Phys.org April 19, 2019
Grid operators perform complex computations of very sensitive data to deliver power to consumers. Cloud-based tools can help manage the data and facilitate computation, but utility owners and system operators are concerned about security. Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are developing framework which masks sensitive data and provides for secure computation. The Argonne framework warps, or “perturbs,” the model and data being sent for calculations, changing key variables and equations. A disguised version of the problem goes to a cloud-based “solver” computer, and the answer is returned to a local, secure server for decoding. During the whole process, the real data and model are never on the cloud. In addition, they are working to break up computational problems further for solving across multiple cloud-based computers. The research will enable faster, more efficient solutions for existing problems, allow more robust approaches and more precise modeling of generators. Smaller grid operators will be able to manage distribution more efficiently and accurately…read more.
The Argonne team essentially warps, or “perturbs,” the model and data being sent for calculations, changing key variables and equations. Credit: Argonne National Laboratory