PSS®SINCAL – simulation software for analysis and planning of all network types

PSS^®SINCAL provides the core analysis and automation functions that are needed for the most accurate generation planning outcomes:

• IPPs can improve the accuracy with which they can assess their generation interconnection proposals before submitting to the ISO/RTO
• ISOs/RTOs benefit from an automated, trusted tool for assessing generation interconnection requests
  

PSS^®SINCAL provides distribution engineers with the simulation tools they need for the planning, design, and operation of power distribution networks. It can be used in balanced, unbalanced, radial and meshed networks – including single-phase, multi-phase and rail networks.

Some of the most typically used PSS^®SINCAL functions for distribution include: load flow, short circuit analysis, dynamic analysis, optimal capacitor placement, Volt/VAR optimization, harmonics analysis, ripple control analysis, protection coordination, and power quality assessments.

PSS^®SINCAL supports a full spectrum of analysis across power transmission planning and operations workflows, including: load flow, advanced contingency analysis, steady state voltage stability, short circuit analysis, dynamics and transient stability simulation, harmonics, protection and probabilistic reliability analysis.

PSS^®SINCAL provides industrial facility operators and designers with the tools they need for the planning, design, and operation of industrial power networks – such as those for refineries, chemical plants, oil platforms, mining, automobile, and other manufacturing facilities.

Typical capabilities and use cases include: short circuit calculation, power flow analysis, cable and transformer design, protection coordination, arc-flash hazard, harmonics and filter sizing, motor start, and dynamic stability simulation.

System operators, planners and protection engineers face an ever-increasing landscape of challenges around power system protection due to the integration of variable energy resources. With PSS^®SINCAL, protection engineers can master these challenges by:

• Monitoring and studying the management of protection devices and their settings
• Facilitating protection performance assessments, including stepped-event fault clearance analysis, as well as dynamic fault sequence simulation
• Providing interactive protection coordination with graphical documentation
• Verifying settings directly within the network model

In addition, the built in protection security assessment module allows for an automated system-wide protection study, as well as the identification and mitigation of critical fault scenarios.

Due to the proliferating deployment of DER on transmission and distribution networks, planners need to perform an increasing number of grid interconnection studies. Utilities and DER investors need tools that can help them automatically assess the viability of various interconnection proposals. The maximal hosting capacity (ICA) module within PSS^®SINCAL automates different calculation functions (such as load flow, short circuit analysis, protection checks with network adoptions, voltage fluctuations due to DER coming online and offline, etc.). Additional PSS^®SINCAL features for DER integration include:

• Time series load flow
• Harmonic distortion
• Unbalanced stability and EMT simulation
• Standard and vendor-specific dynamic models for wind generators, solar, SVC, STATCOMs, etc.
  

PSS^®SINCAL helps engineers design and analyze power networks for rail systems. It fully supports the unique requirements of rail systems. Typical evaluations include:

• Load flow / load profile simulation with back feeding engines
• Sort circuit with specific attention to converters
• Harmonic simulations
• Transient stability and EMT for investigation of sub-synchronous power oscillations and influence of slower control systems
  

PSS^®SINCAL offers model management solutions that reduce modeling efforts and keep multiple network models up to date from within a single application. Its master database function makes it possible for multiple users to work on a network simultaneously. Special synchronization functions – including conflict management, incremental model update, and network model merge – ensure data consistency. PSS^®SINCAL can also automatically create cases on-the-fly and easily integrate network models from other applications across the utility IT landscape – including SCADA.

PSS^®SINCAL supports the planning of gas, water, and district heating and cooling networks. Utilities that oversee these different network types can optimize their costs and IT overhead by utilizing a single tool instead of multiple applications. PSS^®SINCAL also enables companies to perform linked simulations between electrical and pipe networks to optimize the efficiency from the renewables, and use the storage capacity of the pipe networks. Typical analysis modules for hybrid networks include:

• Steady state analysis
• Quasi dynamic simulation
• Contingency analysis for water networks
• Water tower filling
  

Many new enhancements will be introduced with v14.5 of the PSS®SINCAL Platform. The most notable enhancements are:

Economic calculation including loss cost based on load flow and cost profiles to get more precise network cost (CAPEX and OPEX) for the whole planning horizon.

Long term network development merged with economic simulation to find and compare the optimal placements (e.g. PVs or batteries) based on CAPEX / OPEX across the planning horizon and to support typical LNBA simulation. 

Support of the Russian GOST Standard for short circuit simulation allowing you to utilize the specific industry defined values available for the network design.

New workflow management and interactive result cockpit to: 

• Define your own planning workflow by selecting defined scenarios and in combination with preferred calculation modules
• Create your own interactive result view by selecting result parameters and scenarios
• Compress the results visualization to align with your given task 

User encrypted dynamic models to define your dynamic model in the GMB and store the encrypted behavior for the safe usage by other users

New features for Eigenvalue Analysis including:

• New option in the calculation window: Reduce the display range to only show the real state variables.
• Optimized result presentation: Utilize adequate diagram presentations with Bode and Polar diagrams

PSA module enhancements for improved adaptive protection setting, including:

• Embedding DN, giving you more criteria for optimal distribution system protection settings 
• Ability to include substation  protection and frequency protection in the complete protection assessment checks  
• Capability to run different short circuits simulations and aggregate the results in one action
• Improving speed by using distributed computing and get results within seconds 

Harmonic Simulation supporting IEEE 519 2014 to check voltage and current distortion limits throughout  your network and utilize new element models for harmonic simulation.

Many more enhancements