PowerWorld Simulator version 11. Manual

Getting Started With PowerWorld

Program Toolbar

The Program Toolbar gives you the ability to switch between the program’s Edit and Run Modes and to control various

aspects of the Power Flow Solution.

The options available on the program toolbar include:

Abort

Terminates the current Power Flow Solution. If the application is performing a timed simulation, pressing the abort

button will pause the simulation. See PowerWorld Simulation Control for more details.

Edit Mode

Switches the program to Edit Mode, which can be used to build a new case or to modify an existing one.

Run Mode

Switches the program to Run Mode, which can be used to perform a single Power Flow Solution or a timed

simulation with animation.

Script Mode

Opens the Script dialog, which can be used to call script commands or open auxiliary files containing script

commands and data modifications.

Log

Toggles the display of the message log window. The log window shows what is going on with the Power Flow

Solution process and may prove useful when you are trying to track down a problem with a non-converging model.

Single Solution - Full Newton (Run Mode only)

Performs a single solution of the power flow equations, as opposed to a timed simulation. The Single Solution

button allows you to use Simulator as a standalone power flow.

Getting Started With PowerWorld

Case Information Toolbar

The Case Information Toolbar provides easy access to many Case Information Display options for formatting and

customizing a list display.

Options

Invokes a drop down menu similar to the Case Information Display options dialog. See Configuring the Case

Information Displays for more details.

Copy All

The Copy All menu option copies the entire record set contained in the case information display to the Windows

clipboard, from which it can be copied into other programs such as Excel for further analysis. See Copying

Simulator Data to and from Other Applications for more details.

Copy Selection

The Copy Selection menu option copies the records selected in the case information display to the Windows

clipboard, from which the selection can be copied into other programs such as Microsoft Excel for further analysis.

See Copying Simulator Data to and from Other Applications for more details.

Paste

Select Paste from the local menu to copy a record set from the Windows clipboard into the case information display.

See Copying Simulator Data to and from Other Applications for more details.

Find

Use the Find local menu option to retrieve a record pertaining to a particular element. Choosing Find from toolbar

opens the Find Dialog Box, which is used to find records pertaining to an element identified by either number or

name.

Invokes the Search for Text dialog; allows you to search for specific text in a case information display.

Show Dialog

Selecting the Show Dialog option will invoke a dialog box containing more detailed information and settings

regarding the corresponding system object. For example, clicking Show Dialog while a Bus Case Information

Display is the active window opens the Bus Information Dialog.

Display/Column Options

The contents and format of the information display can be controlled using the Case Information Display Dialog.

See Configuring the Case Information Displays for more details.

Use Area/Zone/Owner Filters

Filters displayed records by selections made on the Area/Zone/Owner Filters display.

Set Area/Zone/Owner Filters

Opens the Area/Zone/Owner filter display for setting the areas, zones or owners for which the filter should apply.

Advanced Filter

Allows the user to custom filter the information in the display based on desired criteria. See Advanced Filtering for

more information.

Advanced Sort

Allows the user to custom sort the information in the display based on desired criteria. See Case Information

Display: Sorting Records for more information.

Refresh Display

Select this option to update the currently displayed data to match the present state of the system.

Get Column Metrics

This option allows you to compute the metrics for the selected column. Choosing Get Column Metrics from the

local menu will bring the Grid Metrics Dialog. This option is only available for columns whose content is numeric.

Auto Size all Column Widths

Getting Started With PowerWorld

Zoom Toolbar

To display large detailed power systems, Simulator’s onelines possess zooming and panning capabilities. The Zoom

Toolbar enables you to prescribe a zoom level either by directly specifying a zoom value or by selecting a rectangular

region of the diagram on which to focus. In addition, this toolbar enables you to save a view location, or recall a

previously saved view location. This toolbar also links to a dialog box from which you can select a bus on which to

center the display. See Zooming and Panning for more information.

This toolbar contains the following default buttons, in order from left to right:

· Zoom Area

· Zoom In

· Zoom Out

· Present Zoom Level

· Show Full Oneline

· Find Object on Oneline

· Save Oneline Views

· Show Screen Layers Display

Solution Options Toolbar

The Solution Options Toolbar provides access to most of the solution options contained in the Solution Options dialog

in an individual manner through menu commands.

This toolbar contains the following default buttons, in order from left to right:

· Open the Solution Options

· Enable/Disable Using DC Approximation

· Solution Tolerance

· Maximum Solution Iterations

· Enable/Disable Only One Iteration

· Enable/Disable Enforcing Generator MW Limits

· Enable/Disable Automatic Generation Control (ACE)

· Enable/Disable Generator MVAR Checking

· Enable/Disable Switched Shunt Control

· Enable/Disable Transformer LTC Control

· Enable/Disable Phase Shifter Control

· Enable/Disable Balancing Parallel LTC Taps

· Enable/Disable Checking Generator MVAR Immediately

· Maximum Outer Control Loop Iterations

Getting Started With PowerWorld

Animated Flows Options Toolbar

The Animated Flows Options Toolbar provides access to most of the solution options contained in the Animated Flows

Options dialog in an individual manner through menu commands.

