Day01 - 02-Intro To OpenDSS

OpenDSS Training
Workshop
Introduction to OpenDSS
Roger C. Dugan
EPRI Knoxville, TN
August 24, 2020
www.epr i . co m © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instructor
▪ Roger C. Dugan, Life Fellow, IEEE

▪ Roger is a Sr. Technical Executive with EPRI in Knoxville, Tennessee USA. He has over 45 years of
combined experience in distribution engineering with EPRI, Electrotek Concepts, and Cooper
Power Systems. He holds the BSEE degree from Ohio University and the Master of Engineering in
Electric Power Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. Roger has
worked on many diverse aspects of power engineering over his career because of his interests in
applying computer methods to power system simulation. Beginning with a student internship
with Columbus and Southern Ohio Electric Co, his work has been focused on Distribution
Engineering. He was elected a Fellow of the IEEE for his contributions in harmonics and transients
analysis. Recently, he has been very active in distributed generation, particularly as it applies to
utility distribution systems and distribution system analysis. He was the 2005 recipient of the
IEEE Excellence in Distribution Engineering Award. He is coauthor of Electrical Power Systems
Quality published by McGraw-Hill, now in its 3rd edition. He serves on the IEEE PES Distribution
System Analysis Subcommittee and is active in the Distribution Test Feeders WG.
2 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Enabling utility transition to tomorrow’s Program Value
distribution platform using a balanced, no
regrets approach to grid modernization.
• Grid modernization strategy
• New resource integration
• Reliability and resiliency
• Operational efficiency
• Workforce skill development
• Leading practices
Equip planners & Dev elop tools to assess Define & support Assess & maximize
operators w ith complex problems new workforce use of new
new processes efficiently & effectively skillsets technologies

Meeting Logistics
▪ Audio Options:
1. Connect via computer
audio
2. Call local dial number
OpenDSS Virtual Training and use participant code
▪ You are Muted on Entry

– Use Q&A to ask panelist
questions
EPRI Grid Operations & Planning

▪ Q&A window
August 2020 – Panelist will either answer in
the Q&A, or
– Panelist will voice the
question
▪ We are Recording
Red Means ▪ Polling window

Polling,
Muted – Polling questions will be
Q&A active throughout
1. Introduction to the OpenDSS Program

What is the OpenDSS?
▪ The examples in this Workshop will be taught using the EPRI

OpenDSS computer program
▪ OpenDSS is EPRI’s main tool for research involving distribution
system analysis
▪ Was made Open Source in 2008.
– Over 120,000 downloads since.
▪ The program is freely available and is updated regularly
▪ You may find it on www.Sourceforge.net
▪ Also, bookmark the EPRI link site:
– https://www.epri.com/#/pages/sa/opendss?lang=en-US
– This is the “jump page” for OpenDSS internet locations

Overview of OpenDSS
OpenDSS – Open-Source Distribution System Simulator
Download OpenDSS Here
▪ Advanced distribution analysis platform that ▪ Brief history and current usage
enables engineers to perform complex – Developed/designed in 1997 to capture the time
distribution analysis and spatial affects of distributed energy resources
▪ Flexible and customizable solution designed – Open-sourced in 2008 to coordinate and advanced
specifically to meet the challenges facing smart grid assessments
distribution engineers – Primary modeling and simulation platform used to
▪ Enables engineers to easily model both enable execution of cutting-edge research
traditional and advanced distribution
technologies, resources, assets, and controls
▪ Leveraged throughout the industry for modeling
and simulating advanced distribution applications
▪ Designed from the beginning to capture the time
and spatial affects of distributed energy
resources

Highlighting a Few Capabilities
Solution Capabilities DER Models

•Unbalanced multi-phase power flow •Smart inverters
•Quasi-static time-series (QSTS) •Energy storage
•Fault analysis •PV systems
•Harmonic analysis •Wind systems
•Flicker analysis •Demand response
•Linear and non-linear analysis •Microgrids
•Stray voltage/current analysis •DER short-ckt
Grid Devices Solution Interfaces

