Network Cut

 

The Network Cut tool is another method for choosing sets of buses for such features as Scaling or Equivalencing.

The use of the network cut method is to define a set of branches as the "cut" plane, then choose a bus on one side or the other of the cut to indicate which side of the cut you are interested in. The network cut dialog provides the functionality necessary for defining the network cut.

 

Defining Network Cut

The first step in defining the network cut is to choose the branches which define the cut plane in the system. The one caution is to be sure you select a closed loop cut plane. In other words, you must select a set of branches which completely topologically separates two portions of the system. If you only choose a partial cut plane, which does not completely cut the system in two distinct pieces, then attempted use of the ill-defined cut plane will fail.

To choose the branches which define the cut plane, simply highlight the branches by clicking on them in the list. For each branch you highlight, you must click on arrow button (pointing to the box on the right) to add the branch to your cut plane definition. You can make use of the control (Ctrl) and shift keys to select multiple branches at one time in the list of branches. Note that you can also select a cut plane similarly using interfaces or DC lines.

Once you have the branches (or interfaces or DC lines) selected which form the cut plane, you then need to choose a bus on either side of the cut plane to indicate which side you are interested in. The bottom panel on the display allows you to locate and select this bus.

Require Paths to be Energized

Check this option to only include branches with a closed status when traversing branches to determine which side of the network cut each bus is on. This option does not apply to the branches that are specified to define the network cut. Those branches will not be traversed regardless of their status.

Include How Many Tiers of Neighbors

Once the network cut has been defined by a set of branches and the bus defining which side of the cut is being examined has been chosen, this option will then include buses within so many tiers of the network cut boundary, on the opposite side of the cut as the specified bus. If the number of tiers is set to zero, then the buses examined will only be those on the same side of the cut as the bus selected.

 

Setting the Field

Once the network cut has been defined and the side of the cut to be examined has been chosen, the appropriate field for each bus in the area of interest can be set. If the network cut is for the equivalencing tool, then the field to set is the Which System property, which defines if a bus is in the external or study system when creating an equivalent. If the network cut is for the scaling tool, then the field to set is the Scale property, which defines if a bus is to be included in a scaling action.

Filter by KV

The buses within the network cut can be filtered by nominal voltage level before the field(s) are set. Only buses that are within the network cut and are within the nominal KV level specified will have their fields set to the desired value.

Use Area/Zone Filters

The buses within the network cut can be filtered by the area or zone in which they are contained before the field(s) are set. Only buses that are within the network cut and whose area meets the defined Area/Zone filter specified will have their fields set to the desired value.