Developing applications for State Estimator

DIgSILENT
Using Microsoft Excel As Database
Marcos R. Sacasqui
Postgraduate Student University of Piura
marcos.sacasqui@posgrado.udep.edu.pe
Abstract In order to estimate the state of electric power
systems: power measurements. In cases of study or revision is
necessary to use a DPL program (DIgSILENT Language
Program) to perform these tasks continuously. This helps in
identifying errors in the measurements and the results shared in
programs like Microsoft Excel.
Keywords State Estimation, Observability Check,
Plausibility Check, Measurements, Simulation, Electric Power
Systems, Macros, Procedures, Forms.

I.

INTRODUCTION

In all control center world energy state estimator tool (ES) is

needed [4]. In Peru DIgSILENT used to study the simulation of
power systems, however, it is necessary to develop a
complementary program that allows you to update your
database (External Measurements); This requires knowledge of
the algorithm and programming.
The use of DPL facilitate the automation of various tasks,
being Object-oriented programming, it is possible to use
Standard models simulation grids (Electric Networks). Once
the programming is complete DIgSILENT to exploit results are
used to DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) to establish a
connection with Microsoft Excel where you can easily make
presentations, graphics, comparison and creating reports using
Visual Basic: Forms, Modules: Functions and procedures.
II.

OVERVIEW STATE ESTIMATOR DIGSILENT

The estimation tool to DIgSILENT is an application that

uses an iterative Newton-Raphson, where the approach to
solving the minimization problem is based on Lagrange
multipliers. If the observability analysis is correct, the
convergence (in general) is guaranteed. [3]
Today many control centers need a tool Estimation status
that allows comparisons to verify information obtained from
the principal sources of information, an application that can
develop in DPL is the automation of this tool to generate
reports in Excel format and also update your database from
Excel file, remember that DDE is enabled and excel has great
benefits when using multiple data connections (ODBC). It is

for this reason that we made the application of state estimation

through iterative algorithms implemented in DIgSILENT.
For any case, the advantage of working with the software
DIgSILENT in Peru is that it can easily increase the reliability
of the analysis based on the information added by the control
center operators, also using the advantage of standardization
of this Software in Peru which facilitates the comparison of
results between companies and Coordinators.
A. Defining Procedures and Objective Flowchart:
Fig. 1. Representation of State Estimation en DIgSILENT [1]
Objective function (1): Mathematically, this can be expressed
with a weighted square sum of all deviations between
calculated values (calVal) and measured (meaVal)
(1)
x: Vector containing the variables to calculate.
wi: Matrix based on the standard deviation of the measurement
instruments Weighting.
Testing results (plausibility test): It is intended to detect and
remove all measurements with some apparent error. Power
Factory provides the tool that allows us to control our
measurements using excess factors to address active power
flow, branches Lost, Lost in passive elements, flow in open
branches, nominal values on the branches, Sum nodes P, Q.
Observability: Generally speaking, a region of the network is
called observable, if the system measurements provide
sufficient information to estimate the state of that part of the
network. The method used is "raking sensitivity matrix"
Detection of bad data: The error of each measuring device
can be estimated by evaluating the difference between the
calculated and measured amount. Extremely distorted
measurements (e.g., the estimated error is much greater than
the standard deviation of the measuring device) are not
considered in the subsequent iterations. The process is
repeated until there are no bad measurements. We can assign
up to eliminate bad measurements.

Loop state estimation: To improve results, observability data

and bad-detection Objective Function (minimization) must
iterate.
III.

Fig. 3. Selecting the external measurement

SETTINGS ES DIGSILENT

Variables to be added to the grid (notation using

DIgSILENT):

(External) P-Measurement (StaExtpmea) (Active

Power Measurement) [1]
(External)
Q-Measurement
(StaExtqmea)
(Measurement of Reactive Power) [1]
(External) I-Measurement, current magnitude
(StaExtimea) (measurement variable current) [1]
(External) V-Measurement, voltage magnitude
(StaExtvmea) (Measuring Voltage Magnitude) [1]
(External) signalization Breaker Breaker Status
(StaExtbrkmea) (State On Off Switch) [1]
(External) Tap-Tap Position Measurement Position
(StaExttapmea) (Position Tap State) [1]

Any number of measurements may be defined in the

cubicle. The location of the gauges is in strategic cubicles:

Fig. 2. Adding external measurements

Fig. 4. Completing information required by Active Power

Meter
IV.

IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE ESTIMATOR FOR

ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM EGASA

The central challenge in the operation of electric power

systems is often cited: Electricity must be generated in the
exact moment that it is consumed [6]. To move electric power
through a network is to obey the law of energy conservation;
what goes in must come out. Unlike a natural gas pipeline that
can accommodate a variation in gas pressure and thus serve
simultaneously as conduit and storage reservoir, a
transmission line cannot store electricity. [2][5] Changes in
this equation make power measurements on nodes vary. A
system to review the set of measurements is necessary, so
State Estimator is used.
Measurements are obtained from SCADA systems, which
also provide:
Network topology: The graphs of networks to allow entry
DIgSILENT Impedance for passive and active network
elements. Enables the rapid creation of substation bays where
you can modify the states of an electrical network switches.
Operation Data: Corresponding to the time at which the
simulation is carried out, remember that talk of a simulation
that is not dynamic. Among these we consider the Demand
and Supply of Electrical Diagram load profile generation.

