August 30, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Power Flow Solution: When switching to Edit Mode, all system states are destroyed. This includes the Last Successful Solution State, State Before Failed Solution Attempt, Contingency/ATC/PV References, User State, and Named States. This patch modifies this behavior so that the "User State" and "Named States" are no longer destroyed when switching to Edit Mode. This allows you to continue using the User and Named States even after switching to Edit Mode and deleting or adding objects. These states will not be "solved states" after you have made deletions or additions in Edit Mode, but they still can be useful states.
- Transient Stability: Added a new load characteristic LDVFD_A
- User Interface Dialogs: On the time domain weather station page, added ability to go to a specified time point.
Bug Fixes
August 28, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): When specifying values for field in the SetData() script commmand, we will now look for special strings @CASENAME, @CASEFILEPATH, and @CASEFILENAME special strings. The particular user request was to add the ability to set the folder to which to store Transient stability hard-drive results to.
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): With the Auxiliary File Export Format Description there is an option to build a format description for the complete case and various categories of objects can be user selected. A new selection for "Contingency Combination" is now available that will include Contingency Primary definitions and solution options with the format description.
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): With the Auxiliary File Export Format Description there is an option to build a format description for the complete case and various categories of objects can be user selected. A new selection for "Scheduled Actions" is now available.
- File Formats: When an advanced filter condition is using a field instead of a value for comparison, the field will be stored internally using the location number instead of the field name if using the option to show variablenames using names instead of location numbers. This affects fields like custom expressions, custom strings, custom integers, etc. that can be named. Previously, the internal storage could change based on the option setting and could result in the field not being found when loading a PWB with saved filters. This will keep the internal storage consistent regardless of the option.
- User Interface Dialogs: Fixed a bug with the Advanced Filters dialog when using another filter as a condition, unusual filter names would break the dropdown list. In particular any filter name that started with a character that would precede < in an alphabetic search, such as a name that started with a square brace [.
- User Interface Dialogs: Fixed access violation that would result when loading DynamicFormatting object types from an aux file and fields specified for the Context Object are not supported for that type of object. These fields are just skipped with an error message written to the log.
Bug Fixes
August 18, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Added the optional parameter PreferenceFilter to the commands InterfaceRemoveDuplicates(PreferenceFilter) and InjectionGroupRemoveDuplicates(PreferenceFilter);
Specify a filter to use when determine which object to keep when there are duplicates. If one object meets the filter and the other object does not, then the object which meets the filter will be maintained and the other removed. Otherwise, the one with a name that would occur first in an alphabetic sort is maintained. - Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Renaming script command "CalculatePostCTGInterfaceMWFlows" to "InterfacesCalculatePostCTGMWFlows"
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Added CTGWriteAuxUsingOptions script command. This uses the CTGWriteAux_Options object to specify which contingency related information should be stored in the aux file and how objects should be identified.
- Transient Stability: Bug fix for Transient Stability Contingency Element Dialog. There was an unwanted dependency happening between the Insert, OK and also the Delete button, which caused elements do be added that were not chosen. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
August 16, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Transient Stability: When deciding when to not model an Island in transient stability there was a bug that was not opening generators and shunts in the Island using the Simulate New Island Requirements options. This bug was fixed.
August 15, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Added ability to use Device filters in UseAnotherFilter conditions for Advanced Filters
- Case Information Displays: Added ability to use Device filters in UseAnotherFilter conditions for Advanced Filters
- Transient Stability: Fixed stack overflow error that was introduced in the 8/4/23 when writing REPC_A transient stability models to a DYD file.
Bug Fixes
August 11, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Added script command "CalculatePostCTGInterfaceMWFlows"
- GIC: Modified the b3d format to Version 5 to handle storing multiple events in a b3d file.
- Scheduled Actions: Fixed a bug where Close Breakers actions in Scheduled Actions pops up an unnecessary dialog.
Bug Fixes
August 9, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Added three new parameters to the CTGWriteResultsAndOptions script command: Opt20 = Save Primary Contingency Options for Combo Analysis, Opt21 = Save Primary Contingencies for Combo Analysis, and Opt22 = Save CTG Combo Results. All of these parameters are NO by default and NO when used with the CTGWriteAllOptions script command.
- Contingency Analysis Tool: When saving options from the Save button on the Contingency Analysis dialog there are now options to Save Primary Contingencies for Combo Analysis, Save Primary Contingency Options for Combo Analysis, and Save CTG Combo Results.
- Contingency Analysis Tool: Added buttons to Load and Save contingencies and options from the CTG Combo Analysis dialog. When saving, the same options that are used when saving from the Contingency Analysis dialog are available.
- Transient Stability: OEL1 model is now allowed with exciter models that are configured for an OEL input signal at a LV gate. Only the generator trip and hard limit on Efd exciter output can be enforced in this case, and the OEL1 model would continue functioning in limited capacity when (runback <> 0) at the OEL1 model instance.
Bug Fixes
August 7, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: Signal E_FE for exciter AC7B is now available for plotting in the transient stability plot designer
- Power Flow Solution: When a branch had an impedance below the ZBRThreshold and also had a large phase shift or off-nominal tap ratio, it could result in bad power flow convergence. This has been fixed. It was showing up at bus number 516007 in Eastern Interconnection case.
