Page Content

Prepare the Excel File with the Network Information

A template Excel network file is available in the ePHASORSIM Blockset page in the MATLAB user help.

Save the Excel file in an empty folder in an intuitive location, like your active default project folder or 'C:\OPAL-RT\ePHASORSIM'. You will use this folder and path throughout this procedure; this is why we recommend an intuitive and/or default location.

The I/O pins file must have a General worksheet with version v1.8 (or v2.0) to define the Power Base (MVA) and Frequency (Hz) of the network.
The Pins worksheet helps the user create measurement probes (outgoing pins) and control signals (incoming pins) to the system. To create the incoming and outgoing pins, the user needs to know the name of each component and the name of the specific pins associated. This information is import dependent and is documented under https://opal-rt.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EUD/pages/23215777/Native+Library?atl_f=content-tree as well as https://opal-rt.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EUD/pages/23199847/Third+Party+Data+Formats?atl_f=content-tree.

To configure the Excel file pins and components, refer to https://opal-rt.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EUD/pages/23216542/Introduction+to+Excel+Template#Pins.
To access the template, you can alternately click the link Open an empty template (latest version) in the Network data tab of the ePHASORSIM Solver Block also opens this template.

Select Excel as the Input file format.
Insert the name of your Excel file in the Complete network field or use Select to pick the file.
Note: The Excel file must also be in the working directory.

Excel input

To use FMUs, enter the corresponding folder name in the FMU component field, between single quotes, or use Path button to select the folder that contains the required FMUs.
The default is the empty string '', or two single quotes.
Make sure the compiled FMUs are placed in the folder name specified in the mask (more details about FMUs in Modelica Based Library)

Power-flow calculation

Select the Initialization method from the drop-down menu.
Enter the Power mismatch (max p.u.) tolerance for the power-flow calculation (The default value is 1e-8).
Enter the Max number of NR iterations (The default value is 100).
Clicking Execute or Execute and export report runs the power-flow. Only the latter writes the power-flow results in CSV format.

Dynamic simulations

Check Start from Power-flow to run power flow before dynamic simulation.
Enter the Number of partitions to be used for the network solution (The default value is 1).
Clicking Export admittance matrix writes the admittance matrix in CSV format.
Check Optimize number of threads (Windows only).

Click OK. The ePHASORSIM Solver block is redrawn using the pins from the given Excel file.
- The network data may also be converted to OPAL format, depending on the configuration of the Refresh netlist option in the Network data tab.
Connect Simulink sources and sinks (scopes, displays) to the input/output pins on the ePHASORSIM Solver block.
Ensure the simulation is set to use a fixed time-step (under Simulation/Model Configuration parameters/Solver), and that the time-step is consistent with the one specified in the Simulation settings tab.
Once the Solver block mask and Simulink model are configured, run the model to verify a reasonable value appears on the scopes.
Save your model.