This chapter provides an introduction to the foundations of digital twins and makes the case for employing them in smart grids. As engineered systems become more complex and autonomous, digital twin technology gains importance as the unified technological platform for design, testing, operation, and maintenance. Smart grids are prime examples of such complex systems, in which unique design and operation challenges arise from the combination of physical and software components. As high-fidelity in-silico replicas of physical components, digital twins provide safe and cost-efficient experimentation facilities in the design and verification phase of smart grids. In the operation phase of smart grids, digital twins enable automated load balancing of grids through real-time simulation and decision-making. These, and an array of similar benefits, position digital twins as crucial technological components in smart grids.

翻译：本章介绍了数字孪生的基础原理，并论证了其在智能电网中应用的必要性。随着工程系统日益复杂和自主化，数字孪生技术作为设计、测试、运行和维护的统一技术平台显得愈发重要。智能电网是此类复杂系统的典型代表，其物理组件与软件组件的结合带来了独特的设计与运行挑战。作为物理组件的高保真数字复制体，数字孪生为智能电网的设计与验证阶段提供了安全且经济高效的实验环境。在智能电网运行阶段，数字孪生通过实时仿真与决策实现了电网的自动化负荷平衡。这些优势及其系列类似效益，使数字孪生成为智能电网中至关重要的技术组成部分。