- Transient Stability: Fixed a bug in the parameters Qdn1, Qdn2, Qup1 and Qup2 to ensure they are treated as in per unit on the Plant MVABase for the REPC_C Model
Bug Fixes
August 4, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Scheduled Actions: Added Bus View option to Scheduled Action records menu if the Action targets a device that can be viewed in a Bus View
- File Formats: Added a new object called HDB_BRLIMS_RateSet which allows you to specify where BRLIMS ratings read are placed into the model. These decisions are made based on the fields: BRLIMS.ID field and LNLIMA.BRLIMS. The HDB_BRLIMS_RateSet object specifies a SearchString which is used to match the BRLIMS string ID. If a match is found then the HDB_BRLIMS_RateSet object specifies to either push limits into the DEF, GHI, JKL, or MNO RateSets. We would expect that only one HDB_BRLIMS_RateSet would have a SearchString that matches, but if multiple do, then the one with the lowest Order field will be used. A sample AUX file defining a choices like this is as follows.
HDB_BRLIMS_RateSet (Order,RateSet,SearchString)
{
1 "DEF" "*SUM*"
2 "GHI" "*FAL*"
3 "JKL" "*WIN*"
4 "MNO" "*SPR*"
}
- Transient Stability: Modified REPC_A, REPCA1, REPC_B, and REPC_C generator models so that the parameters for dbd, fdbd1, fdbd2 always have a fixed sign. Thus if the deadband must always be negative then any edits will automatically take the absolute value and choose the appropriate sign. Also modified so that when writing out to DYD or DYR files these deadbands are written with the sign expected by those formats.
- Weather: When loading in new METARS data on the Weather Related Models dialog, the list of WeatherStations would be updated. There was a bug with some internal search/sort structures however which were not updated after loading the METARS data. This would cause the assignment of objects to WeatherStations to fail as the lookup of WeatherStations by Name was broken. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
August 2, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Contingency Analysis Tool: Added new option with CTG_Options called "Save unlinked contingency and remedial action element objects in auxiliary files" that will enable saving unlinked action objects when saving aux files outside of the Save button on the contingency analysis dialog or the CTGWriteResultsAndOptions script command. When using the Save button on the contingency dialog the option on the resulting dialog will be used for saving unlinked objects or not. The script command also has its own input parameter to indicate this.
- GIC: With the GIC time-varying, spatially uniform (used for the NERC TPL calculations) the code is now about twice as fast. Most of the time is associated with formating the results, and writing them to the file. There is also a field that shows the percent complete.
- Transient Stability: Added ability to read the cmp_mo1ph model as a load component. Model is the same as a MOTORC model.
- Transient Stability: Also added the ability to read GENQECU model from a dyr file.
- Transient Stability: Signal E_FE for exciter AC8C is now available for plotting in the transient stability plot designer
- Case Information Displays: Fixed GUI display bug which caused some LimitSet fields to show up as disabled when they should not have.
- Transient Stability: Fixed bug in translating the LDTRPMON records from a DYD File
- Transient Stability: Fixed bug in reading cmpldw2 model from a DYD file
- Transient Stability: Fixed UEL2 model to be written into a dyr file with the correct name. It was showing UEL2_PTI and now will show UEL2.
Bug Fixes
August 1, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Scheduled Actions: Added log messages when the Outage system state is stored/restored
- Time Step Simulation: Added two time domain fields to show the TDateTime values (either local or UTC) since these can be used in Excel to show the date.
- Transient Stability: Fixed a bug when reading the _CMPLDW model from a dyd file. If the DGDatno was not an integer (for example -100.0 instead of -100) was not reading creating the _CMP_DER_A corresponding model. This bug was fixed and now it will create the DER model if the DGDatno number is not an integer.
Bug Fixes
July 28, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Case Information Displays: Adding additional geography fields to areas and zones, including min/max latitude/longitude values.
- Optimal Power Flow (OPF): Changed the maximum LP iteration default limit from 9999 to 50000The default was too small for large cases.
- User Interface Dialogs: Minor change of adding the ShowDialog to the superarea dialog list of areas
- User Interface Dialogs: Added ability to show area fields in the area (really TSuperAreaArea) list display on the superarea dialog.
- File Formats: When loading DYD file with LHVRT and LHFRT models we now treat all the timer parameters as optional. If they are not specified then a value of 0.0 is assumed. Previously if 0 values were now added to populate all 10 timer values then the DYD record would be ignored.
- File Formats: EPC files allow the 3rd winding of a three winding transformer to be empty. Modified writing of the GMD data to an EPC file to handle this. We now write defaults for the 3rd winding (0,'',138) number, name and kV. Also added a slight change to the logic for calculating the neutral R to write in the EPC depending on the existence of the 3rd winding.
Bug Fixes
July 26, 2023
Features and Improvements
- User Interface Dialogs: The Limit Monitoring Branch table now shows additional fields by default, which will help the user notice branches that are considered as "base case violations during Contingency Analysis"
*"Limit Used", "% Limit Used", "Violated Normal" --> referring to be base/reference system state
*"Limit Used CTG", "% Limit Used CTG", "Violated CTG" --> referring to be contingent system state - File Formats: Fixed a bug when reading the -cmp_der_a model from a dyd file. If the data ID number was not an integer (for example -100.0 instead of -100) was not reading the model. This bug was fixed and now it reads the model if the data ID number is not an integer.
Bug Fixes
July 21, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): While using the SaveCase script command, the PWB extension is now appended correctly to the saved file name, even when the "filename" variable in the script command does not contain the extension
- GIC: Added ability to manage multiple GIC efield events.
