Welcome to Interactive Power Flow!¶
Interactive Power Flow (IPF) is a software package for doing power flow studies. IPF models the operation of a bulk electric power network. It can be used to:
Investigate bulk electric power networks
Determine bus voltage distribution
Study real and reactive power flows in lines
Evaluate line overloads
Plan area interchange control
Determine transformer tap settings
Determine remote-bus voltage controls
Plan for system reactive power requirements
Determine effect of load shedding, generator dropping, and line outages
Run transient stability studies on generator rotor dynamics
Electric power system network design encompasses the following tasks:
Determination of load centers and generation patterns as well as sizes of loads and generation.
Determination of available transmission corridors (rights-of-way) and assessment of the capacity of these corridors to accommodate transmission lines.
Evaluation of existing or planned networks with regard to adequate power-carrying capability, voltage regulation, reliability of service, and operating economics.
Determination of size and routing of new transmission lines, and size and location of terminal equipment for achieving efficient and economical reinforcements when needed.
Evaluation of proposed reinforcements in light of power flow capability, ability to withstand transient disturbances, reliability of overall service, economics, impact on regional economy, environment, energy conservation and operational constraints such as construction lead times, coordination of various facility ownership interests, flexibility for future growth and compatibility with other long-range plans.
The dynamic nature of load growth, load distribution, and generation patterns make the problem of network design one of planning. To plan for the future, power system planners and design engineers must look at the past and present. This makes Interactive Power Flow a great tool for the network design engineer, but it can also be used by students for academic studies. IPF models the complex network structure and can evaluate it at various points in time.
Features¶
Interactive Power Flow has the following high level feature set:
Set of Command Line Tools for running power flow studies using domain specific languages (See Powerflow Command Language (PCL) and Power Flow Control (PFC) commands) for “batch” command line runs in which users can run multiple powerflow scenarios, plot results (See ipfplot, and create reports (See ipf_reports)
X Window Graphical Interface (gui) allowing easy-to-edit graphical display of the network diagram
CFLOW C API (libcflow) functions for running studies
Advanced capabilities like REI Network Reduction and Transient Stability Program (tsp)
Contents¶
- Installation
- Overview
- History
- Application Examples
- Record Formats
- Overview
- System Changes
- Comment
- Continuation Bus Data (
+
) - Area Interchange Control (
A
) - Area Output Sort (
AO
) - AC Bus Data
- AC Bus Data (
B
-blank) - AC Bus Data (
BC
) - AC Bus Data (
BE
) - AC Bus Data (
BF
) - AC Bus Data (
BG
) - AC Bus Data (
BQ
) - AC Bus Data (
BS
) - AC Bus Data (
BT
) - AC Bus Data (
BV
) - AC Bus Data (
BX
) - Two-Terminal DC Bus (
BD
) - Multi-Terminal DC Bus (
BM
) - Delete Buses by Area (
DA
) - Delete Buses by Zone (
DZ
) - Equivalent Transmission Line Branch (
E
) - Scheduled Area Intertie (
I
) - Balanced Transmission Line Branch (
L
) - Two-Terminal DC Line (
LD
) - Multiterminal DC Line (
LM
) - Factor Change (
PO
,PZ
,PN
,PA
,PB
,PC
,PD
) - Reactive Capability Curves (
QP
,QX
,QN
) - Regulating Transformer (
R
,RV
,RQ
,RP
,RN
,RM
) - Series Compensated RANI Model (
RZ
) - Transformer Data (
T
,TP
) - Switched Reactance (
X
) - Zone Rename (
Z
) - Area Rename (
ZA
) - Bus Rename (
ZB
)
- Power Flow Control (PFC)
- Overview
- The
bpf
