Differences in Steady State

Power Data Definitions

WECC SRWG Meeting

November 4, 2015
Presented by: Jamie Weber, Ph.D.
Director of Software Development
weber@powerworld.com
217 384 6330 ext 13
 Summary
• Presentation concentrates on the
differences in the data definitions in
software tools
• This is clearly Step #1 for any tool that
coordinates input data between tools
• Obviously the file format is related

• This is a rough draft of the differences and

some differences may be missing still
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Bus Differences
• Name
– PSS/E and PSLF limit to 12 characters
– Simulator has no specific character limit
• When writing out to PSS/E or PSLF, Simulator will truncate names in a way
that ensures unique names remain unique
• BonnevillePowerDam  Bonneville~1
• BonnevillePowerSub  Bonneville~2
• BonnevillePowerTap  Bonneville~3
• Voltage Schedules Device Type PowerWorld
Simulator
PTI PSS/E GE PSLF

– PSS/E and Simulator Generator Generator Generator Bus

typically specify the voltage Setpoint Setpoint Setpoint
setpoint with the control
Shunt Shunt Shunt Bus Setpoint
device Setpoints Setpoints and Shunt
– PSLF specifies the VBAND
specific voltage setpoint
with a Bus record Transformer Transformer Transformer Transformer
• Except for transformers Vmin and Vmin and Vmax and
Vmax Vmax Vmin
VSC DC Line VSC DC Line VSC DC Line VSC DC Line
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation Setpoint Setpoint Setpoint
 Bus “Types”
Device Type PowerWorld GE PSLF PTI PSS/E
Simulator

PQ Bus Automatically Type = 1 IDE = 1

Determined based (If any generators are at If an closed generator is at such a bus then it will be ignored,
on devices this bus, Simulator so Simulator will open it
changes this to a 2)
Allow a PV Bus Automatically Type = 2 IDE = 2
Determined based
on devices and
Generators with
AVR = YES
Slack Bus Slack = YES Type = 0 IDE = 3

Disconnected Automatically Presumably this is IDE = 4

Determined based auto determined After reading file if you find that a bus is actually connected to
on topology because Type = 0 at online generation through closed branches, then if the Type =
4 Simulator will go back through and open all branches
disconnected buses
connected to the bus to isolate it.
Special Change Min/Max Type = – 2 Change Min/Max Vars
unlimited Mvar Vars

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Generator Differences
• Reactive Capability Curves
– Simulator and PSLF both specify the capability curve
explicitly, though many users do not populate this data
– PSS/E has a separate input file called “GCAP” which
specifies the capability. (Simulator is able to read this file)
• GE Baseload Flag
– Extra flag used by PSLF in transient simulation only (user-
written EPCL code might also use this)
– Simulator allows you to interpret this field as a Post-
Contingency AGC status (Simulator has a separate field for
Transient simulation use)
• Owners
– PSLF support up to 8 owners
– PSS/E support 4 owners
– Simulator Version 19 supports 8 owner (previously was 4)
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Generator Differences
• AVR status
– Simulator has a AVR flag that is set to YES or NO
– PSS/E you would change Qmax and Qmin
– PSLF uses (Qmax – Qmin) to determine. By default ranges at 2.0
Mvar or less are considered AVR = NO.
• Remote Regulation Percentages
– PSS/E uses RMPCT that is the same for all generators at same bus
– PSLF allows different “prf” values at the same bus
– Other software (EMS system) handle this yet a 3rd way
– PowerWorld Simulator has an option to choose between 3
choices
• Line Drop Compensation with Generator
– PowerWorld Simulator allows the specification of a Rcomp and
Xcomp with a generator record in the Power Flow Solution
– PSLF has input data. Not sure if it’s used.
– PSS/E does not have this
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Generator Difference
• “Unit type” field is available in PowerWorld
and PSLF.
– String shown below in Simulator, Integer in PSLF
• Field not in PSS/E
PowerWorld String = PSLF Integer
UN (Unknown) = 0 JE (Jet Engine) = 12
CA (Combined Cycle Steam Part) = 2 MP (Motor/Pump) = 41
CC (Combined Cycle Generic) = 4 NB (ST - Boiling Water Nuclear Reactor) = 15
CE (Compressed Air Storage) = 15 NG (ST - Graphite Nuclear Reactor) = 15
CS (Combined Cycle Single Shaft) = 13 NH (ST - High Temperature Gas Nuclear Reactor) = 15
CT (Combined Cycle Combustion Turbine Part) = 3 NP (ST - Pressurized Water Nuclear Reactor) =15
DC (represents DC ties) = 40 OT (Other) = 15
FC (Fuel Cell) = 15 PS (Hydro Pumped Storage) =15
GT (Gas Turbine) = 11 PV (Photovoltaic) = 31
HY (Hydro) = 5 SC (Synchronous Condenser) = 14
IC (Internal Combustion) = 6 ST (Steam Turbine) = 1
IT (Internal Combustion Turbo Charged) = 7 WT (Wind Turbine) = 21
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 General Extra Fields In Software
Data Definitions
• Several other additional fields are available in PSLF and
PowerWorld data structures which do not appear to be
used extensively in WECC
– PSLF has In Service Data, Project ID, Dispatch Flag, AGC Flag,
and so on
– PowerWorld adds extra fields to track fields like this
– PowerWorld has entire set of Custom integers, floats,
string, memos user can populate (this available
• PSS/E data definitions do not include these, though
Base Case Coordination system did add additional
structures to store these

