PowerWorld Simulator version 11. Manual

Copying Onelines to Other Programs

The onelines can be easily copied to other programs. This allows you to add PowerWorld onelines to your word

processor documents or slide presentations. The simplest way to copy a oneline diagram to another program is to use

the Windows Clipboard. This is accomplished as follows:

· In Simulator or Viewer, zoom and/or pan the display to the portion of the oneline diagram you would like to copy.

· Right-click on an empty portion of the oneline to display the local menu.

· Select Copy Window to Clipboard menu item. This places a copy of the oneline into the Window's clipboard.

· In the other program, use Paste or Paste Special to copy the contents of the clipboard into that program. The

oneline is pasted into the program using the Metafile format.

In addition, oneline diagrams can also be saved as image files by right-clicking on an empty portion of the diagram and

choosing Export Image to File.

Convert XY to LL Dialog

To convert x,y screen coordinates of buses and substations to longitude, latitude coordinates select Tools > GIS

Tools > Convert Screen X,Y to Longitude,Latitude from the menu. The Convert X,Y to Longitude, Latitude Dialog

will be displayed. This can be done in either Edit or Run Mode. The dialog will show which map projection is currently

in use for the oneline. Users should be careful to not change the map projection once one has been established so

that all objects on the oneline are consistently using the same projection. If no projection has been set, the dialog

shows ‘None (x,y)’ as the map projection, then selecting a map projection will establish that map projection as the

current oneline map projection.

Map Projection

None (x,y)

No map projection is in use.

North American (simple conic)

This projection is better when dealing with longitude, latitude points in North America. This is the projection that

has been used in Simulator for years in defining geographic borders and placing then on a one-line.

Entire World (Mercator)

This projection is better when dealing with longitude, latitude points spread throughout the world.

Click Convert X,Y to Longitude.Latitude to complete the conversion. The longitude, latitude values converted from

screen x, y coordinates can be viewed on the bus and substation case information displays or the information dialogs.

Using Oneline Diagrams

GIS Shapefile Data: Control

This is the first page of the GIS Shapefile Data dialog, which can be opened from Insert > Background Graphic >

Insert GIS Data from Shapefile . The control page contains the controls for reading a shapefile into Simulator, and

provides some basic information on the shapes read from the file.

Read in Shapefile

Pressing this button will allow you to choose a shapefile, and will load it into Simulator for placement on the

currently selected oneline diagram.

Shapefile Information

Once the shapefile has been loaded into memory, this section will be populated with general information on the

number of shapes loaded, and the maximum and minimu m X and Y values (usually in longitude and latitude.)

Transfer Shapefile Objects to Oneline

If you are ready to place the shapes on the oneline diagram, but want to continue working with existing shapes or

read more shapes from another file, press the Transfer Shapes to Oneline and Clear button. This will keep the

dialog open following the transfer. It also gives you options of what should happen to the current shapes in memory

after you have transferred them to the diagram. You can choose to clear none of the shapes, which will keep them

all in memory, clear all the shapes from memory, or to clear only the shapes that were transferred. The last choice

relates to options you have on the Shapefile Objects page regarding whether or not to transfer certain shapes from

the shapefile to the diagram.

Insert Into Layer

Before transferring the shapes to the oneline diagram, you can choose which layer the shapes should be assigned

to. If you wish to place the shapes into a new undefined layer, click on the Define Layer button to access the

Screen Layers table.

Transfer Shapes to Oneline and Close

If you wish to transfer the currently loaded shapes to the oneline and close the dialog (clearing the shapes from

memory), press this button to complete the process.

GIS Shapefile Data: Modify Shapes or Projection

Before placing the shapes read from a shapefile from the Control page, you can modify the XY attributes of the shapes

before they are placed from the Modify Shapes or Projection page.

Map Projection

There are two map projections you can choose from when placing the shapes onto an oneline diagram. The

choices are:

· North American (simple conic)

· Entire World (Mercator)

Once you have selected which projection to use, click on the Convert to Specified Map Projection button to

process the conversion on the shapes currently in memory.

Shift/Scale Shapefile X/Y Data

You also have to option to shift the XY coordinates of shapes or scale them by scalar values. To shift shapes, enter

scalar shift values for the X value and Y value and press the Shift XY Data button. To scale the XY coordinates,

enter scalar scaling factors for the X and Y value, and press the Scale XY Data button.

Using Oneline Diagrams

GIS Shapefile Data: M odify Colors and Format

Before placing the shapes read from a shapefile from the Control page, you can modify the appearance attributes of

the shapes from the Modify Colors and Format page.

