Introduction to

OpenDSS
PABLO RODRÍGUEZ PA JARÓN
What is OpenDSS?

• Developed by EPRI
• Power system simulator: it works in frequency domain
• Circuits are declared and solved with a script
• It works in electrical magnitudes (not in p.u.)

• Very useful for distribution systems (European or American systems), unbalanced

loads, meshed or radial feeders

• Some functionalities:
• Load flow
• Iterative load flow
• Harmonics
• Short circuits
• …

• Does not solve in time domain, but it also has a module for transient calculations
Where to find OpenDSS

Open source software

https://sourceforge.net/projects/electricdss/
Some essential tools

• OpenDSS user manual

• User primer: short user manual Attached to the email
• Cheat sheet

• Help forum: https://sourceforge.net/p/electricdss/discussion/

• Help tool in the .exe
• Videos, tutorials, any help from the website…
Some essential tools

It is useful writting OpenDSS scripts in a text editor rather tan in OpenDSS.exe command
window
• I find Notepad++ very friendly to use: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/
• It understands OpenDSS syntax (and colours the code according to it) if you do this
setting:
https://github.com/tshort/OpenDSS/blob/master/Distrib/Examples/SyntaxFiles/OpenD
SS_syntax_NotepadPlusPlus.xml
• Then, from the OpenDSS you can load any circuit written in a separate file by clicking
“Compile” and redirecting to the file (.txt and .dss are allowed)

This is just a personal preference, but it is worth it when large circuits are used
A little bit about syntax and commands

• Node and bus:

Referring to a bus: Bus1 = NombreBus

Referring to a node in the bus: Bus1 = NombreBus.1
Referring to two nodes in the bus: Bus1 = NombreBus.1.2

• Elements:
• Lines • Monitors
Two terminals
• Transformers • Energy meters

• Line data libraries Properties

• Loads
• Reactances One terminal • Loadshapes
• Generators
A little bit about syntax and commands

Declaring and solving a circuit

1. Clearing any previous circuit: Clear

2. Declaring the circuit (slack bus, as a Thévenin equivalent): New circuit.NOMBRE Properties
3. Declaring all the elements of the circuit
New line.NOMBREline…
New transformer.NOMBREtransformer…
New load.NOMBREload…
4. Setting a solution mode:
Set Mode Snapshot/Harmonic/Dynamic…
5. Solving the circuit: Solve
6. Ask for results: Show Currents Element

Defaults values are important

Number of iterations and convergency can be also set
Redirect: command to write the circuit in more than one file
Exercise 1: 4 bus network

Grid

115 kV 115/12.47 kV Line type 336 ACSR Three phase PQl load
Icc = 3 kA Dy 1 Mi 12.47 kV
20 MVA 1 MW
X = 10% PF 0.95

Make a load flow

Obtain voltages, currents and powers in all elements
Exercise 2: 7 bus network
115/12.47 kV
Dy
0.7 MVA
Line typen 336 ACSR
X = 6%
1 Mi Three phase PQ load
12.47 kV
1 MW
PF 0.95
Red

Single phase PQ load

115 kV
Phase 1 to 2
Icc = 3 kA 115/12.47 kV
12.47 kV
Dy
1.14 MW
0.35 MVA
0.3 kVAr
X = 4%

Make a load flow

Obtain voltages, currents and powers in all elements
OpenDSS and Matlab
We can use OpenDSS as the electrical calculator from Matlab

It requires some initialization and the creation of variables to call the circuit, its elements, properties and
atributes

When circuit is solved we can reach the solution from Matlab

In general:
• We can write in the OpenDSS Command Window from Matlab
• We can access declared variables, elements and properties through Matlab classes
• We can access the solution and all data in monitors or energy meters

These functionalities allow using Matlab power to design inputs into the circuit, as well as to treat, analyze and
plot circuit outputs
 Exercise 3: OpenDSS and Matlab
115/12.47 kV
Dy
0.7 MVA
Line type 336 ACSR
X = 6%
1 Mi Three phase PQ load
12.47 kV
1 MW
PF 0.95
Red

Three phase PQ load

115 kV
Phase 1 to 2
Icc = 3 kA 115/12.47 kV
12.47 kV
Dy
1.14 MW
0.35 MVA
0.3 kVAr
X = 4%

Modify phases of connection of the single phase load (i.e. phase 1 to 2, phase 1 to 3, and
phase 2 to 3) and compare active power losses in the circuit
Compare to the case that this load was a three-pase load
 Exercise 4: Tap transformer
115 ± 10% (0.625)/12.47 kV
Dy
0.7 MVA Línea tipo 336 ACSR
X = 6% 1 Mi Three phase PQ load
12.47 kV
1 MW
Fdp 0.95
Red

115 kV Single phase PQ load

Icc = 3 kA 115 ± 10% (0.625)/12.47 Fase 1 a 2
kV 12.47 kV
Dy 1.14 MW
0.35 MVA 0.3 kVAr
X = 4%

Calculate active power losses in the system for all possible combination of taps in the two
transformers.
Find the tap position in which each transformer should work so that losses in the system are the lowest