• For purposes of this rough draft presentation, we’ll put

this in the parking lot for future discussion

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Shunts
• PSLF support up to 4 owners
• PSS/E ownership is inherited from terminal bus
• PowerWorld Version 19 supports up to 4 owners (previously it was inherited from bus)
GE PSLF PTI PSS/E PowerWorld Simulator
Controllable SVD Switched Shunt Switched Shunt
Shunt (Multiple allowed (Only one allowed Control Mode = Fixed, Discrete,
per bus) per bus) or Continuous
Multiple allowed per bus
(coordinated in version 16)
Fixed Bus Shunt SHUNT Fixed Bus Shunt Switched Shunt
(Multiple allowed (multiple allowed Control Mode = Bus Shunt
per bus) per bus) (multiple allowed per bus)
Fixed Line Shunt SHUNT No special record. Line Shunt
Assigned to a line. Fields with AC Line Each end of a line can have
IDs must start with GI, BI, GJ, BJ specify multiple shunts. IDs assigned for
an f or t the total at each end multiple shunts.
G and B for equiv None None Bus fields
Nom G Shunt and Nom B Shunt
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Coordinated Switched Shunt
Control
• Starting in Simulator Version 16 in 2010,
PowerWorld has supported having multiple
switched shunts on the bus (or buses connected by
low impedance branches) that regulate the same
point in the electrical network
– This occurs automatically when shunts share the same
regulated bus (or buses in a group of buses connected
by low impedance branches)
– Requires extra parameter with shunt (RegFactor)
• PowerWorld has forwarded information on how
this works to WECC staff who has forwarded this to
the PSLF software team
• PSS/E does not allow multiple controllable shunts at
the same bus at all
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Load Distribution Equivalent and
Load Characteristic
• PSLF merges these 2 concepts in one string
the “LongID”
• PowerWorld has two separate fields
– Load Model Group
• Each load can be assigned to one of these as a
container to which it’s transient stability model is
assigned
– Distribution Equivalent
• Specifies the distribution equivalent independently
• PSS/E does not have this concept
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Branch Differences
(both AC lines and transformers)
• Branch Ratings
– PSLF allows 8 line MVA ratings
– PSS/E allows 12 line MVA ratings
– PowerWorld allows 15 line MVA ratings
• This starts to get silly…
• Owners
– PSLF allows 8 owners
– PSS/E allows 4 owners
– Simulator Version 19 allows 8 owners (previously 4)
• Status/ByPass
– PSLF has a Status flag (0 = OPEN, 1 = CLOSED, 2 = BYPASSED)
– PSS/E has only a Status flag (0 or 1)
• To allow bypass you either change impedance of branch
• Or put in another branch in parallel (I would recommend)
– Simulator has 2 flags
• Status = OPEN or CLOSED
• Bypassed = Bypassed or Not Bypassed

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Transformer Differences
• Fixed Taps
– PSS/E does not support a fixed tap definition on the same
side as the variable tap (FROM), thus Fixed tap is always
assumed as 1.00
• The fixed tap is just added to the variable tap, so having a fixed tap
on the side with a variable tap is not completely necessary
• Intermediate Star Bus of 3-winding transformer
– PSS/E does not specify this bus explicitly. The voltage and
angle at this point are part of the transformer record.
– PSLF and Simulator specify this point explicitly in Bus table
• 3-winding transformer without the tertiary
– PSS/E does not allow the tertiary to be excluded
– PSLF allows a tertiary bus number of zero (0)
– Simulator supports both, but we do not consider excluding
the tertiary to be good practice
• When writing to a RAW file, if the tertiary is missing, then we
write the transformer as two 2-winding transformers.

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Transformer Differences
• Magnetizing Impedance
– In PSLF this is split equally between the From and
To bus of the transformer
– In PSS/E and PowerWorld this is all placed on the
From Bus of the transformer
• Line Drop Compensation
– In PowerWorld Simulator Rcomp and Xcomp can
be specified with a transformer to use line drop
compensation which is then used in the power
flow solution
– PSLF has this input data. Not sure if it’s used.
– PSS/E RAW file does not have this input data

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Multi-Section Lines
• Generally, a multi-section line must be strictly a series
of AC branches
– Intended to represent breaker configurations that require
all branches to go out-of-service together
– Helps with modeling series capacitors and reactors
• Intermediate buses
– In PSLF, intermediate buses are not defined in the EPC
format and thus loads, generators, and shunts at these
points are not allowed
– In Simulator and PSS/E, the intermediate buses are
specifically identified and thus loads, generators, and
switched shunts can be connected at these points
• In Simulator when writing out to an EPC file, the multi-section
line record is ignored if intermediate buses have objects
• This is actually very common in ERCOT