Change Shape Format Characteristics

Point Size

For points read from the shapefile, you can increase the size of the points.

Line/Border Thickness

Choose the pixel thickness of the shapefile lines when transferred to the oneline diagram.

Line/Border Color

Set the line color of the shapefile lines when transferred to the oneline diagram.

Fill Color for Points/Polygons

Set the fill color of the shapefile points and polygons when transferred to the oneline diagram. The box labeled

Use Fill Color must be checked as well.

Stack Level

Indicate which stack level should be applied to the shapes when they are transferred to the oneline diagram.

Immobile

Check this box if you wish for the shape file objects to be immobile once they are transferred to the oneline

diagram. This will prevent you from inadvertently selecting and moving the shapefile objects on the oneline

diagram while in Edit mode.

Set all shape format attributes to the values above

Once you have finished changing the format settings for the shapes, press this button to apply them for the

transfer of shapes to the oneline diagram.

Automatic Color Mapping

Available Attributes

To customize an attribute of the shapefile, select an attribute from the list read from the dbf file.

Color Map

Select a color map to apply to the selected attribute. To modify existing or create new color maps, click on the

Modify Color Maps button.

Change Border Color, Change Fill Color

These two boxes allow you to choose if the color map selected should apply to the border color, the fill color, or

both.

Change Color Based on Attribute/Color M ap

Once you have finished setting the color map for a selected attribute, press this button to apply the settings

before the transfer of shapes to the oneline diagram.

Oneline Zooming and Panning

All oneline diagrams permit zooming and panning. Zooming and panning are very important tools for building and

investigating large oneline diagrams that occupy more than a single screen of viewing area. Moreover, the display of

various objects can be set to depend on the zoom level. See Oneline Conditional Display of Objects for more

information on this feature.

The following mechanisms are provided for zooming or panning a oneline:

Zooming on Onelines

Zooming involves adjusting the oneline diagram's display area by changing the magnification of the view. Zoom in

on a oneline to have the screen display less of the complete oneline diagram, and zoom out on a oneline to have

the screen display more of the complete oneline diagram.

To zoom on a oneline diagram using the keyboard, follow these instructions:

· Use CTRL-up arrow to zoom in

· Use CTRL-page up to zoom in quickly

· Use CTRL-down arrow to zoom out

· Use CTRL-page down to zoom out quickly

· The Zoom Toolbar offers additional zooming options:

· Use the Zoom in on Area button of the toolbar to select a region on which to zoom.

· Use the Show Full Oneline button of the toolbar to zoom the display out to show the entire oneline.

· Use the Find button of the toolbar to display the Pan/Zoom Dialog.

· Use the Save View button of the toolbar to display the Save View Dialog, or click on the drop down arrow on the

Save View button to choose from a list of saved views.

· Use the Rectangular Zoom Selector to select a section of the diagram to zoom into using a selection box.

After clicking button (symbolized with a magnifying glass over a dashed rectangle,) left click and hold the mouse

button down on the diagram, drag the mouse to select part of the diagram inside a box, then release the mouse

button. Simulator will zoom into the region selected inside the box.

Finally, clicking the '+' button on the Pan/Zoom Toolbar of the PowerWorld Toolbar will zoom in on the oneline,

while clicking the '-' button will zoom out.

Panning on onelines

Panning moves the screen's focus point around the oneline diagram. You can pan left, right, up, or down to view

different portions of the complete oneline diagram.

To pan around the oneline using the keyboard, follow these instructions:

· Use the arrow keys to move in the desired direction

· Use page up to move up quickly

· Use page down to move down quickly

· Use the Home key to move left quickly

· Use the End key to move right quickly

· Left-click and hold the mouse button down anywhere on the background of the diagram. Make sure you do not

click on an object on the diagram. While holding the left mouse button down, drag the mouse in any direction to

"drag" the diagram in that direction.

You can also use the Pan/Zoom Dialog to pan to a specific location, or even to a specific bus. You can display the

Pan/Zoom Dialog either by pressing the Pan/Zoom Button on the Zoom Toolbar of the PowerWorld Toolbar or by

selecting Find Bus On Oneline or Pan/Zoom Control from the oneline diagram's local menu.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Save View Level Dialog

The Save View Level Dialog is used to save an (x,y) location and zoom level, contour description, and/or hidden

layer application for a oneline diagram in an easily accessible list for quick recall and application to the diagram. This

dialog can be called by selecting the Save/Edit/Delete View option from the oneline local menu, or by clicking the

Save View button on the Zoom Toolbar.

