Additional Tools

      Products

      Software Solutions

      Over 25 years of working with electric utilities has led to the development of a large portfolio of products for the different challenges that face the clean energy industry



      Power Grid Modeling Validation and Calibration

      Power system modeling is a difficult task for engineers trying to build computer models to closely simulate the actual, physical power grid. Yet, power system models are the key to accurate power grid monitoring and analysis. If certain aspects of the model are inaccurate, this will be further reflected in the analysis.

      BSI has a suite of modeling tools to identify errors in power system models and the ability to calibrate and fine tune the parameters.

      Generator Parameter Model Validation and Calibration

      This software tool will detect generator and power plant model inadequacies and calibrate its parameters on-line to improve accuracy using PMU and/or SCADA measurement data.

      Model inadequacy detection will verify the adequacy of the current model in describing system dynamic behaviors. The engine will simulate model outputs and compare the model outputs with the field measurements.

      Model parameter calibration takes places after errors are identified. This procedure involves the tuning of model parameters so that the model’s simulation outputs match the measured system responses.

      Transmission Parameter Model Validation and Calibration

      NERC Mod 033-01 Steady-State and Dynamic System Model Validation standard requirements and compliance procedures showcase the importance and need for accurate models and parameter data. This can be achieved by performing model validation and calibration studies.

      The WECC (Western Electricity Coordination Council) Task Force stated the following recommendations for all member utilities:

      • “The Industry should make periodic model validation and benchmarking an integral part of off-line study model maintenance.”
      • “The Industry should validate operational planning (offline) models by comparing them with models developed from real-time data...”

      The BSI Parameter Error Identification and Correction (PEIC) tool is used to detect model inadequacy and improve model accuracy for power transmission systems using on-line measurement data. First, the tool will identify suspicious parameters that are found throughout multiple measurement scans and then calibrate to ultimately correct these parameters.

      Parameters include:

      • r, x, and bch of transmission lines
      • r, x, and tk of power transformers
      • x of shunt capacity

      Input data needed include SCADA data and/or PMU measurement data and network topology. Other measurement devices can also be used.

      Load Modeling

      Intelligent Dynamic Engineering Advisor for Load Modeling (IDEAL)

      • Software platform for estimating load model parameters from field measurements
      • Measurements collected from disturbance recorders or synchronized phasor measurement (PMU) units
      • Select the load model from the pool of 18 different composite load models.
      • Recommends an appropriate load model based on dynamic load behavior obtained from measurement data
      • Selected load models with calibrated parameters can be used in different power system simulation platforms to improve the accuracy of power dynamic simulations.

      GOAL: Matching measurements and model output

      Network Topology Error Correction

      Identify possible errors in the network topology at a given state or snapshot of the system with the BSI Network Topology Error Identification and Characterization (NICHE) tool.


      BSI’s NICHE software for correcting network topology errors will support daily operations. The tool is a standalone tool that automatically interfaces with other data sources and can export key data to be used by engineers and operators.

      PMU Applications

      Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) Software Tools

      BSI has an extensive portfolio in PMU-based applications:

      Online Grid Assessment Applications

      • Available Transfer Capability
      • Voltage Stability Monitoring
      • Transient Stability Monitoring
      • Online State Estimation and State Update
      • Virtual PMU — Phasor Estimator
      • Real-time Critical Contingency Detection
      • Real-time Fault Detection
      • Service Restoration

      Power Grid Model Validation

      • Generator Model Validation and Calibration
      • Transmission Line Model Validation and Calibration
      • Load Modeling
      • Network Topology Error Identification and Correction

      Oscillation Analysis

      • Oscillation Detection & Location
      • Oscillation Classification
      • Fourier and Modal Analysis

      Renewable Energy Integration

      Renewable energy plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; thus, it has become a target goal across the world to increase renewable energy sources. However, renewable energy integration causes stresses on the system that have not previously been considered.

      BSI provides several analysis and optimization software tools for dealing with renewable energy forecasting, uncertainty, and integration:

      Energy Forecasting Tools

      Accurately forecasting power network quantities, such as loads and renewable energy, significantly impacts the economical and reliable operation for industrial users and utilities. BSI's proprietary ELITE forecasting technology is an innovative and flexible framework for constructing high-quality ensembles of learning models. Based on this framework, BSI has developed a set of forecasting tools to meet power industry requirements. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to further improve upon accuracy.

      Renewable Energy Uncertainty Modeling

      Performing accurate modeling of renewable energy uncertainty is important for advanced applications that will soon have to consider renewable energy sources.

      DEPENDENCE MODELING & UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION seeks to characterize the association between variables through joint distribution and create scenarios through sampling technology. It is the science of quantitative characterization and reduction of uncertainties in both computational and real-world applications that aims to determine how likely certain outcomes are if some aspects of the system are not exactly known. To quantify and represent the uncertainty, a common approach is to generate a set of points by certain sampling techniques to characterize the error distribution.

      The software tool performs dependence (of each renewable energy site) modeling through a copula-based method. Uncertainty quantification is then performed using the Latin hypercube-based method to generate samples. The program generates a distribution of errors that characterize the data through historical information. The final scenario develops a scenario list of possible renewable generation forecasts. This scenario can be used for a variety of applications. One example is to develop a contingency list of possible renewable energy generation scenarios for contingency analysis.

      DEPENDENCE MEASUREMENT & CORRELATION looks to quantify the association between random variables and generate some easily computable indices to measure the strength of the dependence from observed data sets.

      This module is used for dependence measurement and correlation calculation between two sets of data.

      RAMP DETECTION & ENVELOPE GENERATION provides a means to visualize and quantify ramping actions observed in data and generate error distribution envelopes to characterize uncertainty. Another function of the module is to generate an envelope of expected forecast distribution based on the historical forecast errors for the data set. This envelop can be used to visualize and use information on the worst-case scenarios for the data set

      The data used for this simulation is the historical forecast errors for the data set being analyzed.

      Drone Image Recognition tool for Real-time Asset Management

      It is estimated that utilities spend millions of dollars every year to send service personnel out into the field to visually inspect electric power lines and equipment.

      Bigwood Systems has developed an artificial intelligence-based platform that can identify issues in real-time using video and images taken by drones. This advanced image recognition technology is tailored specifically for electric power grids to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (reducing cars and helicopters needed to survey assets) and save money for utilities.

      Some examples include identifying:

      • Smoke or fire in the substation
      • Large machinery and equipment
      • Overgrowth in vegetation on transmission lines
      • Equipment damage and erosion
      • Environmental hazards
      • General survey and monitoring of assets