March 21, 2025
Features and Improvements
- Case Information Displays: Added a new field CountTransformer (Number Of\Transformers ) for both a Bus, Zone, Area, and Substation object to show the number of Transformers attached to the Bus, or at buses inside the groupings.
- Case Information Displays: Added new fields for a Bus object named ZBRGenList, ZBRRegBusList, ZBRRegBusConflict, ZBRVoltSetList, and ZBRVoltSetConflict. These fields are then shown on a new case information display available in the Model Explorer under Solutions Details\Regulating Buses Multiple Local. The fields are populated with information when grouping of buses connected by low impedance branches have multiple generators connected to them. They will then show a list of bus number of regulated buses and a list of voltage setpoint voltages, and if there are multiples of these representing a conflict field will say YES. This can be helpful in debugging conflicting input data that is not as obvious as generators at the same bus having different regulation buses or setpoints.
- File Formats: Simulator Version 24 reads the RAW file field for a Branch and Transformer called NAME as an object label. For many years, PowerWorld has also seen RAW files in particular written out of EMS systems that included special syntax inside of Comment strings at the end of RAW file records. These comments included an object label inside of square brackets. This ad-hoc syntax had been used for years by customers to include labels. The original release of Simulator 24 read both of these locations as a label, but the NAME field was given priority and set as the Primary Label inside Simulator. Users however are finding that the values in the comment are more predictably set as labels, so we have changed it so the ad-hoc syntax in the comment string is set as the primary label instead.
- Oneline Diagrams: When reading a Shapefile (*.shp) into a oneline, Simulator will now look inside the PRJ file (if available) at the PROJECTION specified. If the PRJ file has a PROJECTION equal to "Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere" then Simulator will automatically assume it map projection that is very commonly used for Shapefiles associated with website platforms such as Google Maps, Bing Maps, and so on. When this is detected now, Simulator will automatically convert the coordinates in the SHP files to Latitude/Longitude coordinates using this assumed map projection. In older versions of Simulator the user could click a button on the Modify Tab of the Shapefile import form, but this will now be done immediately upon loading the file.
- Oneline Diagrams: Fixed bug when loading a Shapefile (*shp) if a companion Projection file (*.prj) did not exist. The PRJ file should not be required when reading the SHP file, but an error would appear saying that the file could not be found.
Bug Fixes
March 18, 2025
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): The DetermineShortestPath script command was not correctly reading the parameter for BranchDistanceMeasure resulting in a returned error. This has been fixed.
- Contingency Analysis Tool: Fixed linear methods for calculating contingency actions for setting or changing an injection group in merit order. Actions using merit order open were correctly implemented.
- Contingency Analysis Tool: When using linear methods for calculating contingencies, the accounting of the gen or load dropped by injection group Set To and Change By actions used when reporting results was not correct. This has been fixed.
- File Formats: The features added over the last couple patch related to the problem in many RAW files where disconnected generators, loads, and shunt were still providing MW and Mvar to the system has been confirmed as a known problem in the RAW file solutions. This patch modified the dialog appearing telling the user about this problem so the dialog is informational only. PowerWorld will now always close in switching devices to replicate the MW/Mvar flows of the incorrect RAW file solution.
- GIC: Mostly minor changes, including 1) updating the GMD code to show support for TLP-007-4, 2) starting to add support for the new geomagnetic north pole locations, 3) support for viewing GIC files in the file browser, 4) adding an automatic upload of the region buses when they are loaded from an aux file.
- User Interface Dialogs: Added support for user interaction with the Message Log using the Mouse Wheel and keyboard UpArrow, DownArrow, PageUp and PageDown keys.
MouseWheel up and down will scroll the messages log without changing selection.
Ctrl+MouseWheel will zoom in and out (change font size).
Shift+MouseWheel will expand the selection up or down by one row.
Up/Down Arrow will move the selection up/down one row.
Shift+Up/DownArrow will expand the selection up/down one row.
Ctrl+Up/Down will zoom in and out (change font size).
PageUp/PageDown will move the selection up/down the number of visible rows.
Shift+PageUp/PageDown will expand the selection up/down the number of visible rows.
Ctrl+PageUp/PageDown will zoom in and out faster (change font size).
March 14, 2025
Features and Improvements
- Case Information Displays: When right-clicking on a case information display and choosing "Set all Values To", the dialog box that appears will now automatically have the edit box for entering a value focused so you can immediately start typing the number.
- Case Information Displays: Fixed various location where copy/pasting the Latitude and Longitude field into a table was not working.
- Case Information Displays: Generator, Load, and SwitchedShunt objects were not working when copy/pasting (or loading from a CSV) because it would say the key fields were missing, even though the ID field was there. This was NOT impacting auxiliary files, but was unique bug to copy/pasting (or loading from a CSV) which were based on column headings.
- File Formats: The March 12, 2025 patch of Simulator 24 had a bug that would impact the ability of the March 5, 7, and 10 patches ability to read the PWB file produced. The PWB file would still read find in the March 12 patch of Simulator 24, but not the previous patches of Version 24. This patch fixes it so PWB files created are read correctly by all Version 24 patches.
- Transient Stability: Eliminated a validation warning message for svsmo1,2 and3 about "The transient Xc parameter is different from the power flow Xc value". This message was created by mistake, even when the parameters were the same. If they are different values, that is handled in the initialization of the model and do not need a validation warning. The validation warning was removed from every situation.