Recalling a saved view can be done by either right-clicking on the background to access the oneline local menu and

choosing a view from the Go To View list, or by clicking on the drop down arrow on the Save View button and

selecting a view from the resulting list. Selecting a saved view automatically moves the oneline diagram location to

the (x,y) coordinates and zoom level, applies a stored contour, and/or applies hidden layers stored with the selected

view.

Save View Level Dialog

This dialog can be used for creating a new view, editing an existing view, or deleting an existing view. The Save View

Level Dialog has the following options:

View Name

This is the name that the view will be stored under in the saved view list. This must be a unique name for each view

saved with the oneline diagram. By default this field is blank. To edit an existing view, choose the desired view

from the drop down list.

Update Dialog with Fields for Selected View

If you wish to display the fields for a different view than being presently displayed, select the name of the view from

the View Name list and click on this button to update the information in the dialog.

Save Display Information in View

When checked, the view will store an x -y coordinate and zoom level to associate with the view. When the view is

selected for display, the diagram will center on the x -y coordinate at the defined zoom level.

X-Coordinate

The x-coordinate for the view. This value will default to the current x -coordinate for the oneline diagram, or

change to a saved value if a saved view is chosen from the View Name drop down list. This value can be modified

by the user.

Y-Coordinate

The y-coordinate for the view. This value will default to the current y -coordinate for the oneline diagram, or

change to a saved value if a saved view is chosen from the View Name drop down list. This value can be modified

by the user.

Zoom Level

The zoom level for the view. This value will default to the current zoom level for the oneline diagram, or will change

to a saved value if a saved view is chosen from the View Name drop down list. This value can be modified by the

user.

Save Contour Information in View

If a contour is being displayed when the view is created, you can choose to save the contour information with the

view by checking this box. Saving a contour with a view will display that contour when you switch to that view. You

also have the option of saving a blank contour with the view. This is indicated by a Contour Object of ‘None’ and a

Contour Field of ‘None.’ If you save a blank contour, no contour will be displayed when switching to that view. If

you don’t save any contour with the view, then any existing contour will be applied when switching to that view.

Automatically Create Contour with View

If contour information is stored with the view, checking this box will result in the contour automatically being drawn

when the view is selected for display on the diagram.

Object Type to Contour

This section displays the type of object the stored contour pertains to. This field cannot be changed from this

location.

Contour Field

Displays the type of value the stored contour pertains to. This field cannot be changed from this location.

Link to Oneline Display Options Settings

In the Oneline Display Options in Simulator, you can save various sets of options with a case for quickly recalling

oneline diagram settings by name. This option allows you to include a custom defined option set by name with the

current view. Note that you first must have created and saved a custom set of options for a diagram from the

Oneline Display Options dialog before this option on the Save Views dialog will be enabled.

Save Hidden Layers

Since Simulator allows the use of layers to display or hide objects on the diagram, views also can optionally store

the layer settings when the view is created. The window below this checkbox will list the layers that are presently

hidden on the diagram. When this view is recalled, the layers in this list will be hidden if they were stored with the

view.

Save

This button will save a new view or modify the values for an existing view of the name in the View Name field.

Delete

This button will delete the currently open view from the saved view list. The dialog information will default to the

saved view information of the previous view in the list.

This button will save a new view or modify the values of an existing view of the name in the View Name field, and

will close the Save View Level Dialog.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Window Menu Command

The Window menu tree contains several commands that affect the appearance of the windows shown on the screen,

and it lists the children windows that are currently open in Simulator. To make a particular window active (and fully

visible), simply click on its name.

The Window menu tree houses the following commands by default:

Keyboard Shortcuts

It opens the Keyboard Short Cut Actions dialog, which can be used to assoc iate a keyboard shortcut to a oneline

diagram and/or a view of such a oneline diagram.

Tile

Rearranges the open oneline diagrams such that the total window area is divided equally among all of them and

each is completely visible.

Cascade

Rearrange all open windows such that all they appear on top of each other while leaving the title bars visible.

Refresh Displays

Redraws (refreshes) each of the open windows. Simulator usually automatically refreshes the open windows as

necessary. However, this option allows you to trigger the refresh when you want it.

Toolbars

Provides the user control over which toolbars are visible. The submenu lists all available toolbars. Those that are

currently visible are marked with a checkmark. Click on the name of a toolbar toolbar to show or to hide it.

Toolbars > Customize

The Customize Toolbar dialog allows the user to customize specific toolbars to suit its personal needs.

