Real-Time Digital Simulator for Power System Analysis

To understand a number of power system phenomena and to predict critical conditions in system operation, such as voltage collapse, a real-time simulator able to model the dynamic behavior of large power systems has been needed for a long time. The need for real-time simulations stems from the fact that in many practical situations it is desirable to test new equipment and analyze the dynamic behavior of a large power system using the actual pieces of equipment. A new digital simulator was developed based on a hypercube-type massively parallel computer to achieve this objective. The new simulator features: (1) real-time simulation of a large power system which covers transient stability through long-term behavior with constant accuracy level; (2) user-friendly man-machine interfaces which mimics an actual operating environment and realtime data presentation on a CRT; and (3) high-speed digital/analog conversion interfaces which connect the digital simulator to actual equipment.