•Full library of traditional assets (lines, conductors, transformers, cap banks, •Distribution System Scripting language
switches, etc.) •Full graphical user-interface
•Load models •Co-simulation capabilities
Controls •Integrated SDK for customized development
•Line Reg/LTC, cap banks High-Performance Solutions

•DER smart inverter •Parallel processing using actors
•Energy storage dispatch •Multithreading circuit processing
•DMS/DERMS •Multi-core management
•VVO •Fast power flow
•Price modeling/dispatch
Misc
Automation
•Radial and networked systems
•Distribution automation •Arbitrary sized systems (single feeder to planning area)
•Load transfers •Transmission and distribution modeling
•FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration)

Flexible Tool Enabling a Wide Range of Analysis Types
▪ DER Interconnection studies

▪ Locational value studies
▪ Hosting capacity studies
▪ DA/FLISR scheme evaluation
1.045
Daily Voltage Profile
(Average Three Phase)
▪ Volt/var optimization With PV
1.04
Mid-Feeder
▪ Energy impact analysis
voltage (pu)
1.035
▪ DER protection impacts
1.03
▪ Power quality (harmonics/flicker) Without PV
1.025
▪ Long-range planning studies 04 06 08 10 12
Hour
14 16 18 20
▪ Smart inverter control optimization Driving Input Impedance from DG HSB
▪ Planning for electrification 1000
100
|Z| ohms
No Capacitors
10
6000kvar
12000kvar
18000kvar
0.1
1.1 5.3 9.4 13.6 17.8 21.9 26.1 30.3 34.4
Harmonic Number

What is the OpenDSS?
▪ Script-driven, frequency-domain electrical circuit simulation tool

– Script with text commands
– Script with another program (Python, MATLAB, C++, Delphi, etc.)
▪ Use Windows COM interface
▪ Use Direct DLL interface
▪ Drive with OpenDSS-G
▪ Specific models for:

– Supporting utility distribution system analysis
– Designed for the unbalanced, multi-phase North American power
distribution systems
▪ As well as European-style systems
– These typically have a simpler structure

What is the OpenDSS? (cont’d)
▪ Heritage
– Harmonics solvers rather than power flow
▪ Gives OpenDSS extraordinary distribution system modeling capability
– Simpler to solve power flow problem with a harmonics solver than vice-
versa
– More like EMT or Dynamics model than typical Distribution Power Flow
▪ Supports all
rms steady-state (i.e., frequency domain) analyses
commonly performed for utility distribution system planning
– And many other types of analyses
– Original purpose: DG interconnection analysis

What is the OpenDSS? (cont’d)
▪ What it Isn’t
– An Electromagnetic transients (EMT)solver (Time Domain)
▪ It can solve Electromechanical transients
– Frequency Domain => “Dynamics”
– All solutions are in phasors (complex math)
– Not a “Power Flow” program
– Not a radial circuit solver
▪ Does meshed networks just as easily
– Not a distribution data management tool
▪ It is a simulation engine designed to work with data extracted from one
or more utility databases

Time- and Location-Dependent Benefits
▪ The OpenDSS was designed to capture both

– Time-specific benefits and
– Location-specific benefits
▪ Needed for
– DG analysis
– Renewable generation
– Energy efficiency analysis
– PHEV and EV impacts
– Other proposed capacity enhancements that don’t follow typical
loadshapes

Time- and Location-Dependent Benefits
▪ Traditional distribution system analysis programs

– Designed to study peak loading conditions
– Capture mostly location-specific benefits
– Ignores time; Assumes resource is available
– This gets the wrong answer for many DG, energy efficiency, and Smart
Grid analyses
▪ Must do time sequence analysis to get the right answer

– “Quasi-Static Time-Series” (QSTS) simulations
– Over distribution planning area

What are the Key Features?
▪ Can model virtually any circuit configuration

▪ Very flexible multi-phase transformer model
▪ Fast and efficient QSTS simulations
▪ Designed to allow expansion indefinitely
– Impossible to anticipate everything users will want to do
– Scripting language and COM interface allows easier customization
– OOP design of software makes it easy to add new circuit element models
▪ See Documentation for more details