Toolbars > Toolbar Settings > Reset All Toolbars

Resets all the toolbars and menus to the state they were when PowerWorld Simulator was installed.

Toolbars > Toolbar Settings > Save Toolbar Settings

Saves the current settings (such as position and order) of all the toolbars to the specified INI file.

Toolbars > Toolbar Settings > Load Toolbar Settings

Loads the toolbar settings stored in the specified INI file.

Switch to free-floating windows

Choosing this option toggles Simulator from containing all diagrams within the Simulator program shell to all

windows related to Simulator being free-floating on your display.

Toggle Full Screen

Toggle full screen makes the currently selected diagram window switch to full screen mode. Full screen mode will

dedicate the screen to the window, with all other windows, including the Simulator menus and toolbars, to be

hidden. To get back to normal mode, right-click on the diagram in full screen mode and select Toggle Full Screen

from the popup menu.

Using Oneline Diagrams

Keyboard Short Cut Actions Dialog

The Keyboard Short Cut Actions dialog allows the user to associate a keyboard shortcut to a determined oneline

diagram, and even to a particular view of that diagram. When the keyboard shortcut is pressed, the oneline diagram is

opened (if it was closed) and brought to the front. When a view is also associated, then the user is taken to such a

view.

To open the Keyboard Short Cut Actions Dialog, select Window > Keyboard Sh ortcuts from the main menu.

Keyboard Short Cut Actions Dialog

The dialog has the following controls:

Keyboard Shortcuts

Lists all the keyboard shortcuts. When selecting a keyboard shortcut, it will show the oneline and the view

associated to the selected keyboard shortcut. If your keyboard has an extra row of function keys, then you can

check the box labeled Include F13-F24. If a shortcut has been defined for the respective key, then it will be

highlighted and a string will summarize the action of the shortcut

Clear All

Clicking this button will delete all the associations of all the listed shortcuts.

Save Shortcut

Click this button after entering a oneline diagram and eventually a view so they can be associated with the selected

keyboard shortcut.

Delete Shortcut

Click this button to delete the associations of the selected keyboard shortcut with any oneline diagram and view.

Oneline and View: Oneline

Shows the path and the name of the oneline diagram which will be opened when the selected keyboard shortcut is

pressed. If the field is blank, then no oneline diagram is associated to the keyboard shortcut. You can click

Browse to find the oneline diagram.

Oneline and View: View

Shows the name of the view belonging to the associated oneline diagram to whic h the user will be taken when the

selected keyboard shortcut is pressed. If the field is blank, then no view is associated to the keyboard shortcut.

Action for already open onelines

If the oneline being requested by the shortcut key is already open, then this option determines what should be done.

Choices are to close the oneline, bring the oneline to the front, or to open a new oneline.

Where to open oneline

When opening a oneline via a shortcut key, you may do one of the following:

· Separate Window (open the oneline as normal)

· Separate Window - Toggle Full Screen (open normal and then toggle it to full screen)

· Embed the Active Oneline Window (opens the oneline and embeds it inside the presently active oneline

diagram)

Note: if onelines already exist which have been toggled to full screen, and a short cut key is used to open a window

that will not be toggled to full screen, then all other onelines present open will be switched to normal mode instead

of full screen mode.

Make embedded oneline borderless

When embedding the oneline inside the presently active oneline, this option will make the embedded oneline

borderless.

Size and Location

This specifies the relative size and location you would like the oneline to be opened at. When opening the oneline

normally, the percentage is relative to the size of the container window. When opening the oneline embedded in

the active oneline, the percentage is relative to the size of the active oneline.

Save/Load shortcuts to/from an Auxiliary File

Click the Save button to save all the shortcuts to an auxiliary file. Click the Load button to load the shortcuts saved

in an auxiliary file. The shortcuts saved in the auxiliary file will replace the shortcuts saved in the dialog.

Closes this dialog.

In addition to the shortcuts displayed on this dialog, Simulator also offers standard windows editing shortcuts such as:

Ctrl + x - Cut Command

Ctrl + c - Copy Command

Ctrl + v - Paste Command

Print Options Dialog

The Print Options Dialog is used to configure the printing of oneline diagrams (including bus view displays) and of strip

charts. To print a oneline diagram, select File > Print Oneline from the main menu. To print a strip chart, right-click

on it to invoke its local menu, and then select Print Window. In both cases, Simulator will open the Print Options

Dialog.

Print Options Dialog

The Print Options Dialog has three tabs:

Page Layout

This tab sheet contains options for how the diagram will appear on the printed page. It presents the following controls:

Margins

Specify the horizontal and vertical margins in either inches or centimeters.