Bug Fixes
March 12, 2025
Features and Improvements
- Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Updated the Move script command to accept labels to specify the branch and also accept a bus label instead of a bus number for the destination
- File Formats: The Limit Monitoring option for "Do not monitor radial lines and buses" is no automatically reset to unchecked when loading a new RAW or EPC file. Previously it would remain at whatever setting it had before opening the RAW or EPC file.
- File Formats: In the previous patch, features were added when loading a RAW file that were locating incorrect treatment in RAW file solutions if FixedNumBus with a mixture of Connected and Disconnected substation node statuses. This patch introduces features to automatically determine switching devices that could be closed to match the incorrect RAW file solution and prompt the user asking them if they would like us to close these switching devices.
- Oneline Diagrams: Added Region Display Styles for creating automated oneline displays from geographic Region objects.
- Transient Stability: When a vertical axis is set to ScaleMinAuto and ScaleMaxAuto the axis extremes are calculated automatically, however PowerWorld has always internally ensured that the range at least shows a variation in the 5th significant digit. A new option has been added to allow the user to specify a ScaleAutoRangeMin. This will ensure that the auto extremes calculated are enforce that (AutoMax - AutoMin) >= ScaleAutoRangeMin. If the range is less than this then the new range will be set to the average of the AutoMax and AutoMin plus/minus the ScaleAutoRangeMin/2.
NewAutoMax = (AutoMax + AutoMin)/2 + ScaleAutoRangeMin/2
NewAutoMin = (AutoMax + AutoMin)/2 - ScaleAutoRangeMin/2 - Transient Stability: When ScaleMinAuto and ScaleMaxAuto are both set to YES and the user sets a value for ScaleInc, modified so that the maximum value used for an increment will be (Max-Min)/2 so at a minimum 3 points will be labels on the vertical axis. This prevents situations such as ScaleInc being set to 0.05 when the automatically determine Max is 1.02 and Min is 1.01 which would create a Y-axis without any scale because the increment was too big.
- Oneline Diagrams: The local menu when right-clicking on a branch display object on a oneline shows the From and To bus numbers listed at the top of the menu. The "To:" was not propertly showing the To bus but was instead just repeating the From bus. This has been fixed.
Bug Fixes
March 10, 2025
Features and Improvements
- File Formats: PowerWorld has found many RAW files with FixedNumBus groupings with a mixture of Nodes with Connected and Disconnected Status. At some of these nodes with Mixed Status, there are generator, load or shunt objects that meet the following criteria (1) Terminal is at a disconnected node, (2) device status = 1, and (3) MW or Mvar injection exists. Because the terminal nodes are disconnected for these devices by substation switching devices, they can not provide injection to the system. PowerWorld has found many RAW file solutions that have these disconnected devices supplying or absorbing power. Various messages log information is now displayed when this is encountered along with recommended switching devices that can be closed to replicated the RAW file solution.
- Transient Stability: Implemented a new UEL2CPTI model, that is created when reading in the UEL2C model record in a PTI DYR file. This new model has extra model parameters compared to a UEL2C model GE DYD file -- (i) an extra 11th pair (P10, Q10) in the lookup table, (ii) an extra limit pair (VULmax/min) on the VUEL output signal, and (iii) an extra parameter (Quad) that allows the lookup table to be used as mirrored around the MVAR axis when MW values are negative. This extra parameters are read/written from the text formats, and the are fully implemented during the dynamic simulation.
March 7, 2025
Features and Improvements
- Bus View and Substation View Onelines: Added a new visualization for Bus View to show "Consolidate FixedNumBus Splits" which will generally show FixedNumBus groupings but will automatically split up those groupings if there are multiple Superbus within the group. This ensures that the user can always see open breakers that have split the FixedNumBus
- Bus View and Substation View Onelines: Modified the "Consolidated Superbus" BusView to highlight other SuperBus which would be part of the Superbus if switching devices were closed or other things preventing consolidation were ignored.
- Bus View and Substation View Onelines: Modified the "Consolidated FixedNumBus" BusView to visualize the splits created by the open switching devices.
- Case Information Displays: A new field was added to a Bus, Gen, Load, and Shunt object called Solution\Status FixedNumBus. Shows either Disconnected, Connected, Mixed, Connected2, Mixed2, and so on. If all buses in the FixedNumBus are Disconnected it will show Disconnected. If all are Connected, then it will show Connected followed by the number of unique SuperBus that are inside the FixedNum Bus if more than 2. If there is are both Connected and Disconnected buses, then it will say Mixed.
- File Formats: When loading in other file formats, PowerWorld would set a bus' voltage could be set equal to another bus if it was radial to the other bus and also had no load, generation, or shunts. This improved solution convergence is cases written in other file formats. A message log is now written indicating this is happening.
- Transient Stability: Added support to read and write to a dyd file for the transient models OEL4C and OEL5C.
- Transient Stability: On generator dialog when adding a model the dialog which appears had the "folder icon" and the "blue dot icon" flipped. This has been fixed
- Transient Stability: Access violation bug when using certain system or groups transient model (like system wide WSCC load model) and opening a table of the transient models in the Model Explorer. Now the access violation will not occur.
- User Interface Dialogs: Changes were made to the look and feel of the selected text in the Message Log in Simulator 24. These changes caused the font size of the message log to be ignored and unchangeable. This has been fixed.