Animation Options

Invokes a drop down menu representative of the Animated Flows Options dialog.

Show

Determines whether power flows are animated on the onelines. If this option is not checked, then no flow symbols

appear on the oneline.

Flow Visualization Type

Animated flows on onelines may depict either actual power flows or power transfer distribution factors, depending

on what you choose here. You can also now choose to animate both the MW and MVAR flows or the MW and

PTDF flows simultaneously.

Animated Flow Density

Determines the relative density of the animated flows on the devices. Increasing this value causes Simulator to

display a greater number of flow symbols per unit distance on the oneline. This value may range from 1 to 999.

Animated Flow Size

Determines the relative size of the animated flows on the devices. Increasing this number increases the size of the

flow symbols. This field may range from 1 to 999.

Automatically Set Size, Density, and Parameters for this oneline

Simulator detects the current zoom level and object parameters of the selected oneline diagram, and automatically

adjusts the animation settings in an attempt to optimize the animation quality.

Animate Flows

This option determines whether or not the flow arrows are mobile or stationary on the oneline diagram. If the button

is depressed, the flow arrows are mobile..

Animate Size

If depressed, the size of the animation symbols will vary to represent the quantity of flow on the element (respective

of the Animation Parameter.) Otherwise, the symbol size will be the same on all devices regardless of the quantity

represented.

Scale Speed of Flows

If depressed, the arrows flow at a speed proportional to the represented quantity. If not depressed, all arrows move

at the same speed.

Toolbars Customization

To access the Customize Toolbar dialog, select Window > Toolbars > Customize… or right-click on any toolbar and

select Customize…

The dialog has three tabs: Toolbars, Commands and Options.

Toolbars Tab

This tab sheet allows the user to:

Rename a toolbar

Delete a toolbar

Activate or deactivate a toolbar

Click the check box to activate (or deactivate) the specific toolbar.

Add a new toolbar

Click the New button and assign the toolbar a name.

Add commands to the toolbar using the Commands tab.

Reset a toolbar

Click the Reset… button to reset the currently highlighted toolbar in the Toolbars list box to the state it was in

when Simulator was installed.

A prompt appears, asking if the user really wants to reset the changes made to the toolbar. Click Yes to

confirm the resetting.

Getting Started With PowerWorld

Commands Tab

This tab sheet allows the user to add (or remove) icons and commands to (or from) menus and toolbars.

To add a command to a toolbar or menu:

Select the command category in the Categories list box. The commands available appear in the Commands

list box.

Click on a command in the commands list box and drag it to an existing menu or toolbar.

An I-beam appears when the cursor is placed over a valid position to drop the command.

Release the mouse button at the position you want the command inserted.

Notes:

A small button appears at the tip of the mouse pointer when you drag a command. A bold X below the pointer

means that the command cannot be dropped at the current cursor position.

The bold X changes to a + sign when the mouse moves over a toolbar or menu.

Placing the cursor over a drop-down menu item opens the associated menu. You may then drag and drop

the command at the desired location in the menu.

Commands can be placed in menus or tool bars. If you created you own toolbar you can populate it with your

own commands/icons.

To remove a menu, command or toolbar icon:

Click on the menu name, menu entry, or toolbar icon you want to remove. Next, drag the item off of all

toolbars and menus.

Release the mouse button when the + symbol below the mouse pointer changes to a bold X.

Options Tab

This tab sheet allows the user to set general environment settings.

Menus show recently used commands first

Check this box if you want the menus to show your recently used command first.

Show full menus after a short delay

Check this box if you want the full menus be shown after a short delay. This option is only active if the preceding

option is checked

Reset my usage data

Click this button to reset the usage data, which includes the information about the recently used commands.

Large icons

Check this box to use larger versions of the icons, instead of the standard size icons.

Show ToolTips on toolbars

Check this box to display a popup ToolTip when the mouse pointer is placed over an icon in any of the icon

toolbars. The popup contains a short description of the icon function, as well as the associated keyboard shortcut, if

one has been assigned.

Show shortcut keys in ToolTips

Check this box to have the shortcut displayed in the ToolTip.

Menu animations

Animation options include (None), Random, Slide and Unfold.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Relationship Between Display Objects and the Power System Model

Display Object: An item shown on a oneline diagram. Display objects typically have an associated model object.

Examples include buses, transmission lines, transformers, generators and loads. Display objects not associated with

a model object are called unlinked objects.

Model Object: A power system element contained in a case.

