WSC and SOS Intl Team continue our collaboration to develop a high voltage Transmission/ Distribution Simulator. WSC and SOS completed the development of a second simulator covering an Electrical Transmission System (ETS) that replicates a large scale interconnected electric power system comprised of EAST and WEST transmission areas with 31 substations and connecting transmission lines ranging in voltages of 500kV, 345kV, 230kV, 138kV, 115kV, and 69kV. Generation capacity is approximately 15,000 MW. Generation types include steam (nuclear, fossil), hydro, combined cycle, gas turbines, wind turbines, and a solar farm. Topology spans roughly 500 x 500 miles. The system is divided into three Balancing Areas (BA), with East and West transmission areas comprising one BA, and a separate East and West BA. This allows MWs to transfer from one BA to another while maintaining system balance through Automatic Generation Control (AGC).

The main equipment represented in the ETS system is based on equipment used in the current SOS/WSC Electric Distribution Simulator (EDS) with transmission-oriented enhancements, such as loop flow (opposed to radial), varying frequency based on generation load balance, voltage instability and collapse, and transmission-oriented protection schemes.

The ETS includes special substation equipment, such as shunt capacitors, shunt reactors, series capacitors, and Load Tap Changing (LTC) transformers. Most voltage control is through shunt capacitors and shunt reactors. Frequency control is accomplished using generation-load balance and AGC.

Through the 3KEYITS product, SOS has developed lessons applicable to Transmission systems and currently offers them through courses available through the SOS LMS (Learning Management System). Reference www.sosintl.com. Similar to the EDS simulator, this simulator can be used for training in a standard or web-based classroom environment, as well as in pre-scripted lessons accessible through the SOS LMS.

The ETS simulator was commissioned in the second quarter of 2020. A future version of the ETS will involve integrating the EDS to allow for better understanding of Distribution Networks and their impact on Transmission. The figure provides an overview of the ETS Grid network.