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 What is a “Line” and what is a
“Multi-Section Line”?
• PowerWorld and PSS/E call these
lines
• A separate “multi-section line”
aggregation is made
Definitions
Loads
• PSLF calls this entire thing “line”
• PSLF calls the pieces a “section”
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
• Intermediate Buses are included in
the bus table
• Gens, Loads, and Shunts at
intermediate buses is allowed
Implications
• Intermediate Buses are NOT in the
bus table
• Gens, Loads, and Shunts at
intermediate buses is NOT allowed
 Area/Zones for Shunt Objects
• PSLF and Simulator allow Generators, Loads, and
Switched Shunts to have a different area or zone
than the terminal bus. PSS/E only allows this for
Loads.
– These objects are then treated as tie-lines in area and
zone interchange calculations
– PSS/E has a special solution option to specify whether
to include the interchange as “LINES ONLY” or “LINES
AND LOADS”. Simulator and PSLF always use Lines and
Loads.
• PSLF also allows area and zone designations for
specific branches and transformers
– Simulator reads this into special EPC file fields but does
not use them for anything
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 BalancingAuthority
• Balancing Authorities are something new in
PSLF and PowerWorld Simulator Version 19
– Functionality is identical to an Area
– It’s essentially an alternate set of Area
designations

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Area MW Transactions
• In Simulator two settings specify the scheduled export
for each area with the scheduled export being the SUM
of all of these.
– MW transaction records (bilateral transactions)
– Area record’s Unspecified MW Interchange
• Tables showing Transactions are included in both the
PSLF EPC and PSS/E RAW file formats
– Scheduled values in those tables are informational only
– Both PSLF and PSS/E do NOT use these MW Transactions in
their power flow solutions
– Instead, each program has a net MW export with each area
– Simulator handles this when reading from those formats
and the Unspecified MW Interchange in Simulator is
assigned as the “left-over” which isn’t included in the
transactions table.
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 DC Lines
• In PSS/E and Simulator, there are distinct container
objects for both a two-terminal DC line and a multi-
terminal DC line (MTDC)
– Within a particular MTDC there are then DC Buses, AC/DC
Converter and DC Line objects
• In PSLF, there are only definitions of the DC Buses,
AC/DC Converter and DC Line objects
– The groupings are then determined by the topology of the
DC line links
• File format issue
– PSS/E requires that all DC buses of a particular MTDC
grouping be numbered from 1 to the number of DC buses
– PSLF requires that all DC buses throughout the entire model
have a unique DC bus number
– Simulator must support this when reading/writing
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 What is a Multi-Terminal DC Line?
“Device” or “Network”
• It’s a very special “Device” connected to the
AC system
– This is how PSS/E looks at it
– PowerWorld has some flavor of this as well as we
require you to assign each MTDC Bus, Converter
and Line to a particular “MTDCRecord”
• It’s just additional parts of the model with
objects DC Bus, DC Converter and DC Line
– This is how PSLF looks at it
– PowerWorld has some flavor of this as well as we
maintain the DC Bus, Converter and Line as
separate objects in the data structure

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Interfaces
• PSLF supports the definition of an interface as a group
of AC lines (or Multi-Section lines)
• Simulator supports numerous interface elements
– AC Branch, Multi-Section Line, Area-To-Area, Zone-To-Zone,
DC Line, Injection Group, Generator, Load, or another
interface
– Simulator also supports “contingent interfaces” which
include a specific line outage or insertion
• PSS/E has a monitor functionality (MON file) which
allows definition of an interface which includes AC
branches and Line Open or Close contingent elements

• The term “Flowgate” is often used, especially in relation

to contingent-interfaces in the Eastern United States

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Injection Groups
• Simulator supports the definition of an injection group
which represents a group of generators, loads, or
switched shunts
– Can be used for summary calculations, sensitivity-based
calculations, or as a source and sink for a transfer (think PV
curve)
– Injection group can also contain another injection group
– Used extensively in Contingency Actions that are used for
model RAS
• PSS/E has a concept called a “subsystem” which you
may find in a SUB file which is somewhat similar
• In PSLF a user-written EPCL would be required
– PSLF is being paid by WECC to implement this feature as
part of their contract to model RAS

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Substations
• In Simulator, each bus can be optionally
assigned to a substation
– Feature was added in May 2000
– Useful in one-line diagram creation
– Needed to support EMS-based full-topology
models
– Specify a latitude/longitude with each substation
– By default the substation is unassigned
• PSLF and PSS/E latest versions have begun to
support substations
– Necessary for GIC modeling
©2015 PowerWorld Corporation
 Super Areas
• In Simulator, Super Area objects can be
created and each area can be assigned to
one super area
– Useful in studying groups of areas that are
dispatched together (Electricity Markets)
• PSLF and PSS/E do not support

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation

 Nomograms
• In Simulator, Nomogram objects can be
created which specify two interfaces and
then a two-dimensional limit region
– Nomogram limit violations can then be
monitored or enforced in Contingency
Analysis, ATC, OPF and SCOPF studies
• PSLF and PSS/E do not support

©2015 PowerWorld Corporation