- GIC: In Time Step simulation allow the state to be stored when doing just a GIC solution; also fixed bud with Time Step Playback dialog when there are either no playback values or the dialog is closed while playing results.
- Oneline Diagrams: Added ability from the Oneline Options to quickly change the fill color of the base objects (with the filled states an example). The button to do the change is right below the background color field.
- Security Constrained OPF (SCOPF) Tool: When using the DC approximation and running a SCOPF solution, if you have either no contingencies specified, or all active contingencies do not make any changes to the reference state, then the SCOPF would calculate control sensitivities incorrectly and the SCOPF solution did not work. An odd situation, but Simulator will now properly calculate control sensitivities under these conditions.
Bug Fixes
July 12, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Scheduled Actions: Added buttons to the Scheduled Actions dialog to Revert/Restore outages at the ViewTime, added Current Action Status field to Scheduled Action objects showing the action's own Current Status (separately from the governing Group Current Status)
- Case Information Displays: Fixed a bug pasting DCTransmissionLine data from Excel. There was a conflict between "Circuit" being used as a variablename and a normal column header.
- Sensitivity Calculations: PTDF calculations for interfaces did not include the impact of load outages on other branch outages within the interface or the impact of transferring the injection point from a bus to a gen or load in the interface. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
July 11, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Sensitivity Calculations: Interface PTDFs are now modified due to the outage of a load that is defined as an interface element and the load is participating in the source or sink of the PTDF calculation.
- Sensitivity Calculations: Shift factor calculations for interfaces have been modified to include the impact of a generator or load outages that are defined as interface elements.
- Sensitivity Calculations: Shift factor, PTDF, and ATC tools now have an option called "Assumed Location of Injection for Bus" that will modify the sensitivity results to include the impact of generator or load outages if using a Bus as an injection point. The injection location can be defined as Bus, Gen, Load, or GenLoad. Choosing an option other than Bus will assume that the injection occurs at a gen or load at the bus, and if such a device is outaged due to a contingency action or action within an interface, the sensitivity will be updated accordingly.
July 10, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: Added new option for Transient Stability under Options\Power System Model\Common which allows the user to specify two new options called MOD_IslandNewCountBus and MOD_IslandNewCountGen. During a transient stability dynamic simulation, any newly created island must have at least that many buses and that many online generators to continue simulating. If a NEW island is small, then it will be numerically ignored and no longer simulated.
July 7, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: Added initial implementation of the REGC_D bus-based plant controller. This is a new controller that sits above a generator plant controller.
- Transient Stability: Added ability for the REGFM_A1 model to accept inputs from a PlantController such as REGC_A.
- Transient Stability: An access violation was caused when using the transient script command TSClearResultsFromRAM(ALL) while one of the contingencies did not have any results. This bug was fixed.
Bug Fixes
June 28, 2023
Features and Improvements
- File Formats: When reading the hdbexport netmom CSV file, we now read the ND.ELIGIBLE field: if it is FALSE, then we set the respective Simulator's Bus field Monitor = NO.
- File Formats: Added ability to read the TEID field for the records ST, ND, LD, CP, UN, SVS, LN, ZBR, XF, PS, CB, INTRFC, AUX. This field represents the "Transmission Equipment ID". We will read the field and create an object label with the syntax "TEID_12345" where the value 12345 is what is populated in the TEID field in the CSV file.
- Scheduled Actions: Added "RevertScheduledActionsAt" script command which applies the opposite of any relevant actions (e.g. Closes breakers if an Action is set to Open them). It takes 1 to 3 arguments:
WindowStart - The beginning of the window to evaluate
WindowEnd (optional) - If specified, sets the end of the window to evaluate; if not specified, only actions active at WindowStart are reverted
Filter (optional) - If specified, only Actions that meet the filter are reverted. - Transient Stability: Modified the INDMOT1P model to include new parameter Bpgas and Tpgas the add an additional term to the Mechanical Torque Equation equal to Bpgas*Speed/(1+s*Tpgas). Tpgas is a time constant to give a delayed value of rotor speed which is meant to represent the mechanical load due to the compressor gas pressure in an airconditioner compressor load. The value of delayed speed is then multiplied by the coefficient Bpgas to express how this load is weighted relative to the other mechanical load terms A, B, C0, D, and E.
- User Interface Dialogs: On Gen Run Dialog added buttons on main page for access the Area and Substation dialogs. This mimics what is aleady available on the Load Run Dialog. On the Substation Dialog added a stability page to provide quick access to stored stability data for the substation. This matches what is done on the Generator and Bus Run Dialogs.
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Device filtering for PartPoint and InterfaceElement object types was not working correctly when used with script commands. This has been fixed.
- Case Information Displays: Dragging column headings allows you to reorder the columns. A bug would occur if you dragged a column heading from one case information display over to different one and dropped it there. This has been fixed.
- General: Fixed bug in equivalencing due to not considering the load distributed MW and Mvar fields
- GIC: Making changes to allow saving GIC supplemental data import settings in the PWB and AUX
- Oneline Diagrams: Fixed bug with colormap not being restored correctly when saved with a view.
- Oneline Diagrams: Increased the default contour min,middle,max resolution to match then change we made to the overall contour resolution in 2015. This will make contours have a higher resoluation.
- Power Flow Solution: Fixed DC power flow bug for cases when there are two series phase shifters on control in series. The code now efficiently disables using one of them, but does not permanently turn it off of control.
