Software Patches

May 18, 2018

Features and Improvements

  • Auxiliary Files (SCRIPT and DATA Sections): Modified the OpenCase scripts command for EPC files to have an extra parameter (MSDummyBus). The options are FROM, MAX or the range (ex. 99960-99975, 99980). Example script command would be
    OpenCase("filename", GE, [MAINTAIN,2.0,YES,"99960-99975, 99990-99994"]);
    OpenCase("filename", GE, [MAINTAIN,2.0,YES,FROM]);
    OpenCase("filename", GE, [MAINTAIN,2.0,YES,MAX]);
  • Bus View and Substation View Onelines: On the Bus View, added ability to bring up the dialog for VSC DC Line or a Multi-terminal DC line when right-clicking on the background lines that are drawn to represent them.
  • File Formats: Modified the options for numbering dummy buses of multi-section lines when loading an EPC file. The options can now be to the dummy bus from the FROM bus (as before), from the Max number of bus available or from a range.
  • Integrated Topology Processing (ITP): When looking for breakers to open to disconnect devices or close to connect devices, breakers that were connected strictly in series with a switched shunt were excluded. This effectively looks for switched shunts that are connected radially to the system. This was to prevent switched shunts from being connected/disconnected incorrectly if they were connected to a tap point on a line. If a switched shunt itself was to be connected/disconnected the breakers in series with that shunt would still be switched. Changes have been made to how this works:
    (1) This check is now done for generators and loads in addition to switched shunts.
    (2) There are options that allow disconnects that are normally closed to be closed when closing breakers to energize a device or disconnects that are normally open to be opened when opening breakers to disconnect a device. These disconnects are now checked and if they are in series with shunt devices that are not the specific device to be closed they will not switch.
  • Power Flow Solution: In full topology models, the automatic control on discrete shunts may set the switched shunts to 0.0 Mvar. Previously in Simulator those shunts that are set back to 0.0 MW would remain online and their breakers would not automatically be OPENED. This new patch modifies this so that a similar process that is used to "close breaker to energize shunts" will also look to "open breakers to isolate shunts at 0.0 MW". This will only be used if the option to "Close Breakers to Energize Switched Shunts" is used and the option to "Use Topology Processing" is used.
  • PV and QV Curve (PVQV) Tool: Added ability to specify the Font Size on the plot definition as follows
    Vertical Axis Group Labels
    SubPlot Horizontal Axis Labels
    SubPlot Legend Labels
  • Transient Stability: Modified the default parameters for the REPC_B model. Previously Pmin=0; Pmax=2.0; femax=1.0; femin=-1.0.
    This made sense for the REPC_A model on which this is based where the output represented the Pref of a single generator. However, for REPC_B, the value Pext represents the DEVIATION of power from the initial starting point and thus using Pmin=0 was inappropriate as a default. Devalut values have been changed to Pmin=-99; Pmax=99.0; femax=99.0; femin=-99.0.
  • Transient Stability: Added ability to specify the Font Size on the plot definition as follows
    Vertical Axis Group Labels
    SubPlot Horizontal Axis Labels
    SubPlot Legend Labels
  • Bug Fixes

    • File Formats: When loading a RAW file without explicitly specifying how to number three-winding star buses, the default option specified on the Simulator options was not being used properly This has been fixed.
    • Transient Stability: Fixed an error in the treatment of the MVABase parameter of the REPC_A and REPC_B models. Regardless of the use input value, Simulator was always treating that value as a zero. For REPC_A model, if MVABase=0, then we treat the value as the generator MVABase, while for REPC_B, we treat the value as the system MVA Base. It will now use the value if given.