ETAP's new digital Twin platform: An innovative path to "revitalize" the grid value chain of the fut

Today, the construction of new power systems is accelerating, which puts forward new requirements for the functional form, technical support and value creation of power grids. The pace of accelerating the construction of digital power grids and promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional power grids to the energy Internet is accelerating.

In the "New Power system Blue Book" issued by the National Energy Administration, it is pointed out that intelligent integration is an inevitable requirement for building a new power system. The new power system is driven by digital information technology, showing the characteristics of deep integration of digital, physical and social systems. In the "Digital China Construction Overall Layout Plan" issued by The State Council, it is also pointed out that in order to further implement the national strategic deployment of digital China construction and new energy system construction, and promote the green, clean and low-carbon energy transformation, the construction of digital grid will become the core of effectively supporting the construction of a new power system.

In this process, the power grid, as a hub platform for energy conversion, utilization and transmission configuration, is the core link of the new energy system. As a complex system engineering, the construction of a new energy system faces the challenge of security, economy and green "impossible triangle", and it is urgent to accelerate the construction of digital power grid. The advanced technology represented by the digital twin will calculate the optimal solution in the digital space, so as to improve the optimal allocation of the load and storage resources of the power grid and the absorption capacity of new energy in a more economical and efficient way, further serve the construction of the new energy system, and help the clean and low-carbon transformation of energy.

Virtual and real convergence: ETAP's new digital twin platform is born

Accelerating the process of digital grid construction, as well as the requirements of deep integration of digital, physical and social systems, undoubtedly opens up a broad application space for the power system that is good at "virtual-real integration" of digital twin technology and application. In this regard, Xue Yi, vice president of medium voltage business strategy and industry development at Schneider Electric Energy Management, pointed out that the reason to build a digital grid through a digital twin, establishing a complete mapping between the physical grid in the physical space and the virtual grid in the digital space is to rely on strong computing power, number power and intelligence. To achieve accurate reflection, global calculation and deep coordination of all aspects of the source network load and storage.

It is in this context that Schneider Electric launched the ETAP new electrical system digital twin platform at the 2023 Innovation Summit. The platform deeply integrates ETAP, a global leader in energy management and engineering solutions, with a range of software solutions from ALPI, IGE+XAO Group and BIM Electric to create a one-stop energy management platform. Build virtual models and provide comprehensive analysis of the different stages of the electrical system life cycle from design, construction, operation to maintenance. After the system integration, the platform will be delivered to the customer will be a power system simulation system or real-time system including single line diagram, model, power flow simulation, protection calculation, new energy grid connection calculation, etc.

2023 Schneider Electric Innovation Summit launches ETAP's new electrical system digital twin platform

Join forces to "revitalize" the value chain of the future power grid

A major significance of the launch of this platform is that it will truly "energize" the entire value chain of the future power grid. This is because the construction of the future power grid is a systematic project, in which different groups such as design institutes, power contractors, factories, installation companies, operations, electrical leaders and end users are involved. In order to maximize the value of data in the future power grid, and truly achieve deep collaboration and intelligent interaction, it is not only necessary to provide solutions for various groups to meet their diverse needs, but also to ensure the smooth flow of data and information between all links of the life cycle, and fully play a role in the entire value chain.

In this regard, ETAP's new electrical system digital twin platform is a "universal toolbox" that provides digitally enabled solutions for every stage from planning, design, installation and commissioning to operations and maintenance, and ensures that data-driven value is transmitted from one link to another.

For example, in the early stages of building a future power grid, units such as design institutes plan, model, detail and analyze electrical systems. The ETAP design component provides users with model-driven design solutions for electrical circuit simulation and in-depth analysis of electrically-intensive applications, creating, configuring, customizing and managing low - and high-voltage applications, as well as DC and AC transmission systems, all on the same user interface. In the intermediate installation and commissioning phase, the factory and the installer need to develop and debug the electrical control panel containing complex process flow and technical details. The SEE Electrical family of software products offers a full suite of tools for creating wiring diagrams, designing 3D panels, and managing workflows. For operators and end users, the ETAP Real Time solution provides a wealth of software tools, including SCADA systems and ADMS solutions, to simulate electrical installations in real time and help operators get up to speed.

Schneider believes that for the future power grid, ETAP's new electrical system digital twin platform can not only open up the data value chain of the entire life cycle of electrical projects from the time series dimension. It can also meet the needs of the future power grid on the power supply side, the power grid side and the user side in the spatial dimension.

For example, for the demand of the power side, the core functions of the ETAP platform can be relied on to improve the meteorological service capability of the power grid based on geographic information system and meteorological model, and help new energy power plants accurately predict the power generation output. For the vast number of energy "producers and consumers" that will continue to emerge on the user side in the future, the ETAP platform can help power enterprises achieve more green electricity consumption on the spot, reduce the cost per unit of electricity, and bring better protection for the reliability and continuity of production electricity. More importantly, through the opening up of data, it provides support for more advanced analysis, prediction and other functions, and realizes the efficient interaction of all aspects of the source network load and storage, as well as the continuous strengthening of the system adjustment function.

The ETAP Electrical System digital twin platform was unveiled at the International Digital Energy Show 2023

"Digital Native" superimposed "Digital Twin"

A thousand feet tall building starts from a pile of soil. Where will the data that will drive the future grid value chain come from? This comes from Schneider Electric's forward-looking layout of "digital native" superimposed "digital twin".

Among them, digital native means that at the beginning of the design of the product, it fully considers the requirements of interconnection in the digital application environment. As more and more interconnected products are integrated into the grid system, huge amounts of data are generated. In the future power grid system, these digital native intelligent power devices can be incarnated as intelligent nodes that collect and transmit massive data to achieve data-driven high-quality energy management.

The digital twin, as new technologies such as big data, algorithm models and AI become more mature, forms the mutual mapping of hardware and software in the entity and virtual on the basis of massive data, and realizes the multi-dimensional and multi-temporal accurate real-time mapping and calculation calculation of the physical power grid in the "time-space-state", becoming an important carrier and engine of the digital space of the power grid.

In terms of time dimension, digital twin can support the expansion of planning state and construction state on the basis of operation state, and realize the multi-temporal evolution and historical retrospective ability of power grid. In addition, the digital twin can also accurately describe the power grid power flow distribution, power grid operating state, equipment body state and other information to support the future operating state of the inferring. Finally, digital twins can also fully integrate digital technologies such as artificial intelligence to support typical scenarios such as new energy consumption, stable power grid operation, power market trading, and active equipment operation and maintenance, and create calculation and deduction services driven by mixed data and mechanism to support business digital space for analysis and decision-making.

From "digital native" to "digital twin", Schneider Electric has laid out an innovation path that can not only build the intelligent foundation of the future grid, but also effectively "revitalize" the value chain of the future grid. At the Global Digital Energy Show 2023 held in Shenzhen from June 29 to July 2, Schneider Electric was also on hand to showcase innovative solutions covering the full life cycle of projects for the "grid of the future".

In the field, in addition to ETAP's new electrical system digital twin platform, Green and sustainable sulfur hexafluoride (SF6-free) medium voltage switchgear, a new generation of medium voltage intelligent vacuum circuit breaker EvoPacT HVX with digital native design, Schneider Electric DC Systems DC Systems and a new generation of DC power distribution series products were also unveiled. Demonstrating Schneider Electric's deep insight into new trends and new needs. It is believed that with the updating and iteration of technology, Schneider Electric's innovation path will continue to extend, and continue to bring new impetus to the development of future power grids.