– http://svn.code.sf.net/p/electricdss/code/trunk/Distrib/Doc/
– Help menu on OpenDSS.exe
– Doc folder on your OpenDSS installation
– Examples folder on your OpenDSS installation

Controls
▪ A key feature
is that controls are modeled separately from the
devices being controlled
– Capacitors (CapControl element)
– Regulators/tapchangers (RegControl element)
▪ Control Modes
– Static
▪ Power flows with large time steps
– Time
▪ Control queue employed to delay actions
▪ Control acts when time is reached
– Event

Overall Model Concept
Inf. Bus
(Voltage, Angle)
Power Delivery
System
Comm
Msg Queue 1
Power Conversion
Element
("Black Box")
Control
Center
Comm
Msg Queue 2 Control

User Interfaces Currently Implemented
▪ A stand-alone executable program (OpenDSS.exe) that

provides a text-based interface (multiple windows)
– Some graphical output is also provided.
– No graphical input is provided.
▪ An in-process COM server (for Windows) that supports driving
the simulator from user-written programs.
– OpenDSSEngine.DLL
▪ A direct DLL interface (OpenDSSDirect.dll) that mimics the COM
interface with a standard call library
– For non-Windows platforms, such as HPCs
– For programming languages that do not support COM or are not
efficient at supporting COM
▪ Some users have published Python interfaces

DSS Structure
Scripts
COM
Interface Main Simulation Engine
User-
Written
Scripts, DLLs
Results

OpenDSS Research Directions
▪ Exploiting high performance desktop computing to make it feasible to study

distribution systems of at least 100,000 nodes and perhaps as many as
1,000,000 nodes.
– OpenDSS Version 8 Released in 2019 (now Version 9) performs parallel
processing for faster QSTS simulations
– Can solve different time periods in parallel
– Employs Diakoptics to solve very large networks
▪ Improved Distribution Management Systems (DMS) functions
– Several Existing EPRI research projects
▪ Improved distribution state estimation functions
▪ Improved microgrid simulations (Dynamics mode)

Built-in Solution Modes
▪ Snapshot (static) Power Flow

▪ Direct (non-iterative solution of I=YV )
▪ Daily mode (default: 24 1-hr increments)
▪ Yearly mode (default 8760 1-hr increments)
▪ Duty cycle (1 to 5s increments)
▪ Dynamics (electromechanical transients)
▪ Fault study
▪ Monte carlo fault study
▪ Harmonics
▪ Custom user-defined solutions

Input Data Requirements
▪ OpenDSS is a Script-driven circuit solution engine

▪ The OpenDSS was designed in a research or consulting
environment where input data might come from a variety of
sources.
▪ The program can accept many common forms of data for
describing impedances, loading, and topology of distribution
systems for planning analysis.
▪ The OpenDSS scripting language is designed to require minimal
translation from other formats of distribution data.
▪ The program can accept more detailed data for lines,
transformers, etc. than the typical data for distribution system
analysis when they are available.

Input Data Requirements
▪ OpenDSS Circuit elements have many properties

▪ Nearly all have reasonable default values
▪ Users only need to specify the property values that are
– Different than the default values
– Used in the circuit simulation
▪ Throughout OpenDSS, property values remain at the value most

recently set until they are subsequently changed
– They generally do NOT reset to original values unless you explicitly
change them or Clear the circuit definition
▪ This may be different than distribution power flow programs you are
familiar with
▪ OpenDSS is designed as an interactive simulator

Advanced Types of Data in OpenDSS
▪ Harmonic spectra for harmonic analysis,

▪ Various curves as a function of time for sequential time simulations:
▪ Load shapes (e.g., AMI P, Q data),
▪ Price shapes,
▪ Temperature shapes,
▪ Storage dispatch curves,
▪ Growth curves.
▪ Efficiency curves for PV inverters,
▪ Voltage dependency exponents for loads,
▪ Capacitor control settings,
▪ Regulator control settings,
▪ TCC Curves and other data for Fuse, Relay, and Recloser objects
▪ Machine data.

Equations
For the curious Electrical Engineer …

The Math …
▪ Nearly everything results in a matrix or array

– Nodal Admittance formulation
– Circuit elements modeled by primitive admittance matrices
▪ Yprim
– Primitive Y matrices used to build System Y matrix
▪ OpenDSS Works In
– Phase domain
– Actual volts and amps
– Symmetrical components and per units not used inside the program !! --
Input and output only!

