What's New in ASPEN Power Flow V15

 

The following are the new features in Version 15, the latest major version release of the ASPEN Power Flow program.

NOTE: clicking on the hyperlinks below will open a demo video in a new browser page 

  1. User-defined data fields: Users can define additional data fields to save custom data for all network and relay objects. These data fields can be used for many purposes, such as workflow management, auditing, external database connections, and others. The following pictures show some custom fields are defined in the File | Preferences | User-defined Data Fields dialog box and the Custom data field Owner of a line object is displayed in the data dialog box:

    Users can also modify all object UDF fields in the Data browser Edit mode.

  2. New converter-interfaced resource model for solar and type-4 wind plants and battery storage based the findings of IEEE PSRC C24 Working Group. This model is capable of injecting negative-sequence reactive current per the latest German grid code.

    Click on THIS LINK to watch a 45-minute webinar where Sherman Chan introduced the new type-3 wind plant model and the converter-interfaced resource model in OneLiner v15 and talked about how you can migrate the existing models in version 14 to the newer and better models in the new version.
  3. New Type-3 (doubly-fed induction machine) wind plant model using findings from IEEE PSRC C24 Working Group. You can turn on the “crowbar” state by marking a checkbox in the wind plant model’s dialog box.

    Click on THIS LINK to watch a 45-minute webinar where Sherman Chan introduced the new type-3 wind plant model and the converter-interfaced resource model in OneLiner v15 and talked about how you can migrate the existing models in version 14 to the newer and better models in the new version.
  4. Longer limit in object name and ID fields:
    • Lengthened bus name field to 16 characters from the 12 character length in version 14 and earlier. The first 12 characters have to be unique among all the buses.
    • Lengthened bus location field to 24 characters from the 8-character length in version 14 and earlier.
    • Lengthened branch name fields of lines, transformers, switches, series capacitors, and phase shifters from12 to16 characters.
    • Lengthen name field of relays, logic schemes, circuit breakers from 20 to 24 characters.
  5. Graphical User Interface enhancements:
    • Option for a non-white background for the program main 1-line window as well as the overcurrent and distance relay window.
    • Ability to adjust the size of relay groups on the time-distance diagram.
    • Ability to select a bigger size for toolbar buttons.
    • Show as a grayed-out symbol when not all relays in a relay group are online.
    • Show as a grayed-out symbol when not all units in a generator are online.
  6. Data browser edit mode: In the Edit mode, users can modify network and relay model data directly in the data browser grid cells and commit the changes to the network file. The edit mode also supports the pasting of cell data that you had copied to the Windows clipboard from a spreadsheet program. This will allow users to use a spreadsheet program to perform the desired update in the data then apply the changes quickly to the OneLiner network by executing the Copy/Paste commands.
  7. Improved phase shifter model: The new model is capable of modeling the shunt conductances and susceptances on both sides, in all three sequences.
  8. New facility for network model management: This new built-in facility is designed to serve as the foundation for OneLiner users in teams of all sizes to implement manual workflow and automatic system to manage their network model and relay data in OneLiner effectively and easily. It includes following program feature and commands:
    • A new built-in case comparison engine designed to detect differences between OneLiner networks at data field level. The engine also supports 3-way comparison, which takes into account the common base of the two files being compared. This comparison method will correctly identify all changed data fields in each file and will accurately report all conflicts when the same data field is changed in both files.
    • New Global Unique Identifier (GUID) in all network and relay data objects as well as in OneLiner The GUID will allow accurate tracking of the cases and data object for network model management applications.
    • A new text data file format OLX designed for storing network and relay data as well as all the configuration and simulation options in OneLiner The OLX format is XML-based and is compatible with the CIM standards.
    • A new change file format ADX designed for storing the difference data produced by the comparison engine. The ADX format is XML-based and is compatible with the CIM standards.
    • The new Compare and Merge File commands: User can run this command to compare one OneLiner file to another, view the differences in the network and relay data, and select to merge desired changes.
    • The new Case Builder command: Build new OneLiner network by applying a set of ADX files to a base case;
    • New Scripting engine API to execute the comparison and merge from a PowerScript program or an OlxAPI application.
  9. Two new 3-phase transformer models: Zigzag-zigzag-wye, with the wye leading and lagging the zig zag windings. Also instructions are given on how to create Zigzag-wye-delta transformers using the 2-winding Zigzag-wye transformer model.
  10. OneLiner Application Programming Interface module (OlxAPI) that can be called from Python and other programming languages. Users can use these API in building custom applications to process OneLiner network and relay models data and to run custom fault simulations and relay coordination studies. Click on the links below to see a demo of some real-world OlxAPI-based applications:
  11. OlxAPI Python Apps Library: This collection includes sample Python programs that show how to carry out various operations on OneLiner network data and run calculations. The library also includes several useful tools that users can use directly in their studies.
  12. New OlxAPI Apps Dashboard: The dashboard lets users find and execute OlxAPI Python applications on the PC. Applications that are launched from the dashboard will have access to the OneLiner network currently open in the program.
  13. Require “Start from linear network solution” or “Start from power flow solution” prefault voltage option for the following models to work in v15: voltage-controlled current source (VCCS), converter-interfaced resource, and type-3 wind plants. We briefly allowed VCCS to work under the “Assumed flat” prefault voltage profile in v14.8, but we discovered that was a bad idea.
  14. New CT polarity flag in DS relay model: user can use this flag when a distance relay is connected to a CT with reversed polarity to protect the network located behind the relay group. In OneLiner v14 and earlier, this type of distance relay application must be simulated using a negative value of the CT ratio.
  15. New Network Options (File | Preferences | Network)
    • Require a unique non-zero bus number for all buses: You can set this option to make sure all new buses that are added to the OneLiner network will have a non-zero bus number value.
    • Do not save journal data: When this option is set, OneLiner will not record the record creation date stamp and user ID details in the data file journal.
  16. Built-in client for the new OneLiner Enterprise Module (EDX): Users having the ASPEN Enterprise module will be able to execute Check-out, Check-in and Get Latest operations directly using their copy of OneLiner V15. Click on THIS LINK for more details about the ASPEN Enterprise Module EDX.
  17. Network Access to HASP HL-Net Key will be discontinued: ASPEN OneLiner, Power Flow, and DistriView software (ASPEN software) released after January 1, 2022 will no longer work with “Network access to HL-Net key”. Click on THIS LINK to view the ASPEN blog post with additional details (PDF version of the blog post is available at THIS LINK).