Scaling

Set this option to Proportional to print the oneline diagram or strip chart such that the screen’s aspect ratio is

maintained. Set this option to Fit to Page to force the printout to take up all available space on the page in both

horizontal and vertical directions.

Draw Border

Places a border to be drawn around the oneline diagram or strip chart.

The second tab controls the printing of a title bar. Check the Print Title Bar box to print a title bar at the bottom of

the diagram. Checking this box displays a number of options that allow you to specify various items to include in

the title bar. If you don’t want to include certain items on the plot, simply leave those fields blank.

The title bar is split horizontally into three sections. If you specify values for all requested items, they will be

arranged in the title bar as follows:

Company

Description Line 1

Date

Department

Description Line 2

Drawing #

Author

Description Line 3

Title

Title Bar

This tab is used to specify whether or not to include a title bar on the diagram, along with the information that would be

contained in the title bar.

Multi-Page

Using Oneline Diagrams

This tab allows the oneline diagram to be "divided" into a specified number of sections for printing the oneline to

several pages. A multi-page oneline can be useful for including "close-up" views of areas of a diagram in a report, or

the multiple pages can be cut and combined to form a larger printed oneline if a plotter is not available. The Multi-

Page tab presents the following controls:

Grid Size

Choose this value to subdivide the oneline into an N by N grid. You can then choose which sections of the oneline

to print based on the grid overlay. The maximum size is 10 x 10.

Choosing What to Print

A low resolution picture of your oneline is shown on the Multi-Page tab. Gridlines are drawn over the diagram to

show where the oneline has been subdivided based on the Grid Size chosen.

To remove a grid section from the printout, click on the oneline image in the corresponding section of the grid. The

selected section of the grid will become dark to indicate you wish to prevent the section from printing.

To add a grid section back into the print job, click on a darkened section of the grid to allow that section of the

oneline to be printed.

The number of pages you have chosen to print will be shown on the dialog. When printing out a multi-page oneline

with a title bar, the page number will appear on the title bar in the form "Column Letter"-"Row Number". For

example, if the Grid Size is 4, the pages are numbered A-1 through D-4.

Click Print to send the document to the printer, or Cancel to abort the print. Click Setup to view the default Windows

printer dialog, which will allow you to specify whether to print the figure in portrait or landscape modes and to set

various printer-specific properties.

Creating, Loading, and Saving Simulator Cases

Case Formats

Simulator supports a number of case formats. You can open and save cases using any of the following formats:

PowerWorld Binary (*.pwb) (Preferred Format)

For most users, the best choice of power flow case formats is the PowerWorld Binary format. This format stores the

most complete set of case information but requires the smallest file sizes. Information stored in this format includes

power flow data, economic parameters, case time variation/options values, and screen customizations. The only

potential disadvantage of this format is that it is stored in binary form, which means that it cannot be viewed using a

standard text editor. All the other formats are ASCII and thus readable in text editors such as Notepad.

PowerWorld Auxiliary File (*.aux)

Simulator can now save and load cases using the PowerWorld defined auxiliary file format. When the aux file

format is chosen as the save file type in Simulator, the data describing the entire case is written to a text file

described by Simulator’s auxiliary file format. These files can be considerably larger than PowerWorld Binary files,

and generally should not be used unless otherwise necessary. Note that not all auxiliary files represent an entire

case, and in fact in most cases do not. Only when an auxiliary file is created using the Save A s option in Simulator

does the auxiliary file contain all necessary information for loading the complete case in Simulator as an auxiliary

file.

PowerWorld Case (*.pwc)

The PowerWorld Case format is primarily included for backward compatibility with earlier versions of PowerWorld

packages. While this format does not include as much information as the PowerWorld binary format, it still includes

power flow data, economic parameters, and most case time variation/options values.

PTI Raw Data Format (*.raw) (versions 23 - 30)

This format is included primarily for interchange of power flow data with other packages. The PTI Raw Data format

only contains power flow data. When using this format, the generator participation factors are automatically set to

be proportional to the MVA rating of each generator.

GE PSLF Format (*.epc)

This format is included primarily for importing load flow data saved from GE's PSLF program. The EPC format is a

text file format. There are two major differences between the PSLF and Simulator load flow models. First, PSLF

models multi-section lines explicitly by storing a section number with transmission lines. In Simulator, the sections

are converted to their own individual line record, and dummy buses are placed at each internal point of the multi-

section line. Simulator also keeps track of these lines and reports them as part of a multi-section line, though each

section has its own entity in the load flow data. Second, PSLF explicitly models three winding transformers.

