Enhancements and New Features in Simulator 15

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The following is a list of many of the most noticeable changes in Simulator Version 15, which builds on PowerWorld Corporation's dedication to creating powerful, easy-to-use analysis software. Version 15 contains several new features and enhancements to improve the performance and convenience of the package.

New Add-ons

• Transient Stability
• Distributed Computing options for Contingency Analysis and multi-scenario ATC

User Interface

• Generator rotor symbols can be changed to reflect fuel type
• Added feature to show the Long Line Voltage Profile across a transmission line. A graph will be shown with the per-unit voltage profile as the Y-axis and the X-axis will represent a percentage of where on the line the voltage is calculated by going from 0% at the from bus to 100% at the to bus.
• Many dialogs including Contingency Analysis, Available Transfer Capability, PV Curves, QV Curves, Transient Stability, Time Step Simulation, LP OPF, and SCOPF now use a tree view layout to make navigation among the many option pages much easier

Auxiliary Files and Display Auxiliary Files

• Added the ability to create transient stability data linked to power system records using the power system record labels as identifiers when loading from an AUX file (or pasting from a spreadsheet).
• Added the ability to create oneline display objects linked to power system records using the power system record labels as identifiers when loading from an AXD file (or pasting from a spreadsheet).
• When loading an auxiliary file with branch status changes that will close in a set of buses that are currently dead, Simulator automatically makes a reasonable estimate of the initial voltage for the newly energized buses. While most of the time this is helpful, this might cause problems if the AUX file also contains voltage phasor values for the buses to be energized. A change has been made so that voltages will not be updated by Simulator's voltage estimation routine for any buses whose voltage magnitude or angle are set by the AUX file.

Auxiliary File SCRIPT and SimAuto Changes

• Added the ability to obtain SCOPF contingency violations for interfaces through the use of script commands and SimAuto
• New and modified script commands
• Added a new RenumberMSLineDummyBuses("filename") script command which loads in a file with the new dummy bus numbers and new dummy names and makes changes. This new feature provides script action to the option found with the multi-section line case information display.
• Added a new script command for Renumber3WXFormerStarBuses("filename"). The script reads in a text file which contains the renumber information.
• Added new script command AppendCase(). This command has the same parameters as the OpenCase() command, except for the list of optional parameters when opening a RAW file. The optional parameter regarding creating MW transactions related to loads is not included and is assumed to be NO when using AppendCase.
• Added a new script command CTGWriteFilePTI("filename",BusFormat, TruncateCTGLabels). The first parameter is the name of the text file to write to. The second parameter is either Number, Name8, or Name12 to specify to write identifiers using either numbers, 8 character bus names, or 12 character bus names. The third parameter is either YES or NO depending on whether you would like the output to truncate contingency names to 12 characters.
• Added new script command MergeLineTerminal("filtername"). The only parameter of the script command is a filter parameter, which must be populated with either the name of an advanced filter (with the name in quotation marks) or with the text SELECTED (no quotation marks.) If an advanced filter is given, Simulator will find all branches that meet the advanced filter definition, and will individually merge the line terminals of each line one at a time. See the Case Information Displays feature for more information.
• Added a new SimAuto function called "GetCaseHeader(filename)". By passing in a filename to the procedure, Simulator will extract the Case Header information from the file. The return value of the function will be of a format similar to other SimAuto command. Result(0) will an error string that is blank if no error occurs. Result(1) will be an array of strings containing the contents of the Case Header or Description of the PWB file.
• Updated script command CTGWriteResultsAndOptions to allow option settings that match what is available with the GUI dialog
• Added the ability to use the MOVE() script command to move switched shunt output.
• Added an optional third parameter to the MOVE() script command to specify what percentage of the object to move. This is only valid for generator or load moves.
• Added filer name "ALL" for the SetData script command to indicate that the command should be applied to all objects of the specified type
• Added optional parameters to the OpenCase() script command to support loading transactions and renumbering star buses for RAW files and handling multi-section lines, dead-limits, and post contingency AGC flags for EPC files. Also added optional parameters to specify the PTI or GE file version
• Scale script command can now be used in run mode as well as edit mode
• Modified SaveConsolidatedCase script command to include parameters on specifying the contingency file format when saving case and contingency file in PTI format

