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Energy & Power Systems

Electrical grids, renewable integration, power-plant dynamics, smart-grid control

19 articles

Article

RTDS Technologies RSCAD: Real-Time Digital Simulation for Power System Protection and Control Testing

RTDS Technologies' RSCAD software suite delivers true electromagnetic-transient simulation at time steps as small as 2 µs, enabling closed-loop hardware-in-the-loop testing of protection relays, HVDC controllers, and inverter-based resources. This article examines RSCAD's NovaCor hardware architecture, multi-rate subsystem partitioning, IEC 61850 GTNET interface configuration, and Python-based automated test workflows. Engineers will find practical guidance on relay trip-time validation, IBR controller CHIL setup, and best practices for production-grade real-time simulation studies.

By Jeff 147 views
Article

Simscape Electrical: Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Power Converter Design and Validation

Simscape Electrical provides a physics-based, DAE-driven environment for modeling power converters, machines, and grid-connected systems within MATLAB/Simulink. Its Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) workflow — spanning offline simulation, fixed-step solver transition, automated code generation, and real-time deployment — enables engineers to validate converter control algorithms on physical hardware before committing to prototype fabrication.

By Jeff 95 views
News

KBC Petro-SIM v7.6: AI-Integrated Digital Twin Platform Advances Process Simulation for Energy Transition

KBC (A Yokogawa Company) has released Petro-SIM v7.6, a major update to its flagship process simulation platform that combines first-principles physics modeling with AI/ML integration, a new NOMAD blackbox optimization solver, and a Fischer-Tropsch reactor model for sustainable aviation fuel production. The release delivers up to 30% faster solving times for hydroprocessing simulations and introduces advanced polymer modeling powered by Predici.

By Jeff 275 views
Article

EnergyPlus: Building Energy Simulation for Demand Response and Grid-Interactive Building Design

EnergyPlus is the DOE's industry-standard whole-building energy simulation engine, enabling engineers to model sub-hourly thermal and electrical behavior of buildings with high fidelity. Its EnergyManagementSystem (EMS) and Python API allow custom demand response control logic, pre-cooling strategies, and battery dispatch algorithms to be scripted directly into the simulation. This article explores EnergyPlus's heat balance architecture, EMS workflow, and practical methods for generating high-resolution load profiles that feed into grid simulation tools.

By Jeff 146 views
News

AVL Simulation Suite 2025 R2: GPU-Accelerated Battery Safety, Hydrogen Electrolyzer Modeling, and AI-Driven Design Exploration

AVL has released its Simulation Suite 2025 R2, introducing GPU-accelerated battery thermal runaway simulation in FIRE M, a new PEM electrolyzer generator in CRUISE M for hydrogen system modeling, and AI-driven design exploration tools. The update targets electrification and sustainable propulsion development with enhanced fidelity and workflow automation.

By Jeff 314 views
Article

SAM (System Advisor Model): Performance Modeling and Financial Analysis for Renewable Energy Projects

NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) is the industry-standard tool for techno-economic analysis of renewable energy projects, combining detailed hourly performance simulation with sophisticated financial modeling. This article explores SAM's PV and CSP performance engines, financial model structures including Partnership Flip for tax equity, parametric optimization workflows, and Python scripting via PySAM for automated batch analysis.

By Jeff 325 views
Article

Modelica and OpenModelica: Equation-Based Modeling for Multi-Domain Energy System Simulation

Modelica is an open, equation-based modeling language that enables engineers to simulate coupled electrical, thermal, and control systems in a single unified framework. OpenModelica, the leading open-source implementation, provides a full-featured IDE and compiler at no cost. This article explores key capabilities, practical workflows, and how Modelica compares to other energy simulation tools.

By Jeff 372 views
Article

PyPSA: Sector-Coupled Energy System Optimization for Net-Zero Planning

PyPSA (Python for Power System Analysis) is an open-source framework for multi-carrier, multi-period energy system optimization that simultaneously models electricity, hydrogen, heat, and transport networks. This article explores its sector-coupling architecture, multi-period investment optimization capabilities, solver backends, and practical guidance for production-grade net-zero planning studies.

By Jeff 208 views
Article

MATPOWER: Optimal Power Flow Solvers and Extensible OPF Framework for Power System Research

MATPOWER is the open-source MATLAB/Octave power system simulation package that has become the de facto standard for OPF research. This article explores its extensible OPF architecture, solver interfaces (MIPS, IPOPT, CPLEX), LMP computation, sensitivity matrices, and the MOST multi-period scheduling tool — with practical guidance for production-grade grid studies.

By Jeff 352 views
Article

PowerWorld Simulator: Contingency Analysis and Voltage Stability Assessment for Transmission Planning

PowerWorld Simulator provides transmission planners with powerful tools for N-1/N-2 contingency screening and voltage stability assessment. This article explores how to configure contingency studies, generate PV and QV curves using continuation power flow, and automate large-scale planning workflows via the SimAuto COM interface. Practical guidance covers solver selection, limit monitoring, reactive margin quantification, and Python-based scripting for production-grade transmission studies.

By Jeff 158 views
Article

pandapower: Python-Native Power System Analysis for Modern Grid Engineers

pandapower is an open-source, Python-based power system analysis framework that stores network models as pandas DataFrames, enabling fully scriptable AC/DC power flow, optimal power flow, short-circuit analysis, and N-1 contingency screening. Its seamless integration with the Python scientific ecosystem makes it the tool of choice for engineers building automated, reproducible, and version-controlled grid studies. This article covers core capabilities, solver backends, time-series workflows, and guidance on when pandapower is the right choice.

By Jeff 753 views
Article

HOMER Pro: Advanced Microgrid Optimization and Techno-Economic Analysis

HOMER Pro delivers industry-leading microgrid optimization through exhaustive search algorithms, sophisticated dispatch strategies, and detailed component modeling. Learn how this powerful tool enables engineers to design cost-effective hybrid energy systems by evaluating thousands of configurations and identifying optimal solutions.

By Jeff 241 views
Article

OpenDSS: Open-Source Distribution System Simulation for Modern Power Grids

OpenDSS is an open-source distribution system simulator developed by EPRI, offering powerful tools for analyzing modern power grids with distributed energy resources, renewable integration, and smart grid technologies. Its Python integration and comprehensive modeling capabilities make it essential for utilities and researchers.

By Jeff 502 views
Article

ETAP: Comprehensive Electrical Power System Analysis and Simulation

ETAP (Electrical Transient Analyzer Program) is a sophisticated software suite for comprehensive electrical power system analysis, simulation, and optimization. Developed by Operation Technology Inc., it offers integrated enterprise solutions spanning the entire power system lifecycle from design to real-time operation.

By Jeff 384 views