History of Power System:
In 1881, the world's first power system was built in Godalming in England. Though the system powered by two waterwheels supplied only seven Siemens arc lamps at 250 volts and 34 incandescent lamps at 40 volts. But it was our world's first-ever Electrical Power System.
By 1889, the electric power industry was flourishing, and thousands of power systems (both direct and alternating current) were built by power companies in the United States and Europe.
Over the period of time with a whole lot of advantage of Alternating Current Power system over Direct Current Power System. AC Power System domination continued and now we are living in a world with the most complex Power system networks spread all over the world. Covering and connecting different countries and even continents.
History of Power engineering software
Since the power system networks became more complex over a period of time, their study, design, and analysis also required programmable or automated tools. Therefore the first software programs for power engineering were created by the end of the 1960s for the purpose of monitoring power plants. The first software programs and platforms for electrical power modeling were created by the end of the 1980s. In the years 1980 to 2000, many companies created multiple software simulation programs to study the power system more accurately and efficiently.
Let us come to the present now
There are so many mathematical algorithms and computation techniques being used in analyzing power system networks. Some of those are:
Linear Programming Models
Dynamic Programming Models
Non-Linear Programming Models
State Estimation Techniques
Time-series methodsMost of the power system analysis modules like Load flow, Contingency planning, Grid interconnection study, Short Circuit study, Harmonics study, Long term Dynamics study, etc. are being derived from the above mathematical techniques. System analysis software is made using different programming languages such as C, C++, HTML/CSS, JAVA Script, python, etc. The most popular simulation software is the one that has easy to understand GUI for its users.
If you are an Electrical Engineer working in power system T&D related domains, you should be at least aware of one of these power system analysis packages:
DIgSILENT - PowerFactory
CYME
ETAP PS™ (Electrical Transient and Analysis Program)
PSS/E (Power System Simulation for Engineers)
PSCAD (Electromagnetic Transient Analysis Software)
1. DIgSILENT - PowerFactory
PowerFactory is a leading power system analysis software application for use in analysing generation, transmission, distribution, and industrial systems.
It covers the full range of functionality from standard features to highly sophisticated and advanced applications including wind power, distributed generation, real-time simulation, and performance monitoring for system testing and supervision.
All the simulation software packages of DIgSILENT are well explained with the tutorial videos of its module on their official website. you can explore and learn them at your own pace. DIgSILENT learning courses can also be found at Udemy and Coursera-like platforms.
To know more about DIgSILENT, you can visit: Click here
2. CYME
CYME offers an extensive line of Power Engineering Software that features some of the most advanced analysis tools for transmission, distribution, and industrial power systems.
Distribution System Analysis - CYMDIST
CYMDIST is the distribution system analysis base package of the CYME software. It bundles all the modeling and analysis tools required to perform the various types of simulations involved in electric distribution system planning. The calculation engines support balanced or unbalanced distribution models that are built with any combination of phases and operated in radial, looped or meshed configurations.
Additional Modules:
The CYME software comprises several add-on modules for detailed modeling and in-depth simulations bringing the analysis of any power system to a whole new level. The modeling modules allow creating a very detailed model of the distribution system from sub-transmission to the customer meter, including secondary networks. The CYME advanced analysis modules help engineers to perform system-wide distribution capacity planning studies, assess distributed generation interconnection impact, improve system reliability and optimize grid efficiency.
Learning tutorials of CYME are not available on its website but the module-wise explanation is available there for understanding. Also on youtube and the internet, we don't find many tutorial videos of CYME. Since, because it's a licensed software mostly available to only utilities and academic institutions.
For detailed information, you can visit: Click here
3. ETAP
ETAP also has a big name in the analytical simulation software providers. This company has its simulation products in all the fields of power systems or electrical systems.
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Industrial
Transportation
Low Voltage( Commercial/Building electrical solutions)Like CYME and DIgSILENT, this is also licensed software and not available to practice as open-source or even as a trial. But ETAP is more popular and heard by most of the people related to the power system industry. The reason behind this is excellent marketing and customizable and affordable price plans, which fits into the pockets of academic institutions easily. Therefore in many academic institutions, you can also find ETAP as a Lab course like python or Matlab.
Since ETAP is more popular, you can find many tutorials on youtube. Also, you can find the full certification video of ETAP on Udemy as well.
To know more about ETAP you can visit: Click here
4. PSS/E
PSS/E is a power system simulation tool developed by Siemens. This simulation tool is most popular for Transmission system planning in Utilities. Companies across the world in Power system transmission planning seek PSS/E simulation tool skills in their prospective employee as this simulation tool is considered maverick in all the available Transmission planning tools.
This simulation tool is also very popular among various academicians doing research in the field of power systems. You can easily find many research papers published where with the help PSS/E simulation tool results of the papers are verified.
This simulation tool is also a licensed one but if you are a student or a faculty member you can request a free trial for this software using this link here.
Many PSS/E video tutorials are available on youtube. To more about this simulation tool you can explore their official website: Click here
5. PSCAD
PSCAD is also one of the most preferred simulation tools by power system engineers and academicians. This tool has been benefited from over 40 years of continuous research and development. It is also known as PSCAD/EMTDC. EMTDC (Electromagnetic Transients with DC Analysis) was first developed in 1976 and has been constantly evolving in its scope and capabilities. It is an integral part of PSCAD as it is the library of power system component models and procedures, which establish the simulation software provided with PSCAD. Together they provide a fast, flexible and accurate solution for the efficient time-domain program for simulating a variety of electrical power system transients and control networks.
The free edition of PSCAD is available to download on their website. Also, all tutorials are also available there to practice the concepts.
To more about this simulation tool you can explore their official website: Click here
Above discussed simulation tools are not the only simulation tools available in the market. There are a whole lot of other tools also there. Like some of them below:
Company Name_____Softwares Name
STRI AB_____SIMPOW
PowerWorld Corporation_____PowerWorld
DMS Group_____DMS Software
BCP_____NEPLAN
SKM_____Power Tools
ESA_____Easy Power
Powertech_____DSATools
Nexant_____Modelex, Gen-se, Topaz,Flash,Trace
SES_____CDEGS
DCG_____EMTP-RV
Tractebel / EDF-RTE_____Eurostag
Milsoft_____WindMil
GE Energy_____PSLF
PRDC_____MiPower
University of British Columbia_____Microtran
Siemens_____SINCAL
The MathWorks_____SimPowerSystemReference:
3. https://new.siemens.com/global/en/products/energy/energy-automation-and-smart-grid/pss-software.html
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links, content directing to links, videos, images and other references are not owned and is not stored on the site. If you feel that we need to remove any of those aforementioned elements, feel free to inform the administrator of the site.
Comments