Developing Cyber-Physical Power System Co-Simulation Platform with Real-Time Digital Interface

The security issue of cyber-physical power systems (CPPS) is becoming increasingly complicated as advanced communication and computing components deployed expose growing vulnerabilities. To simulate, analyse and visualise the CPPS model, this study develops a real-time cyber-physical power system co-simulation platform. The platform uses OPAL-RT as the power system simulator, with the EXata Network Simulator performing the communication network simulation. A real-time digital interface between the power and communication network simulators is developed, implementing a time-stepped synchronisation scheme for the CPPS co-simulation platform. Extensive case studies are conducted on the established platform to investigate the impacts of false data injection (FDI) attacks and packet drop contingencies on the operation of cyber-physical microgrid. The results demonstrate that these cyber contingencies can disrupt system states, cause deviations from simulation outcomes, and induce abnormal state fluctuations in the CPPS.