Electric loads as Real-Time tasks: An application of Real-Time Physical Systems

This paper describes the application of Real-Time Physical Systems (RTPS) as a novel approach to model the physical process of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), with specific focus on Cyber-Physical Energy Systems (CPES). The proposed approach is based on the real-time scheduling theory which is nowadays developed to manage concurrent computing tasks on processing platforms. Therefore, the physical process is modeled in terms of real-time parameters and timing constraints, so that real-time scheduling algorithms can be applied to manage the timely allocation of resources. The advantage is to leverage the strong mathematical background of real-time systems in order to achieve predictability and timing correctness on the physical process behind the considered CPS. The paper provides an introduction to the possible application of RTPS to energy systems. The analogy between real-time computing systems and energy systems is presented; moreover, the relationship between RTPS and related research fields is traced. Finally, the introduced techniques are proposed to optimize the peak load of power consumption in electric power systems. This method is suitable for systems spanning from small networks to smart grids.