A Survey on Cloud Computing Applications in Smart Distribution Systems

Abstract

The distribution systems, considering the Smart Grid concept, shall undergo a profound transformation in the next years to enable a more robust, reliable, sustainable, efficient, and economical system. This modernization can only be achieved with the pervasive use of Information and Communications Technologies in order to integrate and manage this whole system. In this way, cloud computing has been envisioned as a technology capable of making possible this integration, providing distributed data storage and parallel processing. In this paper, the potential applications of cloud computing in smart distribution systems are highlighted, presenting an overview of the main related researches in the topic. It is also described the main technologies and innovations that will support the smart distribution systems, as well as the foundations of cloud computing.

Keywords:

• smart distribution systems
• cloud computing
• smart grid
• smart grid applications
• distribution systems
• monitoring and control
• data analytics
• simulation
• analysis and optimization tools
• distribution system analysis and control

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (USP), and the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeovane V. de Sousa

Jeovane Vicente de Sousa was born in Uberlândia, Brazil in 1983. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil, in 2008 and 2011, respectively. He is Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Federal University of Roraima, Brazil. He is currently studying for his PhD at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of São Paulo, at the São Carlos School of Engineering. His research interests include smart grids, cloud computing and intelligent systems.

Denis V. Coury

Denis Vinicius Coury was born in Brazil in 1960. He received a B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil in 1983, an M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from EESC—University of São Paulo, Brazil in 1986, and a Ph.D. degree from Bath University, Bath, U.K. in 1992. He worked for the Technological Research Institute (IPT), São Paulo, Brazil from 1985 to 1986. He joined the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil in 1986, where he is presently a Full Professor in the Power Systems Group. He spent his Sabbatical at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, during 1999–2000. His areas of research interest are power system protection, expert systems, smart grids and artificial neural networks.

Ricardo A. S. Fernandes

Ricardo Augusto Souza Fernandes was born in Barretos, Brazil in 1984. He did his B.Sc in Electrical Engineering at the Educational Foundation of Barretos, Barretos, Brazil in 2006, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering at the University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil in 2009 and 2011, respectively. In 2015 and 2017, he was a Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, working with the GECAD.Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at the Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil. His research interests include smart grids, power quality and intelligent systems.