Meters: As the measurements that we can deliver the SCADA

be necessary to update the Network using state estimator, to
execute the algorithm without errors is advisable to put gauges
on the nodes listed, however this is not strict.

V.

DEVELOPING DPL APPLICATION FOR STATE ESTIMATOR

The DPL application is a type of object-oriented

programming called, the same that uses Dynamic Data
Exchange (DDE) to interact with MICROSOFT EXCEL.
Excel has Visual Basic (VBA) to automate tasks or
graphical comparisons

Fig. 5. Electric Power System EGASA: Interconnection

is modeled as Slack bus (32), 138kV lines in bars
Callali (1) and Yura (5). The numbers indicate that
nodes Power meters are located.

Fig. 6. Interface between the control scheme and the

State Estimator DIgSILENT.
In this document show appropriate programming to update
values in different external measurements and
developments relating to Excel. Keep in mind that the grids
may vary according to the implementation of national
transmission plan. The program must be filtered by type
and through all the existing elements to record information
correctly.

Fig. 7. The benchmark network.

Fig. 8. DDE Connection to MS EXCEL

Fig. 9. DIgSILENT database update data in this case for

reactive power measurements.

Fig. 10. Running ES algorithm from DPL

Fig. 13. Form of alarms (VBA Excel)

Fig. 11. Implementation forms Visual Basic (Obtaining

Data from DIgSILENT)

Fig. 14. Active Power measurements at the points provided.

Analysis in EGASA-2015 network.
VI.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to interact DIgSILENT-EXCEL

(Exchange information in a control center and analyzing) to
create custom programs that allow us to check data of
measurements. In Figure 14 we can observe the proper
performance of state estimator in the electric power system
EGASA. The state estimation algorithm in network
performance EGASA, according to the Table 1 we have
0.244% maximum error between estimated and actual
measurements.
Fig. 12. Creating database in Excel Macros review
(Obtaining Data from DIgSILENT)

Table. 1. Real measurements and Estimated measures in

transmission lines. (L3091 with disturbance)
Real Measurements
ES( With Disturbances)
P. Act.
[MW]

P React.
[MVAR]

P. Act.
[MW]

L 3061 5/9

4.721824

0.8239175

4.723487

0.8236759

L 3060 8/9

11.88689

3.258005

11.88855

3.257776

L3072 9/10

-4.766125

-1.125842

-4.766929

-1.125849

L 3071 9/1

-8.592718

-2.365523

-8.594131

-2.365482

L 3080 9/1

-8.592718

-2.365523

-8.594131

-2.365482

L 3100 2/3

5.24144

2.209533

5.239646

2.209253

L 3101 12/2

5.43902

1.387173

5.436968

1.387103

Point Of Measure

P React.
[MVAR]

L 3091 1/2

-5.714188

-0.170719

-5.719242

-0.1705771

L 3090 1/2

-5.714188

-0.170719

-5.719242

-0.1705771

L 3101(1) 12/3

-4.958999

-2.903275

-4.957507

-2.902876

L 3061(2) 3/4

0.6692668

0.9900693

0.6676345

0.9903543

L 3060(2) 3/6

2.454762

1.579483

2.453128

1.579757

L3072(1) 11/1

12.13087

3.804505

12.13263

3.804562

About of the State Estimation Simulation: sensitivity

matrix 41x32 dimensin, pseudorank is 32. Newton-Raphson
Iteration converged successfully in 2 Iterations. Total of 13 out
of 79 measurement(s) are declared to be bad P-measurement:
7(39); Q- measurement: 5(39); I- measurement: 1(1), In Visual
Basic detect (5) abnormal measurement values, which are
shown in Figure 13.

VII.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We thank EGASA, Per, for providing the network

specifications of their model and data of Operation.
VIII. REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]

PowerFactory Users Manual DIgSILENT PowerFactory Version 14.0.

DIgSILENT GmbH Gomaringen, Germany, pp. 34-1, July 2010.
Von Meier Alexandra, Electric Power Systems - A Conceptual
Introduction, PowerSystem Analysis. IEEE PRESS, Wiley, 2006
Jochen Alber, State Estimation in PowerFactory: Algorithmic Aspects
RTE-VT workshop, Paris, May 29-30, 2006
Abur Ali, Gmez Expsito Antonio, Power System State Estimation:
Theory and Implementation CRC Press 2004
Kothari D.P. y Nagrath I.J., Sistemas elctricos de Potencia McGrawHill Education, 2008
Saadat Haadi., Power System Analysis McGraw-Hill Education, 2002