TutorialPowerFlowAnalysis

Inthistutorial,youwillbeshownhowtouseseveralofEasyPowerspowerlowanalysisfeatures.EasyPowerusesthemost
robustandaccuratealgorithmeverdeveloped:theCurrentInjectionMethod.Theprogramalsousesthelatestinsparsity
algorithmtechniquestoindthesteadystatepowerlowconditionsofanoperatingpowersystem.

PowerFlowFocus
Toperformpowerlowanalysis,youmustbeinthePowerFlowfocus.
1.FromtheFilemenu,clickOpenFile.
Tip:IfyouareviewingtheStartPage,youcanclickOpenOnelineinstead.
2.OpentheSimple.dezileinyourSamplesdirectory.
3.Click

Maximizeontheonelinewindow,ifneeded,toillthesessionwindowwiththeoneline.

4.Click
PowerFlowintheHometabtoopenthePowerFlowfocus.ThePowerFlowtabcontainsbuttonsthat
areusedinpowerlowcalculations.

RunningPowerFlowAnalysis
1.Click
Solve.EasyPowerdisplaysthepowerlowanalysisofthissmallsystem.Themegavarlowsareshown
insideparenthesesandthemegawattlowsarenotinparentheses.Theperunitvoltagesandpoweranglesofeach
busaredisplayedatafortyivedegreeangle(seeigurebelow).

Figure1:PowerFlowAnalysis
The
Overloadsbuttonisselectedbydefault.Equipmentitemsthatareoverloadedarehighlightedred.Sinceno
equipmentinSimple.dezisoverloaded,nothingishighlighted.

Note:EasyPoweralsohighlightsitemsthatarewithin10%ofoverload.Thisoverloadthresholdcanbe
adjustedinthePFOptionsdialogbox.
2.Click

Losses.ThekWandkVARlossesinthetransformerandcablearedisplayed(seeigurebelow).

Figure2:PowerFlowWithLossesDisplayed
3.Click
VoltageDrop.Thevoltagedroppercentagesacrossthetransformerandcablearedisplayed(seeigure
below).

Figure3:PowerFlowWithPercentVoltageDropsDisplayed

ImpactMotorStarting
Afterrunningpowerlow,theeffectofoneormoremotorsstartinginyoursystemcanbeanalyzed.EasyPowercomputes
thesystemimpactofastartingmotoratthetimewhenthemotoractsasalockedrotor.
1.Doubleclickonthemotor.ATemporaryMotorDatadialogsimilartotheoneshownintheigurebelowis
displayed.

Figure4:TemporaryMotorDataDialogBox
2.ChangetheScalingFactorto0%.Thisindicatesthatthemotorisnotcurrentlyrunning.
3.SelecttheStartMotorcheckbox.
4.ClickOK.
5.Click
power.

Solve.Thisestablishesyourbasecasepowerlowbeforeyourmotorstarts.Noticethemotorisdrawingno

6.Click

SolveMotor.Themotorstartingresultsdisplayonyouroneline.

Noticethebusesturnred.TheirbusvoltagesarebelowtheBusUndervoltageThreshold.(TheBusUndervoltage
Thresholddefaultstowithin5%ofunity.ThiscanbeadjustedintheTools>PowerFlowOptionsdialogboxonthe
Controltab.)Inbothpowerlowandmotorstartinganalysis,youcanquicklyspotvoltageproblemsinlargesystems
bylookingforredbuses.

Figure5:MotorStartingAnalysis

TemporarilyChangingEquipmentData
Forfastcontingencystudyingandwhatifchecking,youcanrunpowerlowsaftermakingtemporarychangestothe
equipmentdata.AllmodiicationsmadetoequipmentdatawhileinthePowerFlowfocusaretemporary.Thechangesdo

notaffectveriieddataenteredin
DatabaseEditfocus.Generators,utilities,transformers,motors,loads,capacitors,
andshuntscanallbetemporarilyedited.
1.Doubleclickonthemotoragain.
2.CleartheStartMotorcheckbox,changetheScalingFactorto120%,andthenclickOK.
3.Click

Solve.

Figure6:MotorWith120%ScalingFactor
Noticethatthe120%motorloadshownisgreaterthanthe100%motorload.Changingthescalingfactorofamotorletsyou
testdifferentloadingscenarioswithoutchangingtheactualmotorspeciications.
Note:YoucanquicklyscalemultiplemotorsandloadsbyclickingChangeScalingFactorinthePowerFlowtab.
Thechangesareappliedtothemotorsandloadsonyouronelinethatareselectedgreen.Thisprovidesafastand
easywaytocheckpeakloadingconditions,lightloadingconditions,futureadditions,andotherfactorsprevalenttoa
powersystem.

DisplayOptions
Click

PFOptionsinthePowerFlowtab,andthenselecttheOnelineOutputtab.

Observethedifferentonelineoptionsavailable.
ThebranchlowsontheonelineincludeMWandMVAR,kVAandPowerFactor,CurrentinAmps,andsoon.
ThebusvoltagesdisplayeitherPerunit,kV(LL),orV(LL)units.
UnitsaredisplayedontheonelinebyselectingtheShowUnitscheckbox.

TextReports
1.WhilestillviewingthePowerFlowOptions,selectTextOutput.Adialogboxsimilartotheoneshownbelowis
displayed.
2.SelecttheCreateDetailReportcheckbox,andthenselectIEEE/WSCCFormat.
3.SelecttheSystemSummarycheckbox.
4.ClickOK.
5.Click

Solve.

Figure7:PowerFlowTextOutputDialogBox
6. Twopowerlowtextreportwindowsarecreated.YoucanviewthesereportsbyselectingeitherthePowerFlow
SummaryorPowerFlowDetailreportfromthe

Windowbutton.

Tip:Youcanalsodoubleclickonthewindowiconscreatedinthelowerleftcorner.