Dynamic power system simulation tools

In this article, if there is no ambiguity, we'll refer to the power system as the network itself (including lines, cables, substations and transformers), the means of active and reactive production and consumption.

Readers unfamiliar with the study of electrical networks will find it useful to consult, by way of introduction, the article D 4 090 "Electrical power transmission and interconnection networks. Operation and control", in the Techniques de l'Ingénieur, Electrical Engineering section, outlines the basics of network operation and control.

While the physical laws governing the static operation of power grids are well known, and therefore enable us to build a precise mathematical model, the operation of the system outside equilibrium can only be described by taking into account the dynamic behavior of generation resources and load, which is often poorly understood. Furthermore, the study of large disturbances leads to the analysis of operations far removed from normal operating conditions, and therefore requires models with a very wide range of validity.

Despite the intrinsic difficulty of modeling, the use of dynamic simulation is becoming increasingly frequent and necessary to meet ever more stringent requirements at the lowest possible cost. This trend is the result of the changing context of the electrical industry, illustrated by the following examples:

• more stringent customer requirements for the electricity "product" (quality of voltage, frequency, absence of service interruptions, etc.);

• the tremendous development of network interconnection, a symbol of political convergence, where in Europe, for example, a synchronous network is emerging at the end of this century, stretching from the Maghreb to the borders of Russia, with the ambition of extending it to almost all the countries of the former USSR;

• environmental pressure, which is forcing companies to delay or even cancel investments that are justified in order to meet demand, and therefore to demand more from existing facilities;

• deregulation of the electricity sector and the emergence of independent production and third-party access to the grid;

• the development of new materials and techniques (components based on power electronics or superconductors, calculation resources, measurement and information transmission techniques). These new resources enable finer control of the system, and the development of controllers and PLCs whose increasingly sophisticated operation must be mastered in all circumstances....