RT-LAB 2023.3

• EPXlsUpgrader is a new utility software to facilitate ePHASORSIM's excel file migration from v1.8 to v2.0. This software automates the converting steps described in RT-LAB 2021.1 notes. 

  • It can be found under <RT_LAB_FOLDER>/mingw/bin

  • Excel files need to be in .xlsx format. It is easy to convert a .xls to .xlsx using the Microsoft Excel 'Save As' function.

  • This tool will not alter the original file. Instead, it will create a new file in the 2.0 format using the input file's data.

  • The resulting file is a v2.0 .xlsx ready to be used in ePHASORSIM solver.

  • Converting may take a few seconds or minutes depending on the file size.

  • This tool is meant to be used in Windows in command line prompt or Windows PowerShell:

    Open

    

Some v1.8 files can contain empty cells which used to be valid. Please note that empty cells are not valid in v2.0 anymore. The software will warn the user if empty cells were found while upgrading a v1.8 file to v2.0. Empty cells will be highlighted in yellow in the output file and the user will need to manually enter values for them.

Open

Empty cells example

RT-LAB 2021.3

• The PowerFactory import feature, which was disabled after v2020.4, is reworked and enabled. However, it requires the following considerations:

  1. Installation of OPAL-RT's Unified DataBase (UDB), which will be taken care of by the mega-installer when installing ePHASORSIM.

  2. MATLAB 2016B or above is required for this feature.

  3. The DGS data file exported from PowerFactory database must be in XML format. Previously, it was in ASCII format with extension DGS.

  4. The Excel I/O pins file must be in .xlsx format. Previously, it was an .xls file.

  5. The I/O pins file now must have a General tab with version v1.8 (or v2.0) to define the Power Base (MVA) and Frequency (Hz) of the network. Previously, these parameters were fixed to 100 MVA and 50 Hz, respectively.

  6. Using FMU with PowerFactory file is still disabled.

• Support of OpenModelica v1.16.2 64bit FMU is added. Although OpenModelica is not a proprietary of OPAL-RT, we will share our experience here to facilitate the migration process of modelica files from OM v1.9.1 to OM v1.16.2:

  1. To use desired version of OM (for e.g. in FMUCreator), install them on the default paths and verify the values for following Windows user environment variables are set correctly. These environments variables will be created automatically during installation of OM.

     1. For OM v1.16.2:

        1. OPENMODELICAHOME: C:\Program Files\OpenModelica1.16.2-64bit\

        2. OPENMODELICALIBRARY: C:\Program Files\OpenModelica1.16.2-64bit\lib\omlibrary

     2. For OM v1.9.1:

        1. OPENMODELICAHOME: C:\OpenModelica1.9.1\

        2. OPENMODELICALIBRARY: C:\OpenModelica1.9.1\lib\omlibrary

  2. To avoid "Translation Error" for interface pins, in OMEdit go to Tools → Options → Simulation and check the option Enable old frontend for code generation.

  3. It is observed that in some cases the when and if statements do not operate as expected in OM 1.16.2 FMUs. The workaround could be:

     1. For the if-statement, alternate syntax between "clause" and "expression". For e.g. in GENROU the if-clause for TRIP logic is replaced with an if-expression.

     2. For the when-statement, rewrite the logic using if-statement instead. For e.g. in Integrator_NonWindupLimit block the logic to check the output limits using when-statement is replaced using an if-statement.

RT-LAB 2021.1

• Instructions in Pins page of the Excel file are updated for Machine, Exciter, Power System Stabilizer and Turbine-Governor. Please consult Available I/O Pins tables for those pages and validate the correct paths. For example, the old pin path gen_30_1/delta must be modified to gen_30_1/pins/delta, or ex_30_1/varVref must be changed to ex_30_1/pins/dVref. These changes are independent of Excel Template version.

• When using PSS/E data import, assure that the version of the I/O pins Excel file is either v1.8 or v2.0 in the General Tab.