A key strength of the Simulator is its ability to allow users to manipulate a power system model graphically. This

capability greatly simplifies the work involved in developing or maintaining a power system case for both novice and

advanced users. However, it is important to keep in mind the distinction between the display objects shown on the

onelines and the actual power system model, consisting of model objects. A key concept is that any number of display

objects, including none at all, can be associated with a single model element.

Simulator uses a bus-oriented model. In other words, the model objects are either the buses themselves, objects that

are radially attached to a bus (i.e., loads, generators and switched shunts), or objects that join two buses (i.e.,

transmission lines, transformers or dc lines). As long as there is a one-to-one mapping between display objects and

model objects, the distinction between the two could be made entirely transparent to the user.

It is reasonable, and often quite useful, to use more than one display object to represent a single model object. For

example, by using the Conditional display of objects feature, two bus display objects could be used on a single oneline

to represent the same bus. One bus might be visible over a particular zoom range, while another, with perhaps a

different size/thickness, is visible over another range. Alternatively, the same bus could be represented using display

objects drawn on separate onelines.

An ambiguity arises when the user uses the Cut command to delete an object. Is he or she deleting just the Display

Object or both the Display Object and the Model Object? To alleviate the problem, Simulator prompts you when you

are deleting a display object with an associated model object to delete both the Display Object and its associated

model object record, delete just the display object, or cancel the delete.

In addition, there is no requirement that model objects have a corresponding display object. Thus, you could use the

oneline diagram to show just a fraction of the total system buses and other devices. You can use the Case

Information menu to view the model objects directly regardless of whether or not they are shown on a oneline.

Oneline Tools and Options

Oneline Local Menu

The local menu provides access to a number of options and tools directly from the oneline. To display the local menu,

position the cursor on an empty portion of the oneline then click the right mouse button. While most options are

always available on the popup menu, a few options are only available on the popup menu in run mode.

Find Object on Oneline (Edit and Run Modes)

Displays the Find Object on Oneline tab of the Zoom, Pan, and Find Objects dialog.

Oneline Display Options (Edit and Run Modes)

Displays the Oneline Display Options dialog. This dialog allows you to customize the appearance of the oneline.

Pan/Zoom Control (Edit and Run Modes)

Displays the Zoom/Pan tab of the Zoom, Pan, and Find Objects dialog.

Area Information Dialog (Edit and Run Modes)

Displays the Area Information Dialog for the bus nearest the cursor when the local menu was opened

Contouring (Run Mode Only)

Displays the Contour Options Dialog. This dialog allows you to contour the system voltage magnitudes or angles.

Difference Flows (Run Mode Only)

Displays the Difference Flows Dialog. This dialog is used to compare two power system operating points.

Toggle Flow Visualization (Run Mode Only)

Switches the oneline's animated flows between displaying actual flows and power transfer distribution factors.

Dynamic Formatting (Active Oneline) (Edit and Run Modes in Oneline Diagrams)

Displays the Dynamic Formatting Dialog. This dialog is used to change the rendering of objects in oneline diagrams

according to the state of the represented object in the power system.

Dynamic Formatting (All Views) (Edit and Run Modes in Bus and Substation Views)

Displays the Dynamic Formatting Dialog. This dialog is used to change the rendering of objects in bus and

substation views according to the state of the represented object in the power system.

Edit Screen Layers (Edit and Run Modes)

Opens the Screen Layers case information display.

Show Layer (Edit and Run Modes)

Allows activation of any saved screen layer.

Print Oneline

(Edit and Run Modes)

Sends a copy of the oneline diagram to the printer. Selecting this option has the same affect as selecting File,

Print Oneline from the main menu. See Printing Oneline Diagrams for more information.

Copy Image to Clipboard (Edit and Run Modes)

Copies the oneline file into the Windows clipboard using the Windows Metafile format (*.w mf). You can then paste

the oneline into another program, such as a word processor. See Copying Onelines to Other Programs for details.

Export Image to File (Edit and Run Modes)

Saves a copy of the entire oneline diagram image to a file. Oneline image files can be saved in bitmap (*.BMP),

Windows Metafile (*.WMF, .EMF), or JPEG format (.jpg).

Toggle Full Screen (Run Mode Only)

Sets the oneline diagram display window to full screen size. This option hides all toolbars and status bars. To

return the window to normal, right-click on the oneline diagram and un-check the Full Screen option.

Borderless (Run Mode Only)

Toggle this option to hide all borders currently displayed on the diagram.

Embed a Display (Run Mode Only)

Clicking on this option allows you to open another oneline diagram (or the same one) and embed the new display

inside the existing display. You can choose what percentage size the embedded display should be, and w here

within the existing window the embedded window should be placed.