Simulator, thus far, does not explicitly model such transformers. Rather, Simulator converts the three winding

transformers to an equivalent model of three (or in special cases two) two winding transformers with a common bus

(also called an internal or star node.) The conversion of multi-section lines and three winding transformers is done

automatically when an EPC file is opened in Simulator.

Another issue with PSLF files is that they store quite a bit of excess information that is unused in Simulator. Rather

than loading all of this excess information in the computer's memory (which could hurt machine performance), the

excess information is automatically stored in an extra external text file created by Simulator. This text file has an

extension of .ecf, and is saved with the same name as the original case file in the same directory as the original

case file. As the case is saved in Simulator, possibly with a different name, the ECF file can also have its name

changed to reflect the name of the load flow file w hen it was saved as a PowerWorld Binary (.pwb) file. The ECF

file will never be needed unless the case is written back out to PSLF EPC format, at which time Simulator will locate

the ECF file, if it exists in the same directory under the same name as the PWB file, and rewrite the extra data back

out to the EPC file, along with the load flow data from Simulator.

IEEE Common Format (*.cf)

The IEEE Common Format is used to specify only power flow information. CAUTION: IEEE common format does

not support many of the formats used in the PowerWorld packages, such as multiple loads and generators at a bus.

Usually, IEEE Common Format is used only for inputting cases.

Validating a Case

Validation checks for both errors that would prevent a case from working properly in Simulator and for abnormal setup

of model objects. Validation errors and warnings are displayed in the Message Log. A sampling of the tasks

performed during case validation include:

· Ensures there is a system slack bus assigned

· Ensures the slack bus has an attached generator

· Ensures that no generator is assigned to remotely regulate the slack bus

· Checks for buses having multiple controllable devices attached (i.e. switched shunts)

· Checks all max/min enterable fields to ensure that the max value is greater than the min value

Case validation is performed automatically when switching from Edit Mode to Run Mode. If a case has validation

errors, Simulator will not allow the user to switch to Run Mode. Warnings will not prevent switching to Run Mode.

The user can initiate a case validation by selecting File > Validate Case.

Opening Files

Opening a Simulation Case

The most common first step in using Simulator is to open a case. When a case is opened, any associated oneline

files are also opened. To open a case, either select it from the list of recently opened cases in the file menu or

· Select File > Open Case from the main menu or Open Case button on the File Toolbar to display the Open Dialog.

· In the Type of Files box, select the desired file type. By default, the PowerWorld Binary type is selected (*.PWB).

The PowerWorld Binary is the preferred file type, providing the most comprehensive power system information

along with the smallest size and quickest load time. Other file types include the PowerWorld Case type,

PowerWorld Auxiliary file, PTI Raw Data formats versions 23 through 30, GE EPC text format, and IEEE Common

Format. Please see Case Formats for more details.

· In the list of cases, click on the desired case.

· Click OK.

When opening an existing Simulator case, you may see one or more oneline diagrams pop up. When opening a

power flow case created with another program, a oneline may not be available. However, you can easily create a

oneline for such a case using the Edit Mode.

If you are in the Edit Mode, you can modify the case. See Edit Mode Overview for details.

If you are in the Run Mode, the Clock Window may be displayed. This window shows the simulation start time, end

time and current time. You may choose to close or open the clock at any time.

If the case has validation errors, the mode is immediately switched to Edit Mode. You must correct the validation

errors shown in the message log before you can use the Run Mode to solve the case.

Closing Files

Saving Cases

Simulator allows users to save case information in several different formats. To call up the Save As dialog, select File

> Save As from the main menu. The format in which the file will be saved depends upon the value of the Save File

Type field shown in the lower-left corner of the dialog. Simulator can save cases in PowerWorld binary format (the

default), PowerWorld Auxiliary file format, PTI versions 23 through 30 raw data, GE PSLF format, and the IEEE

common format. Please see Case Formats for more details on the various case formats available.

To convert a case to a different format, follow this procedure:

· Select File > Open Simulation Case.

· In the Type of Files box, select the desired file type. By default, the PowerWorld Binary type is selected (*.PWB).

· Select the name of the desired case and click OK.

· Select File > Save Case As from the main menu.

· Change the Type of Files setting to match the desired file type, designate the name with which to save the file, and

click OK.

To simply save the case with its current name and format, select either File > Save from the main menu or the Save

Case button on the File Toolbar.

