DSATools™ Add-On Module | OPF-RA Optimal Power Flow & Remedial Actions

OPF-RA

Remedial Actions based on Optimal Power Flow

Identify and implement optimal remedial actions to maintain system security and reliability under various operating conditions.

Security-Constrained OPF

Solves for optimal system settings while enforcing thermal and stability limits.

Actionable Remediation Guidance

Recommends feasible corrective/preventive control actions for operators or study teams.

Fast Scenario Comparison

Evaluates and ranks solutions under multiple conditions and contingency sets.

Built-In Interface to DSA Manager

Delivers real-time or study-mode actions aligned with security assessment results.

VSAT-OPF-RA

Remedial Action Determination Using Optimal Power Flow

OPF-RA is an add-on module for VSAT. It can help identify measures to alleviate thermal and voltage stability violations of a power system under pre- and post-contingency conditions.

OPF-RA is integrated with VSAT, providing a user-friendly interface and seamless interaction with VSAT models and data, as well as the relevant VSAT analysis options. The resulting powerflow case with the RA implemented can be directly opened by other DSATools™ modules for further studies.

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Approach

Whereas conventional remedial action studies for resolving thermal and voltage insecurity issues rely on significant human effort by systematically adjusting system control settings to reach a satisfactory solution, OPF-RA formulates and solves an optimal powerflow (OPF) problem, which automatically determines the appropriate remedial actions enough to bring the system back to security, based on a set of user-defined controls and system operational criteria.

OPF-RA is based on the following techniques:

  • Full AC OPF formulation
  • Robust primal-dual interior-point solution algorithm

Control measures incorporated into OPF-RA:

  • Generator voltage settings
  • SVC/shunt voltage settings
  • Switchable shunts
  • Transformer taps
  • Generator active power dispatches
  • Load shedding

Types of constraints enforceable in OPF-RA:

  • Bus voltage limits
  • Branch thermal limits (MVA, Ampere, MW, MVAr)
  • Interface flow limits (MVA and MVAr)
  • Generator MW and MVAr limits
  • Switchable, continuous/discrete shunt limits
  • Transformer tap limits
  • Load shedding limits
  • All contingencies supported by VSAT
Product Features
  • Fully integrated with VSAT in terms of UI, input data compatibility, and computation engine
  • Identification of remedial actions to resolve thermal and voltage stability violations
  • Complementary to the existing sensitivity-base RA method in VSAT
  • Capable of handling systems of very large size (up to 100,000 buses)
  • Robust and highly efficient solver
  • Customizable optimization and solution parameters
Applications

OPF-RA’s fast and efficient solution algorithm allows system planners and operators to solve various power systems problems, such as:

  • Relieve base-case and post-contingency thermal and voltage stability violations
  • Maximize system power transfer capability
  • Improve system voltage profile

Specifications and Requirements
  • Runs on MS Windows 7/10/server 2012 R2/server 2016
  • Requires VSAT to run