- User Interface Dialogs: BusPair listing of violations on the Limit Monitoring Settings was not properly using the LimitSet for BusPairPercent. The contingency analysis violation was working correctly and this only impacted the GUI in the Limit Monitoring Settings.
Bug Fixes
June 9, 2023
Bug Fixes
- File Formats: Fixed a bug that was preventing the creaction of transient contingencies when loading an OTGD file.
June 7, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Available Transfer Capability (ATC) Tool: When running iterated ATC analysis using injection groups as the source and sink and using the option to maintain a constant power factor for loads, the power factor wasn't always being properly cached from the start of the run and could change over the course of the run causing bad solutions if the load crossed 0. This has been fixed.
- File Formats: When loading a RAW file using the special option "Keep all duplicates and update their IDs to make them unique", Simulator was doing this correctly for lines and gens, but was not doing this for transformers. This has been fixed so the special option is used for transformers also.
- General: Fixed an access violation that would occur when loading cases in Dynamics Studio.
- General: When using the Scale tool with injection groups and scaling load, the correct power factor wasn't always being used if using the option to maintain a constant power factor for loads. This has been fixed.
June 5, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: Added support for PNG files when saving transient stability results to an image.
- User Interface Dialogs: Added a new colormap named "IntegerB 16 Color (0-15 for Fuel Type)"
- User Interface Dialogs: Added ability to see stability results on the Generator Dialog boxes. Shows Results from RAM, but only results related to the generator for that dialog.
- Contingency Analysis: Fixed access violation which could occur when using Merit-Order scaling or tripping of an Injection Group in a contingency action or using system scaling if an Injection Group contained another Injection Group.
- Power Flow Solution: Enhancements made in December 2022 were made so that the limit monitoring settings could have labels and be read/write using labels. This was incorrectly changing some default AUX file exports to write LimitSet objects assuming that the user had defined labels which in general users will not due. This has been fixed so that LimitSet objects are written as they were previously by default.
Bug Fixes
June 1, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): An existing feature in an aux file exists when using the special string “&objecttype ‘key fields’ variablename” the key fields and variablename can be specified using the ‘@variablename’ syntax that will lookup the value to use from the specified field. An example: SetData(Load, [CustomFloat], [“&Zone ‘@ZoneNumber’ LoadMW”], All). This will set the CustomFloat field for every load to the MW value of that field’s zone.
Now the objecttype and keyfields can all be specified using a single variablename reference using &@ syntax. "&@variablename variablename1" can be used to specify both the objecttype and keyfields in variablename. If CustomString contains "Zone '1'" as an objecttype keyfield combination, the following example will do that same as the previous example: SetData(Load, [CustomFloat], "&@CustomString LoadMW"], All). - Case Information Displays: Added ability to specify an "ColorBackgroundAlternating" for case information displays. This will show alternating rows with a slightly different color.
- Fault Analysis: Added FaultAutoInsert script command. This script command uses the CTG_AutoInsert_Options object to set the options. This can be done by loading an AUX file or with the SetData command. FaultAutoInsert creates faults according to the options set.
- Scheduled Actions: Added "Fit Window To Schedules" button to automatically set the Start and End times in the Scheduled Action Dialog to fit the currently configured Schedules.
- User Interface Dialogs: The Island Dialog now shows the DC tielines. DCLines also can now show the rectified and inverter bus island numbers.
- Transient Stability: Modified the WEHGOV governor when the feedback flag is 1 to account for algebraic circular loop.
- Transient Stability: Modified the PSSE generator relays FRQDCAT and VTGTPAT so if the high values are below the low values the high value is ignored -- this is noted as a warning message. Also for VTGTPAT if the low voltage is above 2.0 (which is is for one MMWG model) there is a validation error.
- Transient Stability: Using Distributed Computing in conjunction with the Critical Clearing Time tool for Transient Stability was not functioning. This has been fixed.
- Transient Stability: Fix a bug introduced in 5/17/23 changes when using SMIB Eigenvalue tool if the user select to Store into RAM and Store into Hard Drive and the HD file location doesn't exists it was creating an access violation. Now it will create an error and will prevent the SMIB Bus tool from running until the Hard Drive location is fixed.
Bug Fixes
May 26, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Oneline Diagrams: Added more full PNG file type support.
- Available Transfer Capability (ATC) Tool: Modified the calculation of PTDFs used in ATC calculations to include the impact of losing a participation point due to a contingency outage. If a gen or load in lost due to a contingency, the impact of this injection change will cause a modification to the PTDFs used to calculate the OTDFs.
- File Formats: Fixed RAT file parsing for relay settings. The primary/secondary impedance calculations were wrong.
- Oneline Diagrams: Fixed bug in Geo Data View dialog with adding user defined colormaps.
Bug Fixes
May 25, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Transient Stability: Bug Fix for WT2G1 machine model. This bug was inadvertently introduced on May 9, 2023, which treated the first parameter as synchronous reactance, instead of stator leakage reactance. Bug fix for how WT2G is translated to WT2G1 in PSSE DYR file. The first parameter should be stator leakage reactance, instead of synchronous reactance.
May 24, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Case Information Displays: On case information displays, the option to SetAllValuesTo so for numeric fields the user can scale and/or shift all the values.
