On Proving Recoverability of Smart Electrical Grids

Smart electrical grids refer to networked systems for distributing and transporting electricity from producers to consumers, by dynamically configuring the network through remotely controlled (dis)connectors. The consumers of the grid have typically distinct priorities, e.g., a hospital and an airport have the highest priority and the street lighting has a lower priority. This means that when electricity supply is compromised, e.g., during a storm, then the highest priority consumers should either not be affected or should be the first for whom electricity provision is recovered. In this paper, we propose a general formal model to study the provability of such a property. We have chosen Event-B as our formal framework due to its abstraction and refinement capabilities that support correct-by-construction stepwise development of models; also, Event-B is tool supported. Being able to prove various properties for such critical systems is fundamental nowadays, as our society is increasingly powered by dynamic digital solutions to traditional problems.