the past few decades, there is a growing need for analysis that spans traditional simulation boundaries; for example, evaluating the impact of distribution-level assets (e.g. rooftop solar, EV chargers) on bulk-power system operation. Co-simulation is a technique that allows simulators to trade information during run-time, effectively creating larger and more complex models. HELICS is a co-simulation platform that has been developed to enable these kinds of power system analysis, incorporating tools from a variety of domains including the electrical power grid, natural gas, transportation, and communications. This paper summarizes the technical design of HELICS, describes how tools can be integrated into the platform, and reviews a number of analyses that have been performed using HELICS. A short video summary of this paper can be found at https://youtu.be/BIUiR-K87Wc.