Visualization Technologies for Distribution Systems

Vast amounts of data are available to quantify the supply and demand of electricity in a distributed system. However, distribution operators require a more succinct depiction of the data through effective visualization. Therefore, this project will develop, test, and conduct user experiments to determine the impact of interactive visualization tools on a specific distribution system model, such as a rural, suburban, or industrial network. For this purpose, an open-source visualization toolkit, such as the Visualization Toolkit (VTK), will be used for rapid development and testing. To ensure success, the project team will collaborate with the leading utility research organizations, including the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The visualization tools will be evaluated with EPRI-member utilities. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Expensive electrical outages often occur because the distribution operator is not able to digest the vast amounts of data in a timely manner. This visualization tools developed in this project should provide the needed capability.