Primitive Y Matrix
▪ Simple Resistor
R = 1/G
I1 I2
V1 V2
I1 G -G V1
=
I2 -G G V2
Yprim

Primitive Y Matrix, cont’d
▪ LINE model
I1 R + jX I2
jB1 jB2
V1 V2
I1 (R+jX)-1 + jB1 -(R+jX)-1 V1

=
-(R+jX)-1 (R+jX)-1 + jB2 V2
I2
Yprim

What about 3-phase elements?
▪ Simply let R, X, B, G, C, etc. represent 3x3 matrix

– Notation stays the same
▪ And it works!
▪ I1, I2, V1, V2 etc become 3x1 vectors
▪ This is basically how all the Circuit Element (CktElement) models

in OpenDSS work.

The Network Model
Linear Part of Loads Included in YSYSTEM
VSOURCE
YSYSTEM
(Norton Equiv.)
Injection (Compensation) Currents from Loads, Generators, etc.

(Power Conversion Elements)
Nodal Admittance Equations
V1
I1
V2
I2
…
… YSYSTEM
VS
IS
= …
…
VL1
IL1 NxN
…
… (Sparse)
VL2
IL2
…
…
VN
IN
N = Number of NODES (not BUSES)

Solving the Power Flow
▪ Once the circuit model is connected properly the next step is to

Solve the base power flow
▪ PC elements (i.e., Loads) are usually nonlinear
▪ Loads are linearized to a Norton equivalent based on nominal
100% rated voltage.
– Current source is “compensation current”
– Compensates for the nonlinear characteristic
▪ A fixed point iterative solution algorithm is employed for most
solutions
▪ This method allows for flexible load models and is robust for most
distribution systems

Load (a PC Element)
General Concept
Added into Injection
Current Vector
Compensation
Yprim Current
Goes into System Y Matrix

(One-Line Diagram)
Most Power Conversion (PC) Elements are Modeled Like This

Load - 3-phase Y connected
Compensation Phase 1
Yprim Current
3 Yprim Current
4 Conductors/Terminal Compensation Phase 3

Yprim Current
4
Load - 3-phase Delta connected
Yprim Current
1
Yprim Current
3 Conductors/Terminal Compensation Phase 3

Yprim Current

Load Models (Present version)
1:Standard constant P+jQ load. (Default)

2:Constant impedance load.
3:Const P, Quadratic Q (like a motor).
4:Nominal Linear P, Quadratic Q (feeder mix).
Use this with CVRfactor.
5:Constant Current Magnitude
6:Const P, Fixed Q
7:Const P, Fixed Impedance Q
8: Special ZIP load model

Standard P + jQ (constant power) Load Model
▪ When the voltage goes out of the normal range for a load the
model reverts to a linear load model
– This generally guarantees convergence

▪ Even when a fault is applied
– This script changes break points to +/- 10%:

▪ Load.Load1.Vmaxpu=1.10
▪ Load.Load1.Vminpu=0.90
– Note: to solve some of the IEEE Radial Test feeders and match the published results,
you have to set Vminpu to less than the lowest voltage published (usually about 0.80
per unit)

Standard P + jQ Load Model (Model=1)
DSS P,Q Load Characteristic
1.3
Const Z
1.2
1.1
105%
1 (Defaults*)
0.9
95%
|I| = |S/V| 0.8
PU Voltage
0.7
0.6
Const Z
0.5
New Method (2014)
0.4
0.3
0.2 * Change by setting Vminpu and

0.1 Vmaxpu Properties
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
PU Current
Power Flow Solution Algorithm
1. Initial Guess at Node Voltages, V

2. Compute all Injection (Compensation) Currents, I
a. For PC Elements
3. Solve for new guess at V
4. Repeat 2 and 3 until Converged
▪ Convergence is based on change in per unit voltage magnitude