Save/Edit/Delete View (Edit and Run Modes)

Oneline Display Options Dialog

The Oneline Display Options dialog allows you to customize the display of the oneline diagram. You can access this

display by either right-clicking anywhere on an empty portion of a oneline and selecting Oneline Display Options

from the resulting oneline local menu or selecting Options > Oneline Display from the main menu. This dialog

houses several tabbed pages that govern various aspects of the oneline display. See Display Options, Pie Charts,

Animated Flows, Thumbnail View, Grid/Highlight Unlinked Objects, Memo, Movie or Substation for information on the

respective tabs.

Oneline Display Options Dialog

Save Options to Case

Of important note is the general option at the bottom of this dialog labeled Save Options to Case. What this allows

you to do is define a set of oneline options in the dialog, and then save that definition of optionsin the case by

giving the definition a name. Once you have named that set of options, you can recall it later by coming back to this

dialog and choosing the name from the list of option set names that appears near the bottom of the dialog. You can

define as many different sets of custom options as you wish. You can also use an option set saved with the case

when you create a oneline view using the Save Views dialog.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Display Options

Oneline Display Options Dialog - Display Options Tab

Display Detail

The Display Detail box allows you to control how much information is shown on the oneline display. There are four

choices:

Minimal

Show the oneline background, branch circuit breakers, generator MW output,

and load MW/MVR.

Moderate

Show all Minimal information, along with bus voltages and all line flow pie

charts.

Complete

Show all information.

Custom

Selecting this option and then clicking the Set… button opens the Custom

Detail Dialog, which allows you to customize the oneline diagram to hide

objects that do not meet your desired specifications.

Of course, in order for a certain display object to appear, it must have been placed there by the person who

designed the oneline.

Emphasize Specific Objects

This option allows you to choose to "emphasize" desired elements on a oneline diagram. The emphasis is in the

form of the emphasized elements being in full color, with de-emphasized elements being muted colors.

To choose emphasis of certain elements, first check the box labeled Do Emphasis. When you first check this box,

it will open the Emphasis Filter dialog, which looks and works very similar to the Select By Criteria tool. You can

choose the oneline elements you wish to emphasize, and include filtering by area, zone, voltage, and screen layer.

The degree of emphasis (muting of de-emphasized elements) can be controlled by the Emphasis Amount slide

bar.

Background Color

Select Change Background Color to select a different color for the oneline diagram background color. Select the

Set as Default Background Color option to set the background color as the default for all oneline diagrams.

Voltage Options

Voltages may be expressed in either actual units (kV) or per-unit.

Use Absolute Values for MW Line Flows

If checked, this option will cause all MW flow text fields for lines to be displayed as the absolute value of the flow.

Otherwise, the MW flow text fields will be positive near the source end of the line and negative near the sink end of

the line.

Use Absolute Values for Mvar Line Flows

If checked, this option will cause all Mvar flow text fields for lines to be displayed as the absolute value of the flow.

Otherwise, the Mvar flow text fields will be positive near the source end of the line and negative near the sink end of

the line.

Use Absolute Values for MW Interface Flows

If checked, this option will cause all MW flow text fields for interfaces to be displayed as the absolute value of the

flow. Otherwise, the MW flow text fields will be positive near the source end of the interface and negative near the

sink end of the interface.

Enable Mouse Wheel Zooming

When this box is checked, zooming can be done with a mouse wheel. The default is off.

Change in Generator Rotor Angle Per Refresh (degrees)

Generator display objects are drawn with a dog bone rotor whose angle relative to the horizontal can be used to

represent the generator internal angle. Enter a nonzero value to make use of this feature.

Visualizing Out-of-Service Elements

Out-of-service elements can have optional visualization settings that makes them "stand out" in relation to in-service

devices on the oneline diagram. The options for out-of-service devices includes Use Dashed Lines, Draw and X

Through Off-Line Generators, and Blink . Additional controls for the Blink option are available, for setting the blink

interval and color. Any combination of these options can be used for out-of-service elements, although the X option

only applies to out-of-service generators.

Percent of Substation and Injection Group object height used by name

When Substation and Injection Group objects are drawn on a oneline diagram, they can include a string inside the

object displaying the name. This setting determines how big the name should appear, relative to the size of the

object.

Browsing Path for Oneline Diagrams

This option applies when you have Oneline Links included on a oneline diagram. Rather than specify the full path

and name of a oneline diagram as a oneline link, you can specify the file name only. When the link is clicked in Run

Mode, Simulator will check all directories listed here, in order, to try and find the oneline file name stored with the

link.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Pie Chart/Gauge Options

Oneline Display Options Dialog - Pie Charts / Gauges Tab

Show Pie Charts/Gauges in Run Mode

When this option is checked, the pie charts and line gauges will be visible during Run Mode. Otherwise, they will be

visible only during Edit Mode.

Only Show Pie Charts/Gauges if relevant data exists

The relevancy of pie charts and gauges depends on the style of the pie chart or gauge. For MVA, MW, Mvar and

Amp styles, the pie charts are considered irrelevant if the limits on the line or interface are 0. For max percent

loading under contingency, the pie chart is irrelevant if no violation(s) under contingency occurred on the element.

