ODAL - Digital Assistance for Power Grid Operators

The increasing complexity of grid operations calls for intelligent support: as part of the ODAL collaborative project, Fraunhofer IOSB-AST is developing AI-based assistance functions that enable control centre operators to make faster and more informed decisions in critical grid situations.

The operation of electricity transmission and distribution networks is facing a profound transformation. The massive expansion of renewable energy, more frequent extreme weather events, geopolitical tensions and volatile energy markets are fundamentally changing the operating environment for grid operations. For operators in the control centres of transmission and distribution system operators, this means monitoring more systems, reacting more quickly and making more complex decisions – whilst the consequences of any faults are becoming more serious. Traditional control systems, with their often monolithic software structures, have so far offered only limited possibilities for effectively supporting operators in this changing working environment.

This is precisely where the ODAL collaborative project comes in. Coordinated by Fraunhofer IFF, five partners and six associated organisations are working to develop digital assistance systems for modular control systems and to test them in real-world conditions.

The overarching objective: to enhance the security and resilience of the energy supply system by specifically improving operators’ ability to respond in critical grid situations. To this end, the consortium is pursuing three interlinked strands of development:

1. Innovative support functions – including an automated scenario generator for advanced stress tests, as well as AI algorithms for detecting, assessing and explaining anomalies and vulnerabilities in grid operations.
2. Integration into modular control systems – the functions developed will be embedded in 50Hertz Transmission GmbH’s Modular Control Centre System (MCCS) and thus tested within a real-world control system architecture.
3. Demonstration environment – a virtual test environment enables the practical testing and optimisation of assistance systems under realistic conditions using real-time simulation. 

As Fraunhofer IOSB-AST, we are contributing our extensive expertise in the fields of energy systems engineering, control system development and applied artificial intelligence to the project. The institute’s work focuses on the following key areas:

AI-supported detection of anomalies and vulnerabilities The IOSB-AST is developing AI algorithms capable of automatically identifying unusual conditions and potential vulnerabilities during ongoing network operations. Particular emphasis is placed on the explainability of the results: the algorithms are designed not only to detect anomalies, but also to provide operators with comprehensible explanations and recommendations for action. This approach specifically addresses the well-known issue of acceptance of AI-based systems in safety-critical environments.

Automated scenario generation for stress tests In order to systematically prepare operators for critical network situations, the IOSB-AST is working on an automated scenario generator. This expands the existing catalogue of situations to include AI-generated scenarios that also model novel and previously unconsidered operating conditions. The generated scenarios are used both for training (operator guidance) and for the systematic validation of the assistance functions.

Integration into modular control system architectures The assistance modules developed at the IOSB-AST are designed for integration into the MCCS modular control system. The institute draws on its experience in developing interoperable software components for energy control systems to ensure seamless integration. Regular Sync Points with industry partners – in particular 50Hertz, Siemens and the associated transmission system operators TenneT and TransnetBW – ensure continuous feedback between research and operational applications.

Testing in the demonstration environment The algorithms and methods developed are tested under real-time simulation conditions in a jointly developed test and development system. The IOSB-AST is involved both in the design of this environment and in carrying out technical functional tests to demonstrate the practical suitability of the assistance functions.

The assistance concepts developed as part of the ODAL project have been deliberately designed to be transferable beyond the context of electricity grid operations. In the long term, the methods are also intended to be applied in modern energy, environmental data and production management systems – wherever people act as key decision-makers in highly dynamic, data-intensive environments.

This project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the 8th Energy Research Programme.

• Fraunhofer IFF (Gesamtkoordination) 
• 50Hertz Transmission GmbH
• Siemens AG (Smart Infrastructure)
• Technische Universität Ilmenau
• BearingPoint GmbH
• Consulectra GmbH
• firm Leipzig
• Proventika – Institut für angewandte Hirnforschung und Neurowissenschaften
• TenneT TSO GmbH
• TransnetBW GmbH