1. EMTDC/PSCAD
ECPE ENGR 315 ADVANCED COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF POWER SYSTEM CONTROL AND POWER ELECTRONICS TRANSIENTS
Paulo F. Ribeiro, PhD, PE

2. EMTDC/PSCAD (INTRODUCTION)
EMTDC (ElectroMagnetic Transients for HVDC).
Developed in 1975 by Manitoba Hydro to study the
Nelson River HVDC power system
Used extensively for many types of power simulation studies,
Used in both Unix and PC systems
A more user friendly version of EMTP program
PSCAD (Power Systems Computer Aided Design)
A graphical User Interface to EMTDC
PSCAD V1 in 1988 on Apollo workstations,
PSCAD V2 in 1995 on Unix systems
PSCAD V3 in 1999 for PC Windows platforms. (not available in Unix).

3. EMTDC/PSCAD (UNIX VERSION)
Version 2, Unix
6 Workstation computers which has license of EMTDC/PSCAD at VT
Coconut, Yew, Ash, Sycamore, Pear, Peach
Your login file “.cshrc” should be modified to include the
path lines.
These computers can be accessed by other workstation
computers by telneting, or by PCs using Xwindows software.
TELNET
Assume you are using X machine which does not have the EMTDC license and want to telnet to Y machine
X:/home/ loginname > xhost “Y”
X:/home/ loginname > telnet “Y”
X:/home/ loginname > setenv DISPLAY “X”:0.0
Y:/home/ loginname > PSCAD &
XWINDOWS
A trial version of Xwindows can be downloaded from
There is a two hour usage limit.

4. EMTDC/PSCAD INTERFACE
Matlab
Excel

5. Runtime Communication
EMTDC STRUCTURE
Multiple Run Loop
Initialization
DSDYN
Network Solution
Interpolation
DSOUT
Runtime Communication
Write Output Files
Is run finished?
Main Time Loop
Solve for History Terms
Control of Multiple Run Optimization
Start EMTDC form DATA field or SNAPSHOT
TIME = TIME + DELT
Calculate history terms current injections for inductors,
capacitors, transformers, lines and cables
User defined master dynamics files
Solution for Node Voltages and currents using
sparsity algorithm
Interpolation algorithm, switching procedures, and
chatter removal
User defined output definition file
Bi-directional socket communication to GUI
Generation of output files for future plotting
Control of Multiple Run Optimization

7. PSCAD/DRAFT MODULE
Collection of components or circuits can be dragged from library palette
into drawing canvas to assembly a circuit.
Network Components:
RLC components, Transformers with saturation, Frequency dependent
transmission lines cables, synchronous machines, induction motors with exciter
governor and turbine models, faults, breakers, surge arresters, current voltage
sources, multiple harmonic injectors
Power Electronics Components:
Thyristors, diodes, GTOs, HVDC valve group, SVS and FACTS devices
Control Blocks:
Derivative, delay, differential lag, integrator, limit, complex pole, real pole, lead
lag, filter, amplifier, switch and Boolen functions
Meters:
Voltmeters, ammetters, real reactive power meters, peak detectors, phase angle and
frequency meters

8. PSCAD/DRAFT MODULE
The components can be rotated mirrored, selected, deselected, grouped, moved
copied, cut or pasted. The wires can be resized.
User components can be created
Subsystems
Meters to measure electrical quantities
Output Channels to plot measured quantities
Operator controlled inputs (slider, push button, etc.) to provide interactive control
during a simulation
Miniature Pallets for navigation
Circuit can be loaded, saved from batch pull down menu, and
can be either printed to a file in postscript format or to a printer
Circuit compilation conducts a “sanitary check” and creates files for RUNTIME module.
If there is any warning or errors, diagnostic message pops up after compilation

9. PSCAD/RUNTIME MODULE
Console setting is performed from “create” pull down menu
plots and meters to display the monitored outputs
slider, push buttons to interactively control the inputs during the simulation run
Plots can be zoomed, scaled or resized.
Three curves into one graph and 5 graphs into one plot
Plot and output time output step can be reentered
Pressing a single menu button, simulation is started. The simulation then can be paused,
single stepped, resumed or stopped.
After initialization process (reaching to a steady state, a snapshot file can be created.
“Filename.out” is created to document, print or analyze the results using MULTIPLOT.
Repeated simulations are created using “Multiple runs” feature
Double precision to avoid numerical instability

10. PSCAD/MULTIPLOT MODULE
This module is used for documentation and analysis of the results.
Fourier Analysis
Waveform Calculator
Graph formatting and labeling
Flexible layout
Files of “Filename.out” and “Filename.inf” are needed to plot the monitored outputs
Can be printed to a file in .ps format or a printer.
Output file can be processed using any other software once the correspondence of
each column is known.

11. EMTDC/TYPICAL STUDIES
Find overvoltages in a power system due to a fault or breaker operation. Transformer
non-linearities (ie saturation) are a critical factor and are represented. Multiple run facilities
are often used to run hundreds of simulations to find the worst case when varying the point
on wave of the fault, type of fault, or location of the fault.
Find overvoltages in a power system due to a lightning strike. This simulation would be
performed with a very small time step (nano-seconds).
Find the harmonics generated by a SVC, HVDC link, STATCOM, machine drive (virtually
any power electronic device). Detailed models for thyristors, GTO, IGBT, diodes.. are
required, as are detailed models of the associated control systems (both analogue and digital).
Find maximum energy in a surge arrester for a given disturbance.
Tune and design control systems for maximum performance. Multiple run facilities are often
used here as well to automatically adjust gains and time constants.

12. EMTDC/ TYPICAL STUDIES (cont)
Investigate the Sub-Synchronous Resonance (SSR) effect when a machine and multi-mass
turbine system interacts with series compensated lines or power electronic equipment.
Controls systems can also be modified to investigate possible SSR mitigating methods.
Modeling of STATCOM or Voltage Source Converters (and detailed models of their
associated controls)
Study interactions between SVC, HVDC and other non-linear devices.
Investigate instabilities due to harmonic resonances, controls, interactions...
Investigate the pulsing effects of diesel engines and wind turbines on the electric network.
Insulation coordination.
Variable speed drives of various types including cycloconverters and transportation and ship
drives.
Industrial systems including compensation controllers, drives, electric furnaces, filters, etc.
Feeds to isolated loads.

13. EMTDC/PSCAD compared to EMTP
Graphical data input (Draft).
Graphical execution (Runtime).
Printing plots during simulation run.
Less set up time.
Less solution time.
Interaction with users.
Initialization, snapshot files.
Switching interpolation, exact switching instant.
Chatter removal from inductive node voltage and capacitive current
by employing half step interpolation
Fortran interface for modeling network dynamic and control.
No computer expertise is required with the PSCAD interface.

22. PSCAD/EMTDC
System

23. Voltage Regulator
And
Exciter Model

24. Engine
And
Governor
Models

25. Cycloconverter Model
(Frequency Selected)