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As power distribution systems evolve in complexity and scale, the coordination and control of distributed energy resources (DERs), intelligent devices, and agents become increasingly challenging. Distribution utilities invest in advanced distribution management systems (ADMSs) and distributed energy resource management systems (DERMSs) to enhance distribution systems’ reliability, resiliency, and efficiency. Standardizing the Application Programming Interface (API) for ADMS applications is crucial to accelerate the integration of advanced distribution technologies. This paper introduces a distributed application architecture within the GridAPPS-D platform, aiming to address the limitations of centralized architectures in terms of scalability, maintainability, and flexibility. The proposed architecture draws inspiration from the Laminar Coordination Framework and is validated through extensive stakeholder engagement. Emphasizing extensibility, boundary deference, structural scalability, and securability, the layered framework is well-suited for large-scale distribution networks with diverse grid-edge devices and ownership structures. The contributions of this paper include a distributed layered architecture with defined distributed areas, a Common Information Model (CIM)-based standardized API for developing and deploying distributed applications (Distributed App API), and the design process and reference implementation of distributed services and applications. Based on laminar coordination, the software architecture combines centralized, distributed, and edge-control paradigms for effective distributed operations. The paper concludes with extending the centralized API in GridAPPS-D to distributed APIs for standards-based message exchange, emphasizing the need for scalable communication to coordinate diverse distributed agents. This work provides a foundation for advancing the field of distributed control in power distribution systems, supporting both centralized and distributed analytics and control arrangements.

With the rapid proliferation of distributed energy resources and advancement in sensing and control, deploying advanced applications has become crucial for power distribution operations to achieve resilience, economy, decarbonization, and other system mandates. However, conflicts can arise when multiple applications attempt to control the same devices, potentially leading to oscillatory system behavior and suboptimal performance. This paper aims to characterize conflicts and measure the resulting system performance through relevant metrics when applying various deconfliction solution techniques. First, we introduce a conflict matrix that comprehensively registers the conflicts between different applications. Next, we propose a novel metric to quantify the severity of conflicts, facilitating their prioritization and resolution. Finally, we quantify application success and system volatility after different techniques have been applied to resolve conflict. Three competing applications, namely resilience, decarbonization, and conservation voltage reduction, are considered to showcase potential conflicts. Two deconfliction solution techniques, exclusivity and compromise, are implemented, and their impacts on the apps’ performance are evaluated using a modified IEEE 123-bus model as the demonstration test system. Applying the derived conflict metric and relevant volatility metrics provides a quantitative assessment of the system’s performance and the impact of conflicting setpoints.

This paper explores the potential of distributed ledger technology (DLT) to improve fault-tolerant grid operations by leveraging its core features as an immutable, decentralized ledger, a distributed, consensus-based agreement process, and a distributed state-replication engine. Distribution power systems deliver electricity to millions of customers; however, they are susceptible to various threats that can result in customer interruptions. These include faults caused by adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, vegetation growth, equipment failure, and malicious attacks. To minimize the effects of these faults, fault-handling approaches rely on network knowledge to isolate affected areas and reconnect unaffected areas, reducing the number of affected customers while maintaining safety. Here, we present a trusted data-sharing architecture that enables independent, distributed actors to reconstruct the pre-fault system state by enabling distributed resources to make appropriate decisions with limited network/system information. Although the process requires some data sharing between switch-delimited areas, the approach limits the amount of private information shared, preserving customers’ privacy and business-sensitive information. We include three use cases that form a foundation for third parties to develop functional solutions that can eventually be deployed in the field. The gross error detection method used within switch-delimited areas can identify sensor errors and accurately detect circuit breaker states. The evaluation of possible reconnection while preserving data ownership resulted in a voltage magnitude difference smaller than 0.01% from the OpenDSS power flow solution that has full system knowledge, which is below the expected power flow tolerance. The approach offers a promising opportunity for improving fault-tolerant distribution grid operations.

Advanced distribution systems need to integrate and orchestrate intelligent subsystems and grid-edge devices that are increasing both in number and sophistication while also serving multiple system-level objectives such as resilience, decarbonization, equity, and profitability. A modular platform-based approach to distribution system operations technology enables operators to deploy a tailored set of best-of-breed algorithms and applications. Combined with the parallel deployment and control of intelligent grid-edge and internet of things devices, this creates a complex distributed-control environment with applications that span ownership boundaries. Conflicts can emerge between applications that want to control overlapping sets of device setpoints. We propose a formalized approach to resolving these conflicts that can be applied when integrating new algorithms or developing customized solutions. A Deconfliction Pipeline is inserted between the device-controlling applications and the device protocol converter, which transmits control setpoints from the operations platform to the devices. The Deconfliction Pipeline executes a process that sets up, solves, and acts on a formally defined deconfliction problem. The deconfliction problem can be solved using a combination of rules and heuristics, application engagement, and optimization. We demonstrate how a few of the most basic solution strategies can be used to orchestrate harmonious behavior between a pair of simple applications with conflicting greedy optimization objectives.