For the PTDF style, the pie chart is invalid if the PTDF value has not been calculated for the line or interface.

The options for pie charts and gauges are split into three sections, discussed in the additional topics:

Pie Charts/Gauges: Lines

Pie Charts/Gauges: Interfaces

Pie Charts/Gauges: General Options

Pie Charts/Gauges: Lines

Oneline Display Options Dialog - Pie Charts / Gauges for Lines

Pie Chart / Gauge Style

The Pie Chart Style box determines whether the line flow pie charts show the percentage loading of the line based

upon the MVA flow, the MW flow, the MVR flow, the line amp/transformer MVA flow, the maximum percentage

loading under contingency, or the PTDF value. The Line Gauge Style box has the same setting options as the line

flow pie charts.

Always Use Limiting Flow

Typically, the flow at opposite ends of a transmission line is slightly different due to losses across the line. If this

option is checked, the pie chart will correspond to limiting MVA value of the line, independent of which end of the

line that value occurs. Otherwise, the pie chart will always show the MVA value at the from bus for the line.

Display Gauge Values in Percent

Check this option to display values in the line gauges as percent of loading instead of actual flow values.

Color, Size and Percentage

This section of the options dialog allows you to customize the appearance of the line flow pie charts on the diagram.

The default options for the line flow pie charts are set on the MVA tab, and are always in force for at least the MVA pie

chart / gauge style. However, you can choose different settings for the other styles by selecting the corresponding tab

under the Color, Size and Percentage section. Each of the other five styles can be set to use the same settings as

defined for MVA by checking the given option on the page. If this option is unchecked for a particular style, then any

pie chart on the diagram of that style type will use the specifically defined appearance options for that s tyle type.

The following parameters are all available on each of the six style tab pages:

Show Value Percent

Using Oneline Diagrams

When a branch's loading exceeds the value specified in the Show Value Percent field, the percentage loading is

shown as text within the pie chart. The default is 80%.

Normal Size Scalar, Normal Color

The standard, pre-warning fill color and scaling factor for pie charts.

Warning / Limit Scalars and Colors

The table in this section allows you to choose different settings for the pie chart size and color, based on the

percentage value represented by the pie chart or gauge. Thus you can set up visual clues as to when the flow on

lines exceeds specified warning or limit levels. You can add and remove points from this table by right-clicking in

the table and using the Insert and Delete options from the popup menu.

To modify the Percent and size Scalar for a record in the table, simply click on the value in the cell and type in a

new value. To change the color associated with the percent value, double click in the Color cell to open the Color

Chooser dialog.

Make normal color the same as the line to which the pie chart or gauge is anchored

If checked, this option will cause the pie charts to assume the same normal colors as the transmission lines to

which they are anchored. This may be useful if the transmission lines are colored according to their nominal

voltage level.

Only Apply Warning/Limit Colors and Resizing to Monitored Elements

If this option is checked, then only those pie charts that correspond to branches selected using the Limit Monitoring

Settings will change appearance to reflect warning and limit loading levels. If this option is not checked, then all pie

charts will obey the options prescribed in this dialog.

Some additional options are available for pie chart appearance in situations where the line itself is out of service.

Clicking on the tab labeled Open Parameters will display these options. You can choose to have special formatting

for open devices by checking the available option, and then defining the appearance options for the pie charts on the

open lines. The available options include scaling the size, width of the border, border color, pie chart background

color, and drawing an "X" symbol through the pie chart.

Pie Charts/Gauges: Interfaces

Oneline Display Options Dialog - Pie Charts / Gauges for Interfaces

Pie Chart / Gauge Style

The Pie Chart Style box determines whether the interface pie charts show the percentage loading of the line based

upon the MW flow, the maximum percentage loading under contingency, or the PTDF value.

Color, Size and Percentage

This section of the options dialog allows you to customize the appearance of the interface flow pie charts on the

diagram. The default options for the interface flow pie charts are set on the Lines MVA tab. However, you can choose

different settings for the interface styles by selecting the corresponding tab under the Color, Size and Percentage

section. Each of the styles can be set to use the same settings as defined for Lines MVA by checking the given option

on the page. If this option is unchecked for a particular style, then any interface pie chart on the diagram of that style

type will use the specifically defined appearance options for that style type.

The following parameters are all available on each of the six style tab pages:

Show Value Percent

When an interface's loading exceeds the value specified in the Show Value Percent field, the percentage loading is

shown as text wthin the pie chart. The default is 80%.

Normal Size Scalar, Normal Color

The standard, pre-warning fill color and scaling factor for pie charts.

