Advanced graphics zoom in on operations

It is shown how advanced graphic facilities now available or under development may be used to provide dispatchers with better information for operating a power system. Power system operating functions were listed and prioritized in a joint NSF/EPRI research project, and several of those functions were selected on the basis of their potential benefit to power system operation. Graphics hardware and software facilities were studied, with consideration given to potential benefits to power system operation and the longevity of the hardware, software, and graphics standards. The hardware chosen for the demonstration was the DECstation 5000 reduced instruction set computer (RISC). The graphics programming facility is PHIGS 2.2a (Programmers Hierarchical Interactive Graphics Standard), and the programming language is C. The MIPS C compiler was used. A software package was developed to demonstrate the presentation of power system information to the dispatchers. The facilities included are the system map, transmission-line overload and contingencies, decluttering, voltage profile, alarm location, and system restoration.<>