NATIONAL AND HOMELAND SECURITY

The Energy of Innovation

The nation’s electric 

power grid has been 

described by power 

system engineers as the greatest mechanical invention ever 

conceived. With massive 

transmission towers, multiple substations and millions 

of miles of power lines this 

expansive system of systems 

provides essential electric 

power to communities and 

citizens across the country 

and around the world.

However, as witnessed during 

the August 2003 blackout, this 

grid has vulnerabilities that 

could be exploited by acts of 

terrorism, aging or natural 

disasters. Since worst case 

power systems scenarios are 

rare and dangerous to induce 

in the real world, critical 

infrastructure protection specialists rely on advanced modeling and simulation programs 

to predict, plan and prepare 

for catastrophic events. 

In collaboration with the 

Department of Defense, cyber 

and electric grid reliability 

researchers at Idaho National 

Laboratory have acquired and 

are using a full-scale Real 

Time Digital Simulator for 

enhancing the security of the 

nation’s electric power grid 

and related control systems 

including supervisory control 

and data acquisition systems.

The Real Time Digital 

Simulator, or RTDS provides 

power systems simulation 

technology for fast, reliable, 

accurate, and cost effective 

study of power systems with 

complex High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) and 

High Voltage Direct Current 

(HVDC) networks. The RTDS 

Simulator is a fully digital 

electromagnetic transients 

power system simulator that 

operates in real time. 

Since the simulator functions in 

real-time the power system algorithms are calculated quickly 

enough to continuously produce 

output conditions which realistically represent conditions 

in a real network. Real-time 

simulation is significant for 

two reasons - the user can test 

physical devices and the user is 

more productive by completing 

many studies quickly with realtime simulation.

Since the simulator is realtime, it can be connected directly to power system control 

and protection equipment. 

For example, it can be used 

to test HVDC (High Voltage 

Direct Current) controllers or 

protective relays. Testing on 

Real Time Digital Simulator

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P-6034-07

P-6034-02
NATIONAL AND HOMELAND SECURITY

08-GA50011-03

A U.S. Department of Energy

National Laboratory

For more information

Scott A. Mcbride, P.E.

(208) 526-5878

Scott.Mcbride@inl.gov

Warren Rees, P.E.

(208) 526-5376

Warren.Rees@inl.gov

Bobby Jeffers

(208) 526-9611

Robert.Jeffers@inl.gov

an RTDS Simulator is more 

thorough than other test methods because the user is able to 

subject the equipment to many 

severe but realistic conditions 

which could not possibly be 

achieved when it is installed 

on the physical system. 

As well, the simulator can 

be operated with or with out 

user interaction (interactive 

or batch mode operation). 

Therefore, the equipment can 

be subjected to thousands of 

tests in batch mode without 

requiring supervision. The 

RTDS Simulator will provide 

detailed reports on the equipment’s response to each test. 

Whether the user is testing 

equipment or simply running 

simulation studies, the realtime capability significantly 

improves productivity.

The simulator provides power 

system researchers with a 

supercomputer for electric 

grid reliably. Each modular 

system is fully digital and can 

be used for a range of studies 

including performing realtime closed-loop testing of 

protective relays and control 

systems, performing analytical power system simulations, 

testing protective relays and 

education and training. 

The system’s graphical user 

interface, proprietary software 

and mathematical algorithms 

can simulate any modern 

electric power grid configuration. As new equipment or 

components are added or 

subtracted from the simulator’s configuration, the model 

instantly updates. For example, 

INL researchers can run simulated system-failure scenarios 

such as a control system cyber 

intrusion or a physical damage 

event such as a terrorist attack 

or natural disaster and instantly 

detect the order and reasoning for why dedicated relays, 

breakers or substations failed. 

The ability to simulate realtime power grid information is 

a key factor in detecting previously unknown vulnerabilities 

and providing emergency planners with a path forward for 

responding to grid failures. The 

RTDS Simulator enables power 

industry experts to define the 

network configuration and run 

real time tests for many aspects 

of service life allowing system 

problems to be discovered faster, and solutions to be designed 

and tested immediately. 

The RTDS system at INL 

is the first U.S. government 

owned and managed simulator. 

The laboratory employs operators with extensive experience 

in dynamic power systems. 

The RTDS system allows 

power systems engineers to 

visualize the effects of power 

grid failures. 

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