Virtual mass emulator

摘要

The present invention is directed to a system and method for emulating smart grid devices in a smart grid for demand-response program analysis and optimization. Smart grid devices may be emulated in a virtual environment on a server, and can also be emulated individually on smart grid devices themselves. Demand-response programs can be simulated in a virtual environment with virtual emulated smart grid devices, or they can be simulated in a hybrid real-virtual environment with both real smart grid devices and virtual emulated smart grid devices. Demand-response programs can be simulated serially or in parallel. Additionally, such hybrid demand-response program simulations can be enhanced and optimized by including data obtained from the real smart grid devices into the simulation feed-back loop.

主权项

1. A system for performing demand-response program simulations, said system comprising:
a database containing a plurality of parameters related to a demand-response program simulation; an emulator controller instantiating at least one network emulator capable of receiving a control broadcast message based on said parameters obtained from said database; a plurality of emulated smart grid devices, wherein each said network emulator emulates a network interfacing with said emulated smart grid device capable of receiving, processing and responding to said control broadcast message; at least one non-emulated smart grid device located at a consumer facility, wherein at least one of said at least one non-emulated smart grid device hosts, and is communicatively connected with, one of said emulated smart grid devices and at least one of said at least one non-emulated smart grid device is communicatively connected to said emulator controller over a non-emulated network.