Available Transfer Capability (ATC) Enhancements

• The user may now interact with other Simulator tools and dialogs while the ATC dialog is open
• When using one of the iterated ATC solution methods, a hierarchy for the various tolerances used in the iteration process is strictly enforced
• When using the ATC tool to ramp to a transfer amount, a hierarchy for the various tolerances used in the ramping is strictly enforced

Case Information Displays

• New options to make toggleable fields easier to update. Drop-down box or dialog now becomes available to list all of the possible entries for a field.
• Added the ability for an object to use calculated fields for its own object type. For example, this feature allows a bus case information display to show a column containing the minimum voltage of all buses.
• With branch case information displays can now access the option to Merge Terminals under the Branch Records submenu.
• Added the ability to renumber three-winding transformer star buses through an option available on the three-winding transformer case information display 3W Transformer records submenu.

Contingency Analysis Enhancements

• Added new option on the local menu for under the Insert Special submenu to Join Active Contingencies. This option will create new contingencies that are a join of the current contingency list and a list read from an auxiliary file.
• Greatly enhanced the user interface for looking at "What Actually Occurred" in the contingency analysis run. When choosing this option from the Combined Tables menu a table is displayed that contains separate entries for what happened and under what contingency.
• Added a new contingency element type called "Open Breakers". When coupled with the ability to specify a branch as "Branch Device Type = Breaker", Simulator will dynamically determine a set of breakers to open specified branches, generators, loads, switched shunts, dc lines, interfaces, injection groups, or three-winding transformers.
• Added option with individual contingency records to ignore contingency specific solution options
• Added ability to access the dialog for violated elements through the local menu, obtained by right-clicking, of the contingency violation records
• Added ability to specify the Branch Device Type when searching for branch objects in the Contingency Element Dialog
• Added the ability to search by labels with the Contingency Element Dialog
• Added new option with injection group contingency elements "Set To" or "Change By" actions to specify that the amount of generation change should be achieved by opening generators instead of changing their MW output. When the amount of change needed is negative, generators will be opened until the MW amount opened is as close to the desired amount as possible without exceeding the desired amount.
• When looking for the post-contingency auxiliary file, Simulator will look in the path specified, current directory if no path specified, or the directory from which the present case was loaded.

Dialogs

• Added tool to detect circulating MW and Mvar flows in a power system
• Added the ability to specify the magnetizing G and B values on the transformer base on the Transformer Base dialog

Difference Flows

• Added the ability to access the lists of removed objects using script commands. The object names all start with the string "Removed" and have the name of the object appended: RemovedBus, RemovedGen, etc.
• Modified to permit the comparison of cases using either labels or secondary key fields
• Added a new field "Difference Flows\In Diff. Flows Base Case?" for all object types which store difference flows base case information

Fault Analysis

• Changed default transformer configuration for fault analysis to ungrounded wye-wye instead of grounded wye-wye

File Formats

• Added support for reading and writing RAW Version 32 file format
• Added ability to read NERC Book of Flowgates directly from CSV file format
• Added support for reading Areva CSV file format obtained by using the HDExport command

General

• Added a new tool to browse the Case Description headers of all PWB files in a specified directory and write these out to the Message Log

Integrated Topology Processing

• When using the Consolidated Superbus View with the ITP add-on, circuit breakers will always be shown on branches, loads, generators, and switched shunts with Status = Open.
• Added a new contingency element type called "Open Breakers". When coupled with the ability to specify a branch as "Branch Device Type = Breaker", Simulator will dynamically determine a set of breakers to open specified branches, generators, loads, switched shunts, dc lines, interfaces, injection groups, or three-winding transformers.
• Added an option to select only a single bus per super bus for PV/QV Tracking and QV curve tracing
• Added ability on a oneline diagram to right-click on a generator, load, switched shunt, transmission branch, or DC line and choose "Open Breakers to Isolate." Same option is available on case information displays for these objects. This option will locate closed breakers to be opened that will isolate the selected device.
• Added support for reading Areva CSV file format obtained by using the HDExport command. This loads the entire EMS system model in as a case.
• Modified SaveConsolidatedCase script command to include parameters on specifying the contingency file format when saving case and contingency file in PTI format

