: Evaluate 3-phase symmetrical faults for maximum short-circuit duty, or unbalanced faults (single line-to-ground, line-to-line) to analyze grounding systems. Quasi-Dynamic Simulation
Houses network data, operation scenarios, and study cases.
Transformers manage voltage transformations and phase shifts. For load flow studies, you must input the short-circuit voltage ( ), copper losses ( Pkrcap P sub k r end-sub ), no-load current ( ), and no-load losses ( P0cap P sub 0
Identify one feature you have used 100 times but never fully understood (e.g., the Q(U) control of a wind turbine). Press F1 on that parameter today. Read one page. Apply one change. That is the essence of manual work. digsilent powerfactory user manual work
Set instance-specific data in the element dialog, such as the line length or parallel line factors. Step 4: Setting Up the Study Case
A distinguishing feature of PowerFactory is its high degree of automation and customization potential, largely accessed through the DPL (DIgSILENT Programming Language) and Python integration. The user manual is indispensable in this domain. While the graphical interface allows for manual inputs, modern engineering often requires batch processing of thousands of scenarios or automating repetitive tasks. The manual serves as a syntax guide and a repository of command references for DPL scripts. It explains how to access internal data objects, modify parameters programmatically, and export results automatically. Without the manual’s detailed function definitions and script examples, the powerful automation capabilities of PowerFactory would remain largely inaccessible to the average user, severely limiting productivity.
The manual is typically divided into several volumes (available as PDFs from the DIgSILENT support portal). Key components include: For load flow studies, you must input the
Select the Short-Circuit Calculation tool. Choose the appropriate standard (IEC 60909, ANSI C37, or Complete Method).
| Section | Purpose | Typical Use Case | |--------|---------|------------------| | | Organize projects, libraries, variants | Creating a new project, copying grids | | Graphical Editor | Single-line diagram (SLD) editing | Placing buses, lines, transformers | | Calculation Types | Load flow, short-circuit, harmonics, stability | Running a load flow to check voltage profile | | Templates & Typicals | Reusable component parameter sets | Defining a standard 20 kV line type | | Stages & Scenarios | Study variations without duplicating data | Comparing N-1 contingency cases | | Results & Plots | Virtual instrument panels, time-domain graphs | Plotting generator rotor angle after fault |
Python integration allows you to use powerful external libraries (like NumPy, Pandas, or SciPy) alongside PowerFactory's calculation engine. You can run Python scripts internally from the script object or externally by importing the powerfactory module into an IDE like VS Code. Apply one change
Connect an "External Grid" object to represent the slack bus or the main transmission network connection. Define its short-circuit power and voltage setpoint.
For repetitive tasks—such as running 100 different outage contingencies—use the integrated Python API ( powerfactory module) to automate simulation execution and data export. Troubleshooting Common PowerFactory Errors
Connect elements by clicking on terminals (buses) and dragging connections to components.
Automates the process of disconnecting elements one by one to see if the remaining grid experiences thermal overloads or voltage violations.