- Scheduled Actions: Some Scheduled Actions log messages can now link to the BusView of their target device
- Contingency Analysis: Fixed bug that would not apply the Custom Monitor Pre Filter correctly when the custom monitor specifies a single object to be monitored. The Pre Filter was being ignored.
- Fault Analysis: The Auto Insert Dialog from the Fault Analysis dialog was allowing you to choose either Load or BusGrouping which wouldn't insert anything. These extraneous dialog options have been removed.
- File Formats: Bug fix for writing out to RAW file -- parameters R1-2 and X1-2 and WINDV2 are now written properly according to codes CZ and CW for 2 winding transformers
- Scheduled Actions: Fixed Device Filtering for Scheduled Action Groups and Scheduled Actions
- Transient Stability: Fixed bug that would delete existing transient stability results in RAM for contingencies set to skip when running with distributed computing.
- Transient Stability: Fixed bug in ABBSVC1 in which the initial T1 state was being set not considering a < 0 constraint. This caused an initial non-zero derivative.
- Transient Stability: When using WEHGOV, if the non-linear lookup function had X-values that were out of order we were omitting all the following points on the curve. We now only ignore that points that are out of order which is consistent with how other governors are handled. Regardless, models with proper intput data are not effected.
- Transient Stability: For REEC_A and REEC_D, when the Pref input is available from a torque controller, PFlag=0 is used in the simulation.For WTGPT_A and WTPTA1 were used but no governor model present , there was an intial non-zero derivative for the the PI block. This is fixed.
- Transient Stability: When the gain (KpLoad) is zero for the supervisory load PI control, then a non-windup limit is needed on the integral state
- Transient Stability: Improvement for REEC_A/B/C/D/E modelsWhen the min/max limits on Iqv (i.e., Iql1, Iqh1) are not centered around zero, this is now indicated as a validation error, with an option to autocorrect.These should always be centered at zero, since the upstream deadband is also centered at zero.
Bug Fixes
May 17, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: Added two new fields to a TSContingency for ResultFilename and ResultDirectory. By default these are blank and the existing behavior will remain which is that hard-drive results are stored to and read from the directory specified in the Hard Drive Result Storage options and all result files are expected to have the name of the TSContingency with the appropriate extension (TSR, AUX, image file format such as JPEG, and so on). This default behavior can now be overridden by specifying either a ResultFilename or ResultDirectory.
The ResultFilename field should not include any file extension, so if a value of MyFile.tsr is specified in this field, then the actual files written out would have names such as "MyFile.tsr.tsr" and "MyFile.tsr.aux". So do not include an extension in ResultFileName.
The ResultDirectory may be either an absolute path or a relative path. An empty string means the directory specified in the Save to Hard Drive Options is used. If this is a relative path, then it will be the path relative to the RSHD_Directory path set with the Save to Hard Drive Options. If this is an absolute path it will be used directly. - Transient Stability: Modified the dialog that opens to show TSContingency objects with the multiple transient plot settings so it can be open while interacting with other dialogs. The dialog however will remain on top of the main transient stability dialog.
- Contingency Analysis: The May 3, 2023 patch broke the "Open with Breakers" features. This has been fixed.
- General: The May 3, 2023 patch broke the "Open with Breakers" features. This has been fixed.
- Scheduled Actions: Added an optional parameter to the ApplyScheduledActionsAt script command. This 4th parameter (Revert) defaults to FALSE, but if set to TRUE the command will attempt to apply the opposite action for any Scheduled Actions which would otherwise have been applied (e.g. Closing devices set to Open, Opening Breakers for devices set to Close Breakers)
- Scheduled Actions: The May 3, 2023 patch broke the "Open with Breakers" features. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
May 16, 2023
Bug Fixes
- File Formats: When loading a case that does not have a valid Case Time Stamp stored, default this date to 1/1/1970. This should fix the "Failed to set calendar date or time" error that would occur when opening the Case Description dialog.
- Scheduled Actions: Added a log message when import PowerWorld Outage CSV files indicating if an unknown ActionType is encountered and cast as "None"
May 12, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Distributed Computation: Installations now retain distributed computation security settings across patches and major releases.
- GIC: Modified GIC Scale and Stretch command to allow 0 to be treated as 1 because a value of 0 makes no sense.
May 10, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: When writing out a DYR file, added ability to translation from the models (WT2G + WT2E) to (WT2G1 + WT2E1)
- Oneline Diagrams: Added fix for access violation when right clicking on unlinked lines. Recently added code to show the device data view or in the model explorer was causing an access violation when the element was unlinked. This has been fixed.
- Scheduled Actions: Fixed an access violation if user attempts to load a blank file as a PW Outage CSV
- Scheduled Actions: Fixed an access violation if user attempts to set a blank Distributed Master Password
Bug Fixes
May 9, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Oneline Diagrams: Adding support of PNG graphics.
- Transient Stability: Transient Stability model WT2G is now translated to WT2G1 when writing a DYR file. This translation is exact only when Ra=0 in the original WT2G model.
- General: Added fix for memory leak in storage of LODF values with doubles
Bug Fixes
May 8, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Case Information Displays: Modified the new feature for maintaining the selected row in view on the case information display so that this is only done when Ctrl-Clicking on a column header or when user an option available on the Advanced Sort dialog called "Maintain Selected Row in View"
- Oneline Diagrams: The ImageDialog now has the ability to automatically update the image when one clicks on the crop/size/position fields. The functionality is fast on simple onelines, but it needs to be optional since on a complex oneline it might be too slow.