Creating, Loading, and Saving Simulator Cases

Additional File Formats

Area/Zone Load Schedule Format (*.shd)

These files are outdated for Simulator version 8.0 and later. Their descriptions are still maintained here as they can

still be read into Simulator. However, they can no longer be saved. These records are now stored in Auxiliary

Script/Data Files.

The schedule files store the area and zone load variation schedules. The files have the following format:

For a desired area or zone, the first line of the record is either AREA or ZONE, followed by the area/zone’s number or

name in single quotes.

The next lines in the file must have the format timepoint, schedule value. The timepoint format is either hh:mm, where

hh is the hour and mm is the minutes, or hh:mm:ss, where ss is the seconds. Multiple timepoints and schedule values

can be on the same line.

The record is terminated by a line with a single negative number.

Example

AREA

06:00 1.0000 10:00 3.0000

-1

ZONE 2

06:00 1.5000

9:00 2.5000 10:00 1.5000

-1

Generator Capability Curves Format (*.gcp)

These files are outdated for Simulator version 8.0 and later. Their descriptions are still maintained here as they can

still be read into Simulator. However, they can no longer be saved. These records are now stored in Auxiliary

Script/Data Files.

The generator capability curves are used to model the dependence of the generator reactive power limits and the

generator’s real power output. The generator reactive capability curves files have the following format, with one

generator per line:

num or name, ID, P1, Q1,max,Q1,min, P2, Q2,max, Q2,min ... Pn, Qn,max, Qn,min

where

num/name

the generator’s bus number or the bus’ name in single quotes,

the generator’s single character id,

a generator MW output value,

Qi,max and Qi,min

the associated maximum and minimum reactive power limits.

Version 11 and later of Simulator allow for an unlimited number of capability curve points to be read from the gcp file.

Up to 10 different P/Qmax/Qmin values may be specified in older versions of Simulator.

Creating, Loading, and Saving Simulator Cases

Generator Cost Data Format (*.gcd)

These files are outdated for Simulator version 8.0 and later. Their descriptions are still maintained here as they can

still be read into Simulator. However, they can no longer be saved. These records are now stored in Auxiliary

Script/Data Files.

The generator cost data file contains the parameters used to model the generator operating costs. Each record in the

generator cost data file specifies the operating cost model for a single generator. The cost model may be either a

cubic polynomial or a piecewise linear curve. When reading a file of generator cost data records, Simulator will open

the Cost Curve Data Options Dialog. This dialog gives you additional control over the input and process of generator

cost information.

Each generator cost data record begins with the fields

num or name, ID,

where

num/name

the generator’s bus number or the bus’ name in single quotes,

the generator’s single character id,

Following the ID field is an optional single-character field CostModel that specifies the type of cost model. If

CostModel is ‘CUBIC’ or is not specified, the record describes a cubic cost model and thus concludes with the

following fields:

ai, bi, ci, di, FuelCost ParFac

where

ai, bi, ci, di

input-output curve coefficients; see Generator Cost Information for details,

fuelcost

fuel cost, expressed in price per Mbtu,

ParFac

generator participation factor.

If, on the other hand, CostModel is ‘PLIN’, the record describes a piecewise linear cost model. The remainder of the

record specifies pairs of generator output and corresponding generator cost:

FixedCost MW1 IncCost1 MW2 IncCost2 … MWn IncCostn MWneg ParFac

where

FixedCost

Operation cost independent of the generator’s MW output; expressed in $/Hr,

MWi, IncCosti

Output/incremental cost data point pairs that define the incremental cost model

for the generator (note IncCosti has the units $/MWhr),

MWneg

An arbitrary negative value used to terminate the record,

ParFac

generator participation factor.

Generator Cost Curve Data Options

The Cost Curve Data Options Dialog gives you additional control over the input and processing of generator cost

information. It appears when you try to read generator cost information from an auxiliary data file (either .aux or .gcd).

To command Simulator to turn all units onto automatic generation control (AGC) for which it reads a cost data record,

check the first checkbox. This box has the rather lengthy label "If a unit for which a cost curve is read is not on AGC,

Simulator should set it on AGC." In other words, if a cost curve is read for a particular generator, that generator will be

set on AGC if this box is checked.

Cross-compound is a generator architecture sporting a single boiler and two turbines, one operating at high pressure

and the other operating at low pressure. The existence of cross-compound units may complicate the modeling of

generator cost characteristics, because sources for this information tend to describe the cost associated with the

tandem, whereas Simulator’s economic dispatch will try to dispatch the two parts of the cross-compound unit as two

separate units. To address this problem, Simulator gives you the option to lump the properties of the high- and low -

pressure turbines into a single unit. It consolidates the two components by adding together their maximum MW

outputs, minimum MW outputs, and present output levels, assigning these quantities to one of the units, and setting

the other unit off AGC and at 0 MW of output. To have Simulator perform this function for you, check the box in the

Cross Compound Units panel.