• To migrate data from v1.8 to v2.0, use the Excel template v2.0 included in the software. Following is the list of major changes introduced in the Excel template v2.0:

RT-LAB 2020.3

• For PSS/E input files, for PV and Slack buses, it now requires Vscheduled from the generator section in the RAW file instead of assigned value in the Bus section. Depending on the RAW file, this can change the Power Flow and initialization results. Note that in the case of UDB (trial version) the import values for Vscheduled are still from the Bus section.

• ePHASORSIM API is not functional for OPAL-RTLinux OS.

• When XHP is enabled with OPAL-RTLinux OS, add OMP_WAIT_POLICY = ACTIVE as a custom environment variable in RT-LAB UI (EP-1807).

• Be advised, since OpenModelica FMUs are 32bit they cannot be used on targets with OPAL-RTLinux OS.

RT-LAB 2020.2

• To migrate data from v1.7 to v1.8, use the Excel template v1.8 included in the software. Following is the list of major changes introduced in the Excel template v1.8:

• Changes introduced in this version does not impact the I/O pins Excel file when using PSS/E input data format.

RT-LAB 2020.1

• Verify the new mask of Solver has all the desired settings from the previous version.

• Be advised if the Simulink model is saved in this version and gets reopened with a previous version of RT-LAB there will be warnings regarding missing parameters in the mask. These warnings will be gone as soon as the model is saved.

RT-LAB 2019.3

For OpenModelica based FMUs, a 32 bit compiler (in RT-LAB/Development/Compiler tab) must be chosen when the localhost is the simulation target.

RT-LAB 2019.1

• To migrate from Excel template v1.6 to v1.7, note that the built-in components EX_T1, TG_T1, and PSS_T1 are deprecated and no longer supported.

• Changes introduced in this version does not impact the I/O pins Excel file when using PSS/E input data format.

RT-LAB 11.3.4

• The FMUGlossary has been moved to C:\opal-rt\RT-LAB\ v11.3.X\FMUCreator\resources\FMUGlossary.

RT-LAB 11.3.3

• Due to changes to the FMU interface, all the older versions of FMU’s must be recreated by FMUCreator to have the extension of *.win32.fmu or *.linux32.fmu.

RT-LAB 11.3.0

• In Excel v1.6 these components are obsolete and must be replaced by their corresponding multiphase pairs: Line 3-phase, Load 3-phase, Shunt 3-phase, Bus Faults 3-phase.

RT-LAB 11.2.2

• For unbalanced network data imported from CYME, a Transformer component is represented by a multiphase transformer type in ePHASORSIM. The I/O pins for such a transformer could be found in Table 3 under the name of the multiphase transformer.

RT-LAB 11.2.0

• If EPHASOR_THREADS is not defined in RT-LAB when running on Linux targets, it is automatically set to ‘2’.

• The naming convention of the components when the data is imported from CYME has been changed. In this way, any pins file or python script using the old convention must be updated according to Table 59.

• The file ‘PSSEv32_mapping.csv’ has major changes and it is not compatible with the earlier versions of RT-LAB.

RT-LAB 11.1.4

• The naming convention for FMU power pins is more strict: see the Power Pin page. Existing FMUs must be updated and regenerated.

• The file ‘Models.xls’ used for defining parameters of user-defined models is discarded and its functionality is replaced with ‘FMUGlossary.csv’.

RT-LAB 11.1.3

• In previous releases for PSS/E input files, the corresponding Excel file could only have the Pins tab. However, from this version, the corresponding Excel input file must include the General tab with version 1.5. See the PHASOR03 demo as an example. This change does not apply to the CYME input file format.

RT-LAB 11.0.7

• The FMUs generated by earlier versions must be recreated for compatibility with the current version of ePHASORSIM.

• All positive sequence constant power and/or constant current loads should be converted to constant impedance loads in order to have exactly the same dynamic simulation results as 11.0.6 (and before). The conversion procedure is described as follows:

  1. For Excel input files, reconstruct loads using the initial voltage

  2. For PSS/E input files:

     • In PSS/E open the raw file and "Reconstruct loads using present voltage" to convert all loads to 100% constant admittance type.

     • Save this RAW file

     • Use this file in ePHASORSIM

  3. For both Excel and PSS/E input files in the mask of ePHASORSIM Solver, in the Simulation setting tab select the Dynamic simulation only (without power-flow)