- Transient Stability: Transient Stability model WT1P_B is now translated to/from USRMDL WT12A1U_B when writing/reading a DYR file
- Transient Stability: In bug fix from May 5, 2023 for DC Line events, it was now possible for multiple events doing the same thing to show up at the same time in the ResultEvents in transient stability. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
May 5, 2023
Bug Fixes
- File Formats: When loading RAS definitions from a Areva CSV file, fixed a bug where ModelResultOverride objects without associated Model Objects were causing an access violation.
- Transient Stability: Modified DC Line transient models such as CDC1, CDC4, CDC6, EPCDC so that the timing of blocking could occur immediately upon the application of a fault. The decision to block would be made based on that immediate post-fault voltage. Previously if the voltage recovered back above the Vblock at the end of the time step it would then not block the converter.
May 4, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Transient Stability: Changed how contingencies are named when automatically inserting contingencies based on bus groupings. It was possible for contingencies to have the same name if basing the name purely on the buses that are on the outside of the grouping. This would cause contingencies to be overwritten and not all expected contingencies were created. Now if a contingency is found with the same name and the contingency actions are different, the lowest bus number internal bus will be appended to the name of the contingency to make the name unique.
- Transient Stability: Fixed bug when saving or loading CTG_AutoInsert_Options to or from an aux file when using the BUSGROUPING element type.
- Weather: Fixed how the Transient Stability\Summary\Models In Use table and Power Flow Weather Models In Use table function in case information displays. If the Weather Related Models and Information Dialog was open at the same time as the Model Explorer was showing one of these tables the software would crash. This has been fixed.
May 3, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Case Information Displays: On the Case Description page added support for an Assumed Date for Determining Inservice Devices. Currently this date is only used for determining whether generators are retired, future, or current. This date needs to be different from the case date since the case date is modified by the time step simulation. By default this date is the same as the case date.
- User Interface Dialogs: Enhanced the File Browser to return all file dates: created and last modified
- Available Transfer Capability (ATC) Tool: When attempting to ramp an ATC transfer with a negative step and the full step amount could not be achieved, the process could stop prematurely without attempting the full step in smaller steps due to a tolerance bug. This has been fixed.
- Case Information Displays: Generally fixed issues with displaying and switching between filters when filtering display objects. Filters for display objects will now show up in the list of filters in both the Model Explorer and Display Explorer. This will allow them to be saved to and loaded from auxiliary files. All filters will be saved to PWB files, but only filters that are used with dynamic formatting, contours, geographic data view styles, and select by criteria sets will be saved to PWD files or AXD files of complete onelines.
- Contingency Analysis: When auto inserting contingencies by bus grouping, groups with only 1 bus were not being named using the grouping convention to name based on the outside buses of the boundary lines. This has been fixed so these contingencies are named consistently.
- Scheduled Actions: Fixed a bug in Open Breakers actions where already-isolated elements were misidentified as unable to be isolated
Fixed the Current Status and InOutage fields to properly reflect the current state of Scheduled Action application - Time Step Simulation: Fixed a few bugs with loading aux files into the Time Step Simulation form, and on the Modal Analysis Frequency dialog added the ability to scale the mode values on the transfer.
Bug Fixes
April 21, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Transient Stability: Added support for a new machine model named REGFM_A1 for a grid-forming converter model designed by PNNL.
- Transient Stability: Improved Algebraic Network Boundary equation solutions at the time of fault or fault clearing for the REGC_B, REGC_C, REGFM_A1 and DER_A machine models.
- Case Information Displays: Fixed bug with the wrong object type being used in the Advanced Filter dialog when the dialog is opened using the Find button on the Filter toolbar.
- File Formats: When loading a DYD file if duplicate _cmp_der_a or _cmp_dgpv with the same data number (such as -103) were read an error occurred. This has been fixed so that whatever the final entry read will be maintained.
- GIC: Fixed GIC scripting issues and added the GIC script command GICTimeVaryingClearB3D to clear out the b3D data. It has three boolean paraments. If the first is "Yes" then clear the file name, if the second is "Yes" then clear the GIC data, if the third is yes then clear the time points. All three default to yes, so the command can be called with no parameters.
- Transient Stability: For both the PlayInGen and InfiniteBusSignalGen machine models, when Rth was not 0 there was a bug. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
April 19, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Scheduled Actions: Added "Apply Only Filtered Actions" to the Scheduled Actions Options tab; if enabled, the Advanced Filter settings on the Scheduled Actions grid will determine which Actions are actually applied to the case.
- Simulator Automation Server (SimAuto): SimAuto instances now run at Below Normal priority level to allow all cores on a machine to be used without danger of locking up the user interface.
- Transient Stability: Added REEC_E Exciter Transient Model.
April 18, 2023
Bug Fixes
- File Formats: Fixed a bug with reading transient stability DC Lines models from a dyd file. The DC Line was read incorrectly because it was expected the DC line id after the second bus and that was causing an error in the format and couldn't add the transient model. That issue was solved and reading the ID in the correct string order was added. Also writing the transient DC line model was corrected to follow the same format.
- File Formats: Fixed error in reading the USRMDL relays models VTGTPA, VTGDCA, FRQTPA, and FRQDCA. Multiple instances at a single generator were not being read properly.
April 17, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Bus View and Substation View Onelines: Forward and backward mouse buttons now work for moving backward and forward in bus views and substation views.