To tell Simulator how to identify units that belong to the same cross-compound generator, click the box labeled "How

To Identify…". This will open the How to Identify Cross-Compound Units dialog.

Creating, Loading, and Saving Simulator Cases

Identify Cross Compound Units

Simulator regards cross-compound units as those that are connected to the same bus and that have generator id’s

that match any of a number of specified pairs. You must define for Simulator the pairs of generator id’s that should be

used to identify cross-compound units. Use the "How to identify cross-compound units " dialog to do this.

Specify the pair of generator id’s in the small text boxes below the text labeled "Specify a new pair of id’s that identify

two units that belong to the same cross-compound set." Then, click the Add button to include the pair of id’s you just

entered in Simulator’s cross-compound identification procedure. The box on the right lists all the pairs of identifiers

Simulator will use to identify parts of a cross-compound set. To remove a pair of identifiers from this list, select it from

the box and click the Delete key.

The list of cross-compound identifier pairs is stored in the pwrworld.ini file, so there is no need to specify these pairs

each time you load in a new case.

Creating, Loading, and Saving Simulator Cases

Interface Data Format (*.inf)

These files are outdated for Simulator version 8.0 and later. Their descriptions are still maintained here as they can

still be read into Simulator. However, they can no longer be saved. These records are now stored in Auxiliary

Script/Data Files.

The interface data files store the interface data. The files have the following format:

INTERFACE intname lima limb limc

Elemtype from to id checktoend fromto

where

intname

the interface name, in single quotes,

lima, limb, limc

the three limits for the interface, in MW,

elemtype

one of three valid element types: AREA, LINE, or ZONE

from

for AREA and ZONE, the first area or zone number; for LINE, the from bus

number,

for AREA and ZONE, the second area or zone number; for LINE, the to bus

number,

only included for LINE, the two character circuit identifier; otherwise left blank,

checktoend

only included for LINE, if this field equals 1, the flow is checked at the to bus,

otherwise the flow is checked at the from bus; otherwise left blank,

fromto

only included for LINE, if this field equals 1, the positive flow is assumed to be

from the from bus to the to bus, otherwise the flow is assumed to be in the

opposite direction; otherwise left blank.

Multiple interface records can be listed in the file, and multiple interface elements can be listed in each interface

record.

101

Sequence Data Format

The sequence data files store the sequence data needed to run a fault analysis. The sequence data format has the

following five different types of records:

· Generator

· Load

· Branch

· Switched Shunt

· Mutual Impedance

Each of these four types of sequence data records has a different format, since they each store different information

for the sequence data. The format of each record is given below:

Generator

GEN busnum ID Rpos Xpos Rneg Xneg Rzer Xzer RN XN

where

busnum

generator terminal bus,

generator identifier,

Rpos, Xpos

positive sequence resistance and reactance,

Rneg, Xne g

negative sequence resistance and reactance,

Rzer, Xzer

zero sequence resistance and reactance,

RN, XN

neutral-to-ground resistance and reactance.

Load

LOAD busnum Gneg Bneg Gzer Bzer

where

busnum

load terminal bus,

Gneg, Bneg

negative sequence total conductance and susceptance for all loads at bus,

Gzer, Bzer

zero sequence total conductance and susceptance for all loads at bus.

Branch

BRANCH fbusnum tbusnum ckt Rzer Xzer Czer fGzer fBzer tGzer tBzer Xftype

where

fbusnum, tbusnum

from and to bus numbers for the branch,

ckt

branch circuit identifier,

Rzer, Xzer

zero sequence branch resistance and reactance,

Czer

total zero sequence line charging,

fGzer, fBzer

zero sequence line shunt conductance and susceptance at the from bus end of

the branch,

tGzer, tBzer

zero sequence line shunt conductance and susceptance at the to bus end of

the branch,

Xftype

Transformer configuration, entered as an integer based on the following table.

Note that the default for a transmission line is 3, since a grounded wye -

grounded wye transformer connection has the same equivalent model as a

transmission line.

Wye - Wye

Grounded Wye - Wye

Wye - Grounded Wye

Grounded Wye - Grounded Wye

Wye - Delta

102

PowerWorld Simulator version 11. Manual - page 3