Warning / Limit Scalars and Colors

The table in this section allows you to choose different settings for the pie chart size and color, based on the

percentage value represented by the pie chart or gauge. Thus you can set up visual clues as to when the flow on

Using Oneline Diagrams

interfaces exceeds specified warning or limit levels. You can add and remove points from this table by right-clicking

in the table and using the Insert and Delete options from the popup menu.

To modify the Percent and size Scalar for a record in the table, simply click on the value in the cell and type in a

new value. To change the color associated with the percent value, double click in the Color cell to open the Color

Chooser dialog.

Make normal color the same as the line to which the pie chart or gauge is anchored

If checked, this option will cause the pie charts to assume the same normal colors as the interface to which they are

anchored. This may be useful if the interfaces are colored differently on the diagram.

Only Apply Warning/Limit Colors and Resizing to Monitored Elements

If this option is checked, then only those pie charts that correspond to interfaces selected using the Limit Monitoring

Settings will change appearance to reflect warning and limit loading levels. If this option is not checked, then all

interface pie charts will obey the options prescribed in this dialog.

Pie Charts/Gauges: General Options

Show Limit Set in Header

If this option is checked, the pie chart will display a text field showing the letter of the limit set presently being used

for the element.

Show Pie Style in Footer

When chec ked, the pie chart will display a text field showing the style (MVA, MW, etc) that the pie chart is set to

(refer to the Style property described above.)

Max. Zoom Percentage for Full Resizing

The pie charts dynamically resize when you are zooming in and out on a oneline diagram. However, you can limit

the point at which the pie charts resize when zooming in by setting a zoom level in this field. This helps prevent the

pie charts from getting so large that they occupy the entire screen.

Minimum Pie Chart Font Size for Warning Limit

Specifies a minimum font size for displaying text in the pie chart object. This is useful when zooming out on the

diagram, to keep the text visible by setting a minimum font size.

Maximum Pie Chart Size

When zooming in on a line or transformer, the size of the pie charts, like that of all other objects, increases.

Eventually the pie charts will tend to dominate the display unless their size is capped. This field specifies a

maximum size for the pie charts. The default value is 99.

Pie Chart Background Color

The background color for the pie charts is automatically set to be the same as the online background. For a

different color, select Specific color from the drop-down menu, and then click on the rectangle to the right to select

the color. For a clear background, select Clear from the dropdown menu.

Pie Chart Relative Font Size

Slide the slider bar to select the font size for the pie chart. This will determine the size of the font indicating the

percentage on the pie chart.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Animated Flows Options

The fields on the Animated Flows page of the Oneline Display Options dialog are used to customize the appearance of

the animated flows on the oneline diagram.

Oneline Display Options Dialog - Animated Flows Tab

Show Animated Flows

Determines whether power flows are animated on the onelines. If this option is not checked, then no flow symbols

appear on the oneline.

Density

Determines the relative density of the animated flows on the devices. Increasing this value causes Simulator to

display a greater number of flow symbols per unit distance on the oneline. This value may range from 1 to 999.

Size

Determines the relative size of the animated flows on the devices. Increasing this number increases the size of the

flow symbols. This field may range from 1 to 999.

Animate Flow

This option determines whether or not the flow arrows are mobile or stationary on the oneline diagram. Unchecking

this box will cause the flow arrows to remain stationary on the diagram.

Animate Size

If checked, the size of the animation symbols will vary to represent the quantity of flow on the element (respective of

the Animation Parameter.) Otherwise, the symbol size will be the same on all devices regardless of the quantity

represented.

Scale Speed of Flows

Checking this box will cause the arrows to flow at a speed proportional to the represented quantity. When it is not

checked, all of the flows will be at the same speed.

Animation Parameter

Determines whether the size and speed of animated flows represent actual flow or percentage loading. This option

applies only to transmission lines and transformers as flows on other devices, such as loads and generators, always

represent actual flow.

Max. Zoom Level to Resize

As a oneline is zoomed, the animated flow symbols increase in size. The value of Max. Zoom Level to Resize caps

the size of the animated flow s so that zooming beyond this level results in no further increase to the size of the flow

symbols.

Minimum Size in Pixels for In-service Elements

Allows the specification of a minimum size for the animated flow objects for power systems elements that are in-

service. The flow objects are sized based on the flow through the element. For elements with very small flows, it is

often difficult to see the flow objects, and the minimum size can be set to make these flow objects more visible. The

larger the minimum size value becomes, the more uniform the flow objects will become as elements are no longer

sized based on their actual flow but rather the minimum size.

Reference Values for Sizing

Maximum flow reference for sizing the animated flows. The lower the MVA reference, the larger the animated flows

appear on the oneline diagram as the actual flow value is compared to the reference value for scaling.

Reset Animated Flow Offsets

This button allows the user to reset the animated flows to start at a specified offset position. Mostly this would be

used to reset the offset to 0, which would cause the animated flows to start at the beginning of the line or element.

