OpenDSS Training

Workshop
Interfacing OpenDSS and
introduction to OpenDSS-G
Davis Montenegro
EPRI Knoxville, TN

August 25, 2020

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 Instructor

▪ Davis Montenegro, Senior Member, IEEE

Davis Montenegro-Martinez serves as technical leader at the Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) in the areas of power system modeling, analysis and high-performance computing. He
received his degree in electronics engineering from Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá,
Colombia (2004); he is M.Sc. in electrical engineering from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá ,
Colombia (2012). He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Universidad de los Andes
(2015), and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University Grenoble-Alpes, France (2015).
Before joining EPRI, Davis served for 10 years as a lecturer for Universidad Santo Tomas in
Colombia, during this time he was also technology consultant in the areas of industrial
automation, software and electronic hardware design focused in the electric power industry,
specifically in monitoring and control for meter calibration laboratories. His expertise in
parallel computing techniques is being used at EPRI for incorporating multi-core processing to
power system analysis methods such as QSTS, reducing the computational time required to
perform these analysis using standard computing architectures

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 The evolution of OpenDSS into a parallel
computing machine

After being released in 2008 as open source software OpenDSS has become widely used
around the world. One of the features that makes OpenDSS popular is that the package
offers interfaces for co-simulation.

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 Interfacing with OpenDSS

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 User Interfaces

▪ A stand-alone executable program that provides a text-based interface

(multiple windows)
▪ An in-process COM server (for Windows) that supports driving the
simulator from user-written programs.
▪ A direct DLL interface that mimics the COM interface
– For non-Windows platforms, such as HPCs
– For programming languages that do not support COM or are not efficient at
supporting COM

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 OpenDSS Files Installed

Main Program Files

In-Process COM Server

Standalone EXE

Stdcall DLL

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 Registering the COM server

Windows Registry Entry

GUID

• The Server shows up as “OpenDSSEngine.DSS”

in the Windows Registry

The OpenDSS is now available to any program on the computer

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 The GUID References the DLL File

If you look up the GUID in RegEdit

Points to OpenDSSEngine.DLL
(In-process server, Apartment Threading model)

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 DSS Structure

Scripts

COM
Interface
Main Simulation Engine

User-
Written
Scripts, DLLs
Results

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 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 EnergyMete LineGeometry
Capacitor Vsource Relay r WireData
Reactor Isource Reclose Sensor LoadShape
Storage Fuse GrowthShape
Spectrum
TCCcurve
XfmrCode

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 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

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 How can I query about the available interfaces,
properties and methods

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 User Interfaces

▪ Using a program language that depicts the interface for you (e.g.
MS excel, VBA, etc.).

▪ Reading the documentation:

https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/Ve
rsion8/Distrib/Doc/

▪ Using the query tools available in your programming language:

MATLAB : get, properties…
Python: getattr, getAllAttributeNames…

▪ If working with DirectDLL, then, you’ll have to read the

documentation and probably use the header file provided.
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 Examples on using COM

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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

The examples for parallel processing can be downloaded

from:

https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/
Version8/Distrib/Examples/Parallel_Processing/

These examples involves MATLAB and python.

Other examples for LabVIEW through the VI Package

Manager
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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

Example # 1 MATLAB

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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

Example # 1 MATLAB

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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

Example # 2 MATLAB

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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

Example # 2 MATLAB

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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

Example # 3 MATLAB

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 Parallel processing in OpenDSS using COM

Example # 3 MATLAB

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 Complementary Tools

DEMOS

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 OpenDSS-G YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGe58SDH3Iq-
EGvnxEOuWaQ

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 OpenDSS derivative products

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

4
3
1
2

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Introduction to OpenDSS-G

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 Complementary Tools

Advanced Graphics Module for OpenDSS (OpenDSS-

Viewer)
Developed by Miguel Hernandez (EPRI). Enhance the visualization of Distribution
System Simulations with a flexible, scalable and meaningful approach.

https://epri.box.com/s/o4itfn23txv73iyo3y1ukbs9nmgsspgo

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 Complementary Tools

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 Importing/creating models

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 Creating your model

You have 2 options:

1. Importing an existing model

2. Describing your circuit from the scratch

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 Before anything

Download the examples to be used in this

session:

https://sourceforge.net/p/dssimpc/code/HEAD/tr
ee/trunk/Distribution/Examples/

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 Importing a model

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 Importing a model

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 Import demo

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 Creating the model from the scratch

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 Creating the model from the scratch

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 Creating the model from the scratch

Rules:

1. Connect your PD/PCElement to an existing

bus

2. Follow the instructions

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 Creating the model from the scratch

Transformers (special case):

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 Creating the model from the scratch

Transformers (special case):

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 Creating model from the scratch demo

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 Using OpenDSS-G (Simulation)

LET’S SIMULATE

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 Using OpenDSS-G (Simulation)

Today’s examples:
1. Using Storage devices
2. Yearly Simulations and parallel processing
3. Real-time Simulation
o Checking regulators and protections
coordination
o Using the FLISR programmer

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 Before anything

Download the examples to be used in this

session:

https://sourceforge.net/p/dssimpc/code/HEAD/tr
ee/trunk/Distribution/Examples/

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 Solving thermal issues with storage devices

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 Harmonics simulation

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 Automation tools

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 Automation tools

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 Automation tools demo

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 Co-Simulation

OpenDSS-G Incorporates a TCP

server for distributed applications

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 Co-Simulation

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 Co-Simulation VVO control interface
This component handles the TCP /IP
communication with OpenDSS-G. It also
controls the simulation execution and
communicates with the control algorithm
written in python.

OpenDSS-G The control algorithm

This platform contains the power system model. This component evaluates the
It performs the QSTS simulation and provides all optimal control settings for a
the services required to remotely control the specific hour using a local model
simulation though the TCP/IP server integrated. of the simulated power system in
This platform also provides the graphical OpenDSS-G. The output of the
interface and the tools for highlighting system algorithm are the control settings
features using color scales, element localization, for all the controllable devices on
metering and real-time system’s data among the grid.
others.

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 Co-Simulation

Documentation:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dssimpc/files/Do
cuments/DSTCP-Comm.pdf/download

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dssimpc/files/Do
cuments/MATLAB_Lib.pdf/download

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 Co-simulation example

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 Changing the language of your local
installation

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 Changing the language of your local
installation
Documentation:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dssimpc/files/Do
cuments/Changing_the_language_of_OpenDSS
-G.pdf/download

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dssimpc/files/Do
cuments/Changing_the_language_of_OpenDSS
-G-menus.pdf/download
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 Questions ??

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 Together…Shaping the Future of Electricity

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