Control Language - Special Characters
- Default Convention
- Microfiche Control Statement
- Level 1 PFC Commands
- Level 2 and 3 PFC Commands
- PFC Commands
- AGC
- AI_LIST
- ANALYSIS_SELECT
- BRANCH_DATA
- BUS_SENSITIVITIES
- CHANGE_BUS_TYPE
- CHANGE_PARAMETERS
- CHANGES
- COMMENT
- COMMON_MODE_ANALYSIS
- F_ANALYSIS_RPT
- F_INPUT_LIST
- F_OUTPUT_LIST
- GEN_DROP
- HEADER
- INCLUDE_CONTROL
- LINE_EFF
- LINE_SENSITIVITIES
- %LOAD_DISTRIBUTION
- LOAD_GE
- LOAD_PTI
- LOSS_SENSITIVITIES
- MERGE_OLD_BASE and MERGE_NEW_BASE
- MVA_BASE
- NETWORK_DATA
- NEW_BASE
- OI_LIST
- OLD_BASE
- OUTAGE_SIMULATION
- OVERLOAD_RPT
- P_ANALYSIS_RPT
- P_INPUT_LIST
- P_OUTPUT_LIST
- REBUILD
- REDUCTION
- RPT_SORT
- SAVE_FILE
- SOLUTION
- SORT_ANALYSIS
- TRACE
- TRANSFER_SENSITIVITIES
- TX_EFF
- USER_ANALYSIS
- Example
- Symbol Definitions
- >DEFINE_TYPE BRANCH_P and >DEFINE_TYPE BRANCH_Q
- >DEFINE_TYPE INTERTIE_P or DEFINE_TYPE INTERTIE_Q
- > DEFINE_TYPE INTERTIE_P_SCHEDULED
- >DEFINE_TYPE OWNER_LOSS AREA_LOSS ZONE_LOSS SYSTEM_LOSS
- >DEFINE_TYPE FUNCTION
- >DEFINE_TYPE OLDBASE
- > DEFINE_TYPE BUS_INDEX
- > DEFINE_TYPE BRANCH_INDEX
- > DEFINE_TYPE ZONE_INDEX
- > DEFINE_TYPE OWNER_INDEX
- > DEFINE_TYPE TRANSFER_INDEX
- Pagination Specifications
- PFC Examples
- Powerflow Command Language (PCL)
- Introduction
- General
- File Opening and Saving
- Processes
CFLOW
CHANGES
PLOT
SOLUTION
GET_DATA
GET_DATA, TYPE = A_DATA
GET_DATA, TYPE = AREA_DATA
GET_DATA, TYPE = AREA_LIST
GET_DATA, TYPE = BSEKV_LIST
GET_DATA, TYPE = BUS_EXISTS
GET_DATA, TYPE = BUS_LIST
GET_DATA, TYPE = BUS_VOLTAGES
GET_DATA, TYPE = COMMENTS
GET_DATA, TYPE = CONNECTION
GET_DATA, TYPE = COUNT
GET_DATA, TYPE = FILE_EXISTS
GET_DATA, TYPE = I_DATA
GET_DATA, TYPE = INITIALIZE_DEF
GET_DATA, TYPE = INPUT
GET_DATA, TYPE = LINE_IMPEDANCE_CALCULATION
GET_DATA, TYPE = LOAD_AREA
GET_DATA, TYPE = LOAD_DEFINE
GET_DATA, TYPE = LOAD_REF_AREA
GET_DATA, TYPE = LOAD_REF_BASE
GET_DATA, TYPE = NETWORK_DATA
GET_DATA, TYPE = OUTAGES
GET_DATA, TYPE = OUTPUT
GET_DATA, TYPE = OWNER_LIST
GET_DATA, TYPE = RECORD_LIST
- PUT_DATA
- Report Generation
REPORTS, SELECT AI_SUMMARY
REPORTS, SELECT BUS_INPUT
REPORTS, SELECT BUS_BR_INPUT
REPORTS, SELECT BUS_BR_OUTPUT
REPORTS, SELECT BUS_UVOV
REPORTS, SELECT LINE_COMPARISON
REPORTS, SELECT NETWORK_CHANGES
REPORTS, SELECT NETWORK_DELETIONS
REPORTS, SELECT OVERLOADED_LINES
REPORTS, SELECT OVERLOADED_TXS
REPORTS, SELECT PHASE_SHIFTER
REPORTS, SELECT TIE_LINE_SUMMARY
REPORTS, SELECT VOLTAGE_COMPARISON
- Command Line Tools
- Transient Stability Program (
tsp
) - X Window Graphical Interface (
gui
)- Audience
- User Interface
- A Summary of Motif Basics
- IPF as an X Client
- IPF X Window GUI Architecture
- History
- Working with the GUI
- Starting IPF
- Exiting IPF
- Opening Files
- Saving Files
- Changing the Displayed Network Size
- Editing Base Case Data
- Solving a Network Case
- Bus and Branch Editing
- Input Data Edit Dialog Boxes
- AC Bus Input Data Boxes
BD
BusBM
Bus- Continuation Bus
- Switched Reactance
- PQ Curve
- Sectionalization
- Line Tapping (may not be available)
- Transmission Line
- Phase Shifter
- Transformer
- Regulating Transformer
- Equivalent Network
- Menu Commands
- Alpha Search (View)
- Area/Interchange (Edit)
- Auto CFLOW (Process)
- Bending Points (View)
- Color Scheme (View)
- Command Dialog (View)
- Error Messages (Help)
- Exit (File)
- General (Help)
- Network Data Edit (Edit)
- Open (File)
- PF ID/Description (Edit)
- Plot Options (File)
- Print Plot (File)
- Reports (View)
- Run CFLOW (Process)
- Save (File)
- Solution Data Off (View)
- Solution Data On (View)
- Solve Case (Process)
- Customizing the GUI (XGUI)
- CFLOW C API (
libcflow
) - Network Diagrams
- Calculating Line Impedance
- DC Line Modeling
- Network Reduction
- Retained Network Definition
- Voltage Limits and Starting Voltages
- Developer Notes