Since the animation moves the flow arrows every time the load flow is resolved, resetting flows to a specific offset

could be useful for comparing different load flow solutions by looking at differences in the animated flow objects.

Automatically Set Size, Density, and Parameters for this oneline

Simulator detects the current zoom level and object parameters of the selected oneline diagram, and automatically

adjusts the animation settings in an attempt to optimize the animation quality.

Flow Visualization

Animated flows on onelines may depict either actual power flows or power transfer distribution fac tors, depending

on what you choose here. You can also now choose to animate both the MW and MVAR flows or the MW and

PTDF flows simultaneously.

Use Fill Color

Checked if animated flow symbols should be filled using the Fill Color.

Symbol Fill Color

Shows the fill color used for the animated flows if Use Fill Color is checked. Double-click on these fields to change

the colors of the four different types of animated flows.

Animation Symbols

Simulator can display animated flows using directional arrows, circles, or squares.

Animation Rate

If the oneline animation is too fast or too slow, the animation rate can be adjusted by moving the slide bar.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Thumbnail View

The thumbnail view allows the user to see an overview of the oneline diagram in a smaller window in a specified

location on the oneline diagram. The thumbnail view is useful when the user has zoomed in to a specific area of the

oneline diagram, but still wants to see what part of the system they are observing on a larger scale as they pan around

the diagram. The thumbnail view is not visible by default, but can be set up and displayed from the Oneline Display

Options dialog. The options for the thumbnail view are:

Oneline Display Options Dialog - ThumbNail View Tab

Show ThumbNail View

If checked, the thumbnail view will be visible in the specified corner of the oneline diagram.

Size of ThumbNail View

The size of the thumbnail view as a percentage of the size of the oneline diagram.

Zoom Out Multiplier

The amount to multiply the oneline diagram zoom level for display in the thumbnail view. The higher the multiplier,

the more of the diagram you will see in the thumbnail view.

Location

Choose the location on the oneline diagram in which the thumbnail view is to appear.

Border Width in Pixels

The pixel thickness of the border around the thumbnail view.

Background Color

If Use One -line Background Color is checked, the thumbnail background color will be the same as the oneline

diagram. If it is not checked, then a different thumbnail background color can be selected by clicking on the colored

box next to the Use Custom Background Color label.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Substation Display Options

The Substations tab of the Oneline Display Options dialog provides parameters for customizing the appearance of

Substation display objects. This tab is only available if the case contains at least one substation.

The upper right-hand corner of the Substation page displays a template of the substation object’s appearance in terms

of locations or "zones" where information can be displayed on the object. The rest of the page can be used to

describe the appearance of the object and the information that appears in the substation objects.

Oneline Display Options Dialog - Substations Tab

Upper % of Height

This percentage indicates how much of the object is populated by the "upper" zone of the object. This includes the

Upper Field, Upper Left (UL) and Upper Right (UR). As you decrease this percentage, the upper zone will get

smaller, increasing the Identifer (middle) zone automatically, and vice-versa if you increase the percentage of the

upper zone.

Identifier % of Height

This is the percentage of the height of the substation object that is occupied by the identifier or "middle" zone. This

is the substation identifier section of the object.

Lower % of Height

This is the percentage of the substation object that is occupied by the "lower" zone of the object. This includes the

Lower Field, Lower Left (LL) and Lower Right (LR). Unlike the previous two percentages, this percentage cannot be

directly modified. Instead, it is automatically determined based on the settings of the Upper and Identifier

percentages.

Left % of Width

This percentage indicates how much of the object is populated by the "left" zone of the object. This includes the

Upper Left (UL) and Lower Left (LL). As you decrease this percentage, the left zone will get smaller, increasing the

Identifier (middle) zone automatically, and vice-versa of you increase the percentage of the left zone.

Identifier % of Width

This is the percentage of the width of the substation object that is occupied by the identifier or "middle" zone. This

is the substation identifier section of the object.

Right % of Width

This percentage indicates how much of the object is populated by the "right" zone of the object. This includes the

Upper RIght (UR) and Lower Right (LR). As you decrease this percentage, the right zone will get smaller,

increasing the Identifier (middle) zone automatically, and vice-versa of you increase the percentage of the right

zone.

Buffer Percent

The buffer width for the height settings provide a buffer zone of the percentage width specified horizontally between

the Identifier section and the upper / lower field sections. Similarly, the buffer width for the left and right width fields

indicates a percentage buffer vertically between the upper / lower field zones and the four corner zones.

Substation Identifier

Choose how the identifier will be displayed for the substation. Choose to display by name, by number, or by

combinations of name and number. The identifier will be displayed in the Identifier or "middle" zone of the

substation object.

What should be done when identifier text does not fit inside the width

As the name of this option suggest, you can choose how the text in the identifier section of the object should be

modified if resizing of the substation object causes the text to be too large for the modified size.