Oneline Diagrams

• Added a substation shape option to the default drawing values
• Added the ability to specify a "Delta per Mouse Click" for the area field showing the flow to another area. Modifying this value will modify the MW Transaction between the two areas.
• Added a Simulator Option on the Oneline page to "Automatically Show Full when opening any oneline"
• Modified writing of an AXD to support writing using labels as identifiers for the oneline display objects
• When opening a oneline diagram that has any three-winding transformer star buses, these buses and any objects connected to these buses will automatically be renumbered to match the current star bus number of the three-winding transformer in the current case. This is done automatically without the user having to select this as an option.
• When opening a oneline diagram, option is available to open using label linking. This is useful for opening a oneline with a different case than the one with which it was originally created and the bus numbers may have changed.

Power Flow Solution

• Modified so that generators set to any kind of Wind Control Mode will not be automatically chose as a slack bus when Simulator dynamically chooses slack buses.
• When re-energizing an island by closing in a branch that connects the island to another energized island, Simulator estimates new voltages in the newly energized island before the power flow solution. A similar estimate has been added when energizing an island only by turning on generation in that island.
• Added a new Regulation Type for switched shunts that allows them to regulate the sum of their Mvar output with the Mvar summation of all generators with "Wind Control Mode = Constant Power Factor" marked to regulat the same regulated bus as the switched shunt.
• For switched shunts set to regulate "Wind Mvar", modified the control to ensure that the Mvar output is synchronized with the generator Mvar output prior to a power flow solution. This helps with power flow convergence when modifying the Mvar output of these wind generation plants.
• Added a new Wind Control Mode for a generator, "Follow Min Mvar Capability Curve." When on this mode, the Mvar output of the generator is always set equal to the value determined from the reactive capability curve's minimum Mvar value for the present MW output.
• Added the ability with transformers to use line drop compensation to regulate a point an impedance away from the regulated bus of the transformer

PV and QV Curve Enhancements

• Added the ability to specify that the PV curve output be written as the transpose. Usually, each row of text represents a transfer level and columns contain the tracked values. When choosing the transpose, each row represents a tracked value and the columns represent the transfer levels.
• The minimum step size is now limited to 0.1 MW
• A hierarchy for the various tolerances used in the ramping of the transfer for the PV analysis is now strictly enforced
• When choosing to save all states with the PV analysis and encountering critical scenarios, the base case state with the transfer implemented will be stored for all transfer levels that are solvable for critical scenarios before the final critical transfer level is found. Previously, states were only saved for the critical scenario itself.
• Added an option to select only a single bus per super bus for PV/QV Tracking and QV curve tracing

Time Step Simulation Enhancements

• Added the ability to specify the default TSB file without a directory so that the current directory will be used instead
• Added button on the options page to enable the user to set the present case as the reference case. This allows the user to interact with the case using oneline diagrams and the model explorer, then set the changed case as the time step reference case.
• Changed the way that schedules are applied to time points. If the schedule does not contain a value at a time point and interpolation is not enabled, instead of applying the value in the case, the last value in the schedule is applied.
• Added the ability to store the time step output to a CSV file. This allows very long time step simulation runs to run without running out of memory.
• Added the ability to specify injection group outputs. The total injection for the injection group is scaled to match the specified input value.
• Added time delay control actions for transformers and switched shunts. For example, a capacitor bank may only switch if its regulated voltage falls below a specified regulation range for 30 seconds or more.
• Added Time Step Actions to model time delays with actions not related to switched shunts and transformers. A Time Step Action works like a contingency action with a time delay model criteria.