Control room operators need an accurate view of their distribution network operating parameters to help detect network violations and manage distributed energy resources. Without this information, they risk overlooking routine network issues that could escalate into costly power outages.

Utilities must therefore provide their operators with access to the real-time electrical characteristics of the distribution network. This will not only improve situational awareness and decision making, it will also help ensure utilities can deliver consistent, reliable service to their customers.

Survalent’s Distribution Power Flow (DPF) application assesses the electrical characteristics of a distribution network, identifies potential overloads and voltage violations, and provides an analytic, problem-solving framework. It uses substation SCADA measurements and the network model to calculate phase voltages, currents, and losses throughout the electric network. It also provides operators with calculations of phase voltages, currents, and losses throughout the network; unbalanced three-phase power flow analysis, configurable alarms for security violations, a visual maps of issues, and optional or mandatory pre-switching validation checks before operating a device.

DPF also comes with an optional add-on called Distribution State Estimation (DSE), which is particularly helpful for improving situational awareness in networks with microgrids and DERs. DSE increases the accuracy of power flow calculations by including SCADA measurements from outside substations and eliminating time skews between measurements.