HYPERSIM Real-Time Simulation of Large Power Grids and Micro-Grids
OPAL-RT Technologies, Inc. announced the availability of HYPERSIM, supporting standard Intel-compatible multi-core PCs and all OPAL-RT advanced Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) real-time I/O systems. Combined with the latest four-socket 32-core Intel-compatible motherboard, HYPERSIM enables real-time simulation of large power grids, micro-grids distributed generation systems with more than 2,400 electrical nodes with a simulation time step below 50 micro-seconds. Such a performance level, achieved with standard computer technology outperforms all other very expensive competing digital real-time simulators using custom-made DSP and risk processor boards.
"This new level of performance proves, once again, the strength of our strategy of using standard computer technology, instead of custom computer boards to provide the best products to our customer at the best price," says Jean Belanger, CEO and OPAL-RT co-founder, adding, "OPAL-RT strategy is to democratize real-time simulation technologies by taking advantage of the best technologies developed for the mass market."
HYPERSIM's 32-core simulators help engineers and scientists to design new distributed and renewable generation concepts and optimize actual power transmission and distribution systems. Electrical grids integrating power electronic systems such as HVDC transmission, FACTS, photo-voltaic cells (PV), wind turbine converters and plug-in-hybrid vehicles, can be simulated in detail to accurately evaluate electromagnetic transients and system performance. The simulator can predict component stresses and dynamic performances for several normal and fault conditions that would be either impractical or too dangerous to perform on actual systems.
Such accurate simulation requires a fast parallel computer capable of achieving simulation steps in less than 50 microseconds, or below one microsecond in the case of very fast power electronic systems. Furthermore, the simulator must be capable of simulating very large interconnected power grids to predict cascaded events, which may lead to catastrophic continent-wide blackouts. Actual control and protection system equipment must also be connected with the simulator to verify its capability.
That's why today's power system companies, R&D centers and universities need powerful tools to simulate and analyze very large-scale power systems, in real-time interface with control, protection and with wide-area control systems that are designed to detect power grid component failures and control the power grid to prevent system collapse. OPAL-RT meets this challenge by providing scalable real-time simulation solutions used for factory acceptance, system integration testing, R&D work and commissioning tests.
Last year, Hydro-Quebec and OPAL-RT TECHNOLOGIES signed a strategic collaboration agreement for the shared development and commercialization of the HYPERSIM power system simulator. HYPERSIM runs on OPAL-RT's standard Intel-compatible multicore computer systems as well as on large SGI super computers with hundreds of processors. Such scalability, unique in the industry, enables to meet the most demanding applications and the needs of teaching institutions requiring simulators with several processor cores. In fact, it is the most powerful simulator in the world in terms of processing power, inter-processor communication speed and scalability. Consequently, HYPERSIM allows researchers and engineers to work on issues that were impossible to work before. In this way, OPAL-RT revolutionizes the way we do real-time simulation.
