Enabling Real-Time Digital Twin: An Automatic Procedure for Implementing Radial Distribution Networks in Simulink

This paper presents a novel automated tool developed in MATLAB for the rapid generation of Simulink models representing electrical networks. The increasing complexity of modern power systems, coupled with the integration of Distributed Energy Resources and smart grid technologies, necessitates advanced simulation tools capable of accurately modeling transient behaviors in real-time. Despite the availability of commercial power system analysis software, there remains a significant gap in tools that can efficiently generate Simulink models. The developed tool addresses this gap by providing a framework that standardizes network data representation and automates the Simulink model generation process. The tool implements a standardized intermediate format that accommodates various input data sources while ensuring consistency and completeness. The tool employs graph-based techniques to analyze network topology and constructs hierarchical Simulink models using a customized component library that accurately represents electrical behaviors. Evaluations conducted on test feeders demonstrate that the algorithm significantly reduces the model development time compared to manual approaches while maintaining simulation accuracy, avoiding possible errors due to wrong parameter settings due to the high number of branches present in the networks.