- Transient Stability: Fixed a bug with the Transient Stability Contingency Dialog. When inserting a Generator Event with the dialog, the set By "Percentage of Start" was not working with the dialog. It was working with an aux file and during the simulation.
Bug Fixes
April 13, 2023
Bug Fixes
- File Formats: It was possible to assign an invalid Control Mode to a Switched Shunt that would result in access violations when restoring the system state as part of contingency analysis, and possibly elsewhere. The Control Mode would make it appear that the switched shunt was an SVC, but it was really an invalid type. When loading a PWB file with this incorrect control mode the control mode is now set to Fixed. The error most likely originated from loading a RAW file with a switched shunt control mode of 6 that is not supported in Simulator. When loading RAW files with this control mode the mode is now set to Fixed.
April 11, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Contingency Analysis Tool: Added option to use branch Normal Status when determining Bus Groupings as a standalone or as part of auto inserting contingencies.
- GIC: Added a GIC script command for setting up the time-varying series. Also added logging when the time-varying series is setup and made functions for some of the more common script processes.
- GIC: Added script command GICSetupTimeVaryingSeries(aStartTimeSec,aEndTimeSec,aDeltaTime) to update the time-varying values; for all time using parameters of 0,0,0,
- GIC: added another parameter to the GICShiftOrStretchInputPoints command to update the time-varying values with a default of "YES"
- GIC: added a log entry whenever the time-varying series is updated.
- Oneline Diagrams: Fixed minor bug with TS Contour Toolbar contour dialog being opened when there is no oneline
- Oneline Diagrams: On a oneline with a large number of Geo Data View objects, it could take a long time to delete an object. This has been fixed.
- User Interface Dialogs: Fixed showing generator ID on the Breaker Isolated Groups generator table.
Bug Fixes
April 6, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): In script command "SendToExcel", the "workbookname" and "worksheetname" parameters will let the use of the special keywords @DATETIME, @DATE, @TIME, @BUILDDATE, @VERSION, @CASENAME, @CASEFILENAME, and @CASEFILEPATH.
- Case Information Displays: When sorting on Case Information Displays now if the present view of the display is not near the top of bottom of the list of objects, Simulator will now automatically navigate to the presently selected object in the table after completing the sort.
- Scheduled Actions: Added TimeProfile to Scheduled Action Groups, which can be Continuous or Daily
- Continuous groups are active continuously between the StartTime and EndTime
- Daily groups are active every day from the day of StartTime to the day of EndTime, between the time of StartTime and the time of EndTime - Sensitivity Calculations: Added a TBus field to show whether there are any connected closed generators, loads or shunts (including the fixed ones). This is a useful field by itself, but it is also now used in the alternative solution check to not say those buses have converged to an alternative solution.
- Sensitivity Calculations: Modified the LikelyLowSolution field for a Bus so that it only returns YES if a bus meets all the following
1. dV/dQ < 0
2. Not connected to any branch with a negative (excluding 3-winding transformer windings)
3. Has at least one closed generator, load, or shunt
Criteria #3 was added to eliminate falsely flagged buses in some situations. A bus must have some load, gen, or shunt in order for those injections to push the local system to voltage collapse. - Sensitivity Calculations: Modified Bus field HasNegativeReactanceBranches so it always return NO if the bus is an internal star bus of a three-winding transformer.
- Transient Stability: When using Distributed computing in transient stability and you want to change the mode to to "One Contingency at a Time" that will now be allowed to be done without the need for the user to go to the Options and unchecked the "Use Distributed Computing" Option. Once you initially checked the "Use Distributed Computing" checked box a similar option will appear below the Process Multiple contingency options. However, when running One contingency at a time, will not allow the use of distributed computing and as soon as you select the One contingency at a time option it will automatically uncheck the Use Distributed Computing option .
- Transient Stability: Added a new Paux Controller PAUXSS1A.
- Case Information Displays: Fixed secondary filtering of a ContingencyElement, RemedialActionElement, and other similar objects.
- Case Information Displays: TSContingency and TSContingencyElement objects can now be filtered using the following secondary filter object types: Bus, Gen, Load, SwitchedShunt, Branch, Interface, InjectionGroup, DCLine, Area, and LineShunt. TSContingency objects can be filtered using TSContingencyElement filters and TSContingencyElement objects can be filtered using TSContingency filters.
- Contingency Analysis: Fixed access violation that could result if any contingency generator actions for Move, Change By, or Set To are specified for a generator rather than a bus.
- Contingency Analysis: Made significant changes to the Bus Grouping option when auto inserting contingencies. This option uses the Implicit Breakers field specified with buses to create contingencies.
- Difference Case Tool: Difference Case Change Mode Tolerances for Substation Latitude, Longitude, UTM Northing, and UTM Easting were not being applied. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
March 29, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Power Flow Solution: Power Flow Solution
When EvalSolutionIsland = YES, a solution only terminates if ALL viable islands in the case fail to converge.
Added a new option EvalSolutionIslandRequireLargest that when set to YES also requires that the island with the largest number of buses in it must converge.
March 28, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Power Flow Solution: When automatically detecting parallel transformers to ensure taps ratios and regulated buses are consistent, PowerWorld Simulator uses the ZBRThreshold user-input parameter to determine groupings of buses considered the same electrical point. This ZBRThreshold is also used with generator voltage regulation and making the ZBRThreshold too large can cause numerical problems. Transformer tap and regulated bus tests for parallel transformers are not as sensitive to this threshold however, so a larger threshold is useful so that more parallel transformers can be auto-detected. This patch increases the impedance threshold for the purposes of transformers taps to be 4 times the ZBRThreshold. For example, if ZBRThreshold = 0.00029, then for transformers tap tests we will use a value of 0.00116 instead.
