Security Assessment in Near Real Time
DSATools™ is designed with features to perform on-line dynamic security assessment (DSA) when integrated with energy management systems (EMS). The software works with solved powerflow cases provided by the state estimator in the EMS. Powertech’s DSA Manager tool coordinates models required for on-line DSA and controls all computations by security assessment modules VSAT/TSAT/SSAT that are conducted on a dedicated cluster of computers. Results may be displayed locally on DSA Manager, deposited into a real-time database (such as PI), or passed back to the EMS for display on EMS consoles.
Comprehensive Security Assessment – Fast and Accurate
On-line DSA technologies can be used to assess dynamic security of a power system in a user-defined cycle-time (or on event triggering) for real-time system topology and operational conditions. A variety of analyses can be performed, such as contingency analysis, security limit analysis, remedial action analysis, special protection system (SPS) performance analysis, etc., with a comprehensive set of security criteria including thermal loading, steady-state voltage deviation, voltage stability, transient voltage, transient stability, damping, and frequency stability. Basic results provided to the operator include critical contingencies, criteria violations, security limits, remedial actions required for insecure system conditions, and performance of SPS. Unlike other on-line security assessment applications, DSATools™ does not use simplified modeling and/or analytical techniques that often overlook critical phenomena in systems and, therefore, may lead to misleading assessment results. To ensure the fast computational speed, assessment can be performed using distributed computations on a hardware platform with multiple-core computer servers.
Users of On-line DSA Technologies
Powertech’s on-line DSA technologies are being used by an increasing number of grid operators and utilities, including:
- 7 of 9 ISOs in North America
- Powertech’s parent company BC Hydro
- National grid operators in UK, Ireland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Africa, and Colombia
- 20+ more power utilities around the world
A number of major EMS vendors are licensed as resellers of our products, so ask your vendor about DSATools™ today.
An application example
An on-line Wind Security Assessment Tool (WSAT) was jointly developed by the Irish national grid company EirGrid and Powertech. WSAT has been installed and is operational at the National Control Center (NCC) of EirGrid. View a description of this system here or refer to the following for further reading on WSAT:
Ivan M. Dudurych, Alan Rogers, Robbie Aherne, Lei Wang, Fred Howell, and Xi Lin, “Safety in Numbers” IEEE Power & Energy Magazine, pp. 62-70, March/April, 2012.
View DSA Manager Brochure