Fraunhofer develops AI for power grid stability
Fraunhofer Institute researchers are developing AI solutions to improve the stability of Germany's power grid and prevent outages as renewable energy sources increase.
Germany's power grid faces significant challenges due to aging infrastructure and a growing share of renewable energy sources. Various Fraunhofer Institute units are developing new solutions to ensure grid stability and prevent disruptions.
Traditional coal and nuclear power plants have provided the instantaneous reserve and inertia necessary to balance the electrical grid. With the increasing growth of new, decentralized renewable energy sources, this balancing becomes more challenging as they lack the same mechanical inertia. According to Christof Wittwer of Fraunhofer ISE, grid operators now have to perform hundreds of corrective interventions daily compared to occasional interventions in the past, leading to increased costs.
Researchers at Fraunhofer IEE are working on the eKI4DS project, in collaboration with NVIDIA and TransnetBW, to develop an AI model. This model utilizes machine learning and a large-scale simulation model of the German transmission grid to detect critical situations in real-time and suggest countermeasures. The aim is to minimize the risk of costly, long-duration power outages.
Furthermore, Dennis Rösch at Fraunhofer IOSB-AST is developing an AI agent that automates data analysis and assists grid control operators in decision-making. This is crucial as the availability of trained personnel is a challenge, and AI can help perform tasks more rapidly and efficiently, reducing the potential for human error.
These initiatives highlight the need to modernize the power grid and leverage digitalization and AI to achieve a more secure and reliable energy system.