- Scheduled Actions: Update PowerWorld Outage CSV to allow for unmapped actions with unknown device types
- Distributed Computation: Fixed a bug generating an error when DistributedComputer credentials were being encrypted. This bug was only in the recently released Version 23.
Bug Fixes
March 24, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Bus View and Substation View Onelines: Modified the Bus View edit box for show the presently selected bus to accept a PASTE action when the paste comes from a spreadsheet.
- Oneline Diagrams: Added Case Info option in the Geographic Data View submenu to show the closest objects.
- Sensitivity Calculations: Every object that has a geographic location (or can estimate one from the underlying objects), now has available fields named RefDistanceMile and RefDistancekm which shows the distance of an object from a user-specified reference point. The reference point can be set on a dialog available from the right-click menu of a case information display under the Geographic Data View submenu. This can be used with objects such as a generator or load which obtain their geographic location from either the bus or substation object, or from more abstract objects such as a RemedialAction or Interface that obtain their geographic location from the average value of objects that they contain.
- User Interface Dialogs: Every object that has a geographic location (or can estimate one from the underlying objects), now has available fields named RefDistanceMile and RefDistancekm which shows the distance of an object from a user-specified reference point. The reference point can be set on a dialog available from the right-click menu of a case information display under the Geographic Data View submenu. This can be used with objects such as a generator or load which obtain their geographic location from either the bus or substation object, or from more abstract objects such as a RemedialAction or Interface that obtain their geographic location from the average value of objects that they contain.
March 23, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Integrated Topology Processing (ITP): Fixed a bug causing a list index out of bounds error when running an SCOPF solution using Integrated Topology Processing when using the DC approximation.
- Security Constrained OPF (SCOPF) Tool: Fixed a bug causing a list index out of bounds error when running an SCOPF solution using Integrated Topology Processing when using the DC approximation.
March 22, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Available Transfer Capability (ATC) Tool: On the ATC dialog the case information displays that list the object changes for multiple scenarios cannot be modified to show different fields. This makes it difficult to save the individual scenario object types with the correct fields directly from their case information displays. The "Save As Auxiliary FIle (x Scenarios)" option found on the local menu for each object type will now save all objects for a scenario type along with the appropriate fields for updating and creating these objects. They are saved in the same manner as they are saved when using the Save Settings button on the ATC dialog to save all ATC settings. A prompt prior to saving the file will allow user input for which key field type to use. If Labels are being used and not all objects have labels, the resulting aux file will be split into objects using labels and objects using primary keys when labels aren't defined.
- Case Information Displays: Added 4 more new generator fields the folder for "Mvar Output\Capability Curve Range\"
CapCurveMvarMinAtMWMin, CapCurveMvarMinAtMWMax, CapCurveMvarMaxAtMWMin, CapCurveMvarMaxAtMWMax
- Case Information Displays: Some additional generator fields for showing the retirements and inservice dates, and the EIA860 identifiers.
- Scheduled Actions: Added ability to create unmapped Scheduled Actions reading in PW Outage CSV files
- Scheduled Actions: Added a read-only Log field to Scheduled Action objects to display any issues that arise when the action is applied.
- User Interface Dialogs: Modified the default "Dark Blue" Color Scheme to modify the color of the caption for the active form to a dark color to match the Ribbon. This make it so when a form is maximized you can better see the Minimize/Maximize/Restore/Close icons in the upper right of the form. These buttons get integrated into the Ribbon when the form is maximized so the color schemes need to match the ribbon.
- Transient Stability: Patch: Bug fix. REPC_B model is now written out as PLNTBU1, REAX3U1, and REAX4U1 models in the PSSE DYR file format.
Bug Fixes
March 16, 2023
Bug Fixes
- Scheduled Actions: Fixed a bug where assigning ScheduledActionGroup a filter could cause the software to hang.
- User Interface Dialogs: When viewing the list of line shunts that belong to a branch when clicking the Line Shunts button on the branch dialog, all shunts belonging to that line should be displayed and no Advanced Filtering or Area/Zone/Owner filtering should be applied. Filtering had been applied and this has been fixed.
March 8, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Oneline Diagrams: Changed GDVs to make it easier to work with large numbers of GDVs. The only user change is there is now a GDV Style option that controls the minimum pixel size of text to display. This defaults to 6 vertical pixels. This avoids spending lots of time waiting for a display to show text that can't be read.
- Scheduled Actions: Added a new Scheduled Actions Script Command:
ApplyScheduledActionsAtCurrentViewTime(StartTime, [EndTime], [Filter])
This command applies any scheduled actions which meet the specified filter which are active during the window of time between StartTime and EndTime. If EndTime is not specified, only actions active at StartTime are applied; if no filter is specified, no filter is applied. - Transient Stability: Added a new TS Gen event that allows an event to set the playin voltage magnitude and speed values. The events is valid for the Gen, Set Values to or Change Values Type. Set the Action Type to PlayIn Voltage Mag, Speed.
March 3, 2023
Features and Improvements
- Scheduled Actions: Added ActionAllow column to PowerWorld Outage CSV format to map to the action's AllowActive field.