Graph-based modelling techniques for enhancing rural DSO digital twin frameworks: a case study from NE Spain

The energy transition poses challenges for rural Distribution System Operators (DSOs) due to increased penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources and changes in energy consumption patterns. While Digital Twin (DT) frameworks can provide the necessary tools for managing distribution grids under these uncertain conditions, their implementation generally requires extensive amounts of historic and real-time data. In this work, graph analysis tools are proposed for compartmentalizing distribution grid models. For the full graph of a grid, different sub-graph defining criteria are proposed. Using available measurements acting as border conditions, monitoring subgraphs facilitate increased load estimation accuracy and grid model validity assessment. Detected islanding conditions are also used to divide the grid in topological subgraphs. A reduced case study using a DT Framework implementation with a Spanish DSO’s ~3000 bus system shows the proposed techniques.