Real-Time Simulation and Control of Interdependent Power and Water Infrastructure Using RISE

Utilities that manage critical infrastructures commonly use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) tools to visualize and control their network. SCADA systems provide immediate knowledge of the system state to guide... [ view full abstract ]

Utilities that manage critical infrastructures commonly use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) tools to visualize and control their network. SCADA systems provide immediate knowledge of the system state to guide real-time decisions made by operators. The Resilient Infrastructure Simulation Environment (RISE) combines SCADA capabilities of electric power systems and water distribution systems in an easy to use geographical interface to identify, track, manage, and predict interdependencies and vulnerabilities between infrastructures that are not apparent when looking at one infrastructure in isolation. An example of an interdependency is the 2009 accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric dam where turbine explosion caused flooding, spilling of oil into the river, power grid blackout, economic loss, and loss of lives. RISE can model extreme events including natural or anthropogenic stressors. The open source infrastructure models implemented are OpenDSS (electrical networks) and EPANET (water distribution) for network flows.

RISE enables exploration of technical investigations for power systems, water systems, interdependent power and water systems, and social investigation in terms of the real-time operation of these technical systems. This is enabled by functionality including drag-and-drop infrastructure design, rapid connection of components, an interdependency wizard, real-time simulation and operation, post-scenario diagnostics, resiliency parameterization and quantification, and a client-server architecture that allows n-many users to work together on a single environment in real-time. Three modes of use are provided: an Editor mode for creating water and power system models, a Simulation mode to run models with users engaging with the system in real-time, and an Analysis mode for performance tracking and data analysis. With the n-many user functionality researchers can explore ways that expert operators and novice trainees manage systems and communicate among individuals, groups, and organizations within and across spatial and temporal scales. RISE is developed to be a revolutionary advancement for knowledge generation, knowledge dissemination, and engineering of interdependent power and water infrastructure models. In summary, the goal of RISE is to assist in answering three key research questions: [1] How do users identify and interpret interdependencies and vulnerabilities between infrastructures? [2] How do experts identify, track, and mitigate cascading failures before they happen? [3] What are the key decision variables for operating a resilient infrastructure system?