– Default tolerance = 0.0001
– Good enough for distribution systems

Putting it All Together
ALL Elements
Yprim 1 Yprim 2 Yprim 3 Yprim n
PC Elements
Comp. Currents
I1
I2 Node
Iinj =
Y V
Voltages
Im
Iteration Loop

Putting it All Together
ALL Elements
Yprim 1 Yprim 2 Yprim 3 Yprim n
PC Elements
Comp. Currents
I1
I2 Node
Iinj =
Y V
Voltages
Im
Iteration Loop

A More Concise Form …
▪ Fixed-point solution form for normal solution
Vn+1 = [Ysystem]-1 IPC(Vn) n = 0, 1, 2, …
…until converged
IPC(V) = compensation currents from Power Conversion (PC)

elements in the circuit as a function of voltage

OpenDSS Solution Loop with Controls
Controls are sampled and executed after a converged power flow solution
Initialize
Solve Electrical
Power Flow Solution
Circuit
(Controls Static)
Push delayed
actions onto
Sample the Control Queue
Control Elements
Execute Control
Actions, If Any Pop delayed
actions off
Control Queue
No Control Yes
Actions Solution Done
Done?

Solving the Power Flow …
▪ This solution method requires that the first guess at the voltages
be close to the final solution
– Not a problem for daily or yearly simulations
▪ Present solution is a good initial guess at next time step
– First solution is often most difficult
▪ The solution initialization routine in OpenDSS accomplishes this

with ease in most cases
▪ Method works well for arbitrary unbalances
– For conditions that are sensitive, a Newton method is provided that is more
robust, but slower.
– Not to be confused with “Newton-Raphson Power Flow”

Losses are computed quite simply for any device
model
▪ Sum the powers into each conductor and losses are the power left
over (not summing to zero)
V
Si=ViIi*=Pi+jQ i
Sloss =  Si

DSS Object Structure
DSS Executive
Commands Options
Circuit Solution
V [Y] I
PDElement PCElement Controls Meters General
Line Load RegControl Monitor LineCode

Transformer Generator CapControl EnergyMeter LineGeometry
Capacitor Vsource Relay Sensor WireData
Reactor Isource Reclose LoadShape
Storage Fuse GrowthShape
Spectrum
TCCcurve
XfmrCode
DSS Class Structure
Instances of Objects of this class
Class Object 1
Property Definitions Property Values
Methods
Class Property Editor
Yprim
Collection Manager States
Object n
Property Values
Methods
Yprim
States

Together…Shaping the Future of Electricity

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OpenDSS Training

August 24, 2020

▪ Roger C. Dugan, Life Fellow, IEEE

2 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

3 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ You are Muted on Entry

EPRI Grid Operations & Planning

Red Means ▪ Polling window

5 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ The examples in this Workshop will be taught using the EPRI

6 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

7 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Solution Capabilities DER Models

Grid Devices Solution Interfaces

•Line Reg/LTC, cap banks High-Performance Solutions

8 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ DER Interconnection studies

▪ Smart inverter control optimization Driving Input Impedance from DG HSB

▪ Planning for electrification 1000

9 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Script-driven, frequency-domain electrical circuit simulation tool

▪ Specific models for:

10 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

11 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

12 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ The OpenDSS was designed to capture both

13 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Traditional distribution system analysis programs

▪ Must do time sequence analysis to get the right answer

14 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Can model virtually any circuit configuration

▪ See Documentation for more details

15 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

16 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

17 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ A stand-alone executable program (OpenDSS.exe) that

18 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

19 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Exploiting high performance desktop computing to make it feasible to study

20 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Snapshot (static) Power Flow

21 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ OpenDSS is a Script-driven circuit solution engine

22 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ OpenDSS Circuit elements have many properties

▪ Throughout OpenDSS, property values remain at the value most

23 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Harmonic spectra for harmonic analysis,

24 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

For the curious Electrical Engineer …

25 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Nearly everything results in a matrix or array

26 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

27 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

I1 (R+jX)-1 + jB1 -(R+jX)-1 V1

28 w w w . e p ri . c om © 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

▪ Simply let R, X, B, G, C, etc. represent 3x3 matrix

▪ I1, I2, V1, V2 etc become 3x1 vectors

▪ This is basically how all the Circuit Element (CktElement) models