Tie Open Point Optimization (TOPO)

The TOPO feature is an optional solution analysis package that you may purchase in addition to the PSS/ADEPT base package. If you are not licensed to run this option, the Analysis>TOPO and Report>Tie Open Point Optimization menu options, and the TOPO button on the Analysis Toolbar will not be available to you. Additionally, the Analysis>Options TOPO tab will not be present. TOPO optimizes the portion of a radial network connected to the root node. That is, of all possible radial configurations, TOPO finds the one with the lowest real power loss. At the present time, TOPO works only with radial systems. The root node is commonly the first source node, but you may specify a different root node by selecting Network>Properties from the Main Menu.

The TOPO algorithm uses a heuristic method based on an optimum power flow. A characteristic of the heuristic algorithm is that it is not possible to find the second best answer, the third best answer, etc. It is also not possible to prove that the TOPO solution is, indeed, the best solution. Such proof would require searching through all the possible radial combinations, which could be a very large number. The TOPO-controllable switches are designated on the Switch Property sheets. Any of the controllable switches that are initially open must cause a network loop to be formed when they are closed. If they do not form a loop, they are either in an island, or would connect to an island if closed. The switches that do not form a loop are discarded by TOPO before the analysis begins, and only the loop forming initially open switches are used. Likewise, closed controllable switches must be in the part of the network in the root node tree; closed switches in islands will be discarded.

For a single load snapshot, and no branch overload checking, the operation of TOPO is easily explained. Starting with the initial radial system, TOPO closes one of the open controllable switches to form a loop. An optimum power flow procedure is then done on the loop to determine what is the best switch to open to change the network back to radial. This process continues until the switch that is opened is always the one that was closed, at which time TOPO is finished. The resulting network is the radial network with minimum real power loss.

TOPO can work with multiple load snapshots; in which case a single network configuration is found which has the lowest real power loss over all snapshots. That is, the switch setting may not be optimum for any one particular load snapshot, but it will be for the combination of them. When doing the analysis with multiple snapshots, TOPO uses the real power loss from each snapshot weighted by its relative time duration. TOPO can consider branch overloads. If this option is chosen, and the initial network has no overloads, the optimized network will also have no overloads. If the initial system does have overloads, the procedure is slightly more complex. As TOPO is going through the optimization procedure, each time the network is restored to radial (by breaking a loop formed when a controllable switch was closed) all load snapshots are checked to see if they are any overloaded branches. If, at any time during the optimization procedure, a configuration is found with no overