Luxoft, a software development company based in Moscow, Russia, is offering a new version of its demand management automation platform for the smart grid. DMFusion 2.0 has been enhanced to enable small and medium-size utility companies to prevent non-technical distribution losses on the grid and reclaim unbilled revenue.

The platform combines sophisticated data processing for real-time analysis, with features that make it easy to monitor key components of a grid right on the map – including assets and communications infrastructure. DMFusion is compatible with the leading visualization solutions from high-end tools, such as Space-Time Insight, to cost-effective open-source products like OpenStreetMap.

“Non-technical losses in power distribution can reach over 10 percent of the total production – resulting in a substantial revenue shortfall for utilities. Ineffective asset management and thefts further compound losses, while poor grid visibility impedes the decision-making process,” said Michael Minkevich, vice president of Technology Services at Luxoft. 

Image via Luxoft

He continued, “The new version allows utilities and smart grid solution vendors to quickly identify problems within a grid and take corrective actions. We are using state-of-the-art technologies, such as parallel computing, to deliver near-real-time data analysis to support grid management decisions; while our easy-to-use visualization module further simplifies the process. All of this leads to a more efficient and profitable power distribution network.”

DMFusion gathers key grid performance data from multiple sources using industry standards, such as MultiSpeak. Data collected from asset management and meter data management (MDM) systems enables more efficient grid component maintenance and tight integration with billing systems, while the customer information system (CIS) adds a loss-detection functionality. If the process is too fast for the user to make a decision, alerts are issued that describe the fault and help to manually solve it.

The use of IEC (News - Alert) 61850 adapters in combination with parallel computing gives the platform the power to predict grid faults, even when dealing with high-rate telemetry data streams. Thus, the more data that flows into DMFusion, the more value the platform provides to utilities by increasing control of assets, improving grid management, and enriching the understanding of the company’s key performance indicators. Furthermore, DMFusion is designed for easy integration into the company’s existing back-end and front-end application systems.

For transmission system operators, DMFusion can prevent faults by predicting an overload on a given sub-node. One of the unique features of DMFusion for centralized grid management is its ability to process updates from up to 2,000 grid nodes every 20 milliseconds on average. It also can detect a potential power grid fault and prevent it within 15 milliseconds – reducing the load for a specified time by taking a corrective action or sending curtailment commands to the consumer's equipment.

In short, DMFusion automates the entire process so that the right decisions can be made using real-time data, and therefore, on-time.