Extra Substation Fields

These two fields, represented as the Upper Field and Lower Field on the template, can be customized to display

any substation field of your choosing. Use the drop-down arrow of the Upper and Lower box to choose a field, or

use the Find button to pull up a list of fields to choose from. Once the field has been chosen, set the digits and

number of decimal places for the field.

Upper-Left Symbol (UL)

Choose what symbol to display in the upper-left zone of the substation object. You can choose from None,

Switched Shunt, Generator, Number of Buses, and Load. If the substation contains at least one type of the chosen

object, a symbol representing that type of object will be displayed in the Upper-Left location of the object to indicate

such a presence. By default, the Upper-Left zone will display the Generator symbol.

Upper-Right Symbol (UR)

Choose what symbol to display in the upper-right zone of the substation object. You can choose from None,

Switched Shunt, Generator, Number of Buses, and Load. If the substation contains at least one type of the chosen

object, a symbol representing that type of object will be display ed in the Upper-Right location of the object to

indicate such a presence. By default, the Upper-Right zone will display the Load symbol.

Lower Left Symbol (LL)

Choose what symbol to display in the lower-left zone of the substation object. You can choose from None,

Switched Shunt, Generator, Number of Buses, and Load. If the substation contains at least one type of the chosen

object, a symbol representing that type of object will be displayed in the Lower-Left location of the object to indicate

such a presence. By default, the Lower-Left zone will display the number of buses in the substation.

Lower-Right Symbol (LR)

Choose what symbol to display in the lower-right zone of the substation object. You can choose from None,

Switched Shunt, Generator, Number of Buses, and Load. If the substation contains at least one type of the chosen

object, a symbol representing that type of object will be displayed in the Lower-Right location of the object to

indicate such a presence. By default, the Lower-Right zone wll display the Switched Shunt symbol.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Set Custom Detail Dialog

This dialog is opened from the Set Custom Detail button on the Oneline Display Options dialog. The Custom Detail

Dialog allows you to choose particular regions and devices for display on a oneline diagram. The Custom Detail

settings are temporary settings that allow "hiding" certain parts of a oneline diagram that may not be of interest for your

current needs. This option is only available during run mode. Any custom detail settings being used in run mode will

automatically be removed when switching to edit mode.

New in version 11 is the ability to store the custom detail settings by assigning a name to the set of customizations.

This makes it easier to reapply custom detail settings by opening the Custom Detail dialog and choosing the criteria by

name from the list of stored criteria settings.

Set Custom Detail Dialog

General

Area Numbers

Specify the areas for display. By default, all areas are displayed. You can assign specific areas by entering in the

area numbers, separated by a dash f or a range of areas, and commas for individual areas. You can also click the

Find… button to search for areas by number or name.

As an alternative, the Areas tab allows you to select or deselect areas to include in the custom display settings.

Zone Numbers

Specify the zones for display. By default, all zones are displayed. You can assign specific zones by entering in the

zone numbers, separated by a dash for a range of zones, and commas for individual zones. You can also click the

Find… button to search for zones by number or name.

As an alternative, the Zones tab allows you to select or deselect zones to include in the custom display settings.

Nominal Voltage

Specify the voltage range of the devices for display. By default, all voltage levels are displayed. You can assign a

specific voltage range by entering the minimum and maximum nominal voltage values.

Type of Drawing Object

This list displays all the types of devices that can be displayed on a oneline diagram. To choose the types of

devices for display, click the check box next to each type you wish to keep on the diagram. If you wish to display all

the types of devices, you can click the Check All button or check the Show All Types option. If you wish to

uncheck all selected types of objects, you can click the Uncheck All button.

Layers

Use the Layers tab to specify the layers for display. You can use the Check All or Uncheck All buttons to select or

unselect all the layers in the list.

When you are finished setting the Custom Detail options, you can click OK, only show these, and the oneline

diagram will be redrawn, hiding any devices that do not meet the settings. If you wish to remove a Custom Detail filter

from a oneline diagram, you can re-open the Custom Detail Dialog, and click the Remove button. The oneline

diagram detail will be returned to normal.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Oneline Animation

An important feature of PowerWorld Simulator is its support of animated onelines. The use of efficient display

algorithms allow animation rates that are typically greater than several times per second, even on large cases and on

onelines with a significant number of objects. The extensive use of animation makes the display "come alive" so that

system conditions can be ascertained more easily.

In Simulator, animation is started from Run Mode by selecting Simulation > Play. In Viewer, animation is started

automatically when you load a case.

The animation can be controlled and customized from the Animated Flows Tab of the Oneline Display Options Dialog.

To access this dialog, select Options > Oneline Display from the main menu, or right-click on an empty area of the

oneline diagram and select Oneline Display Options from the resulting local menu.

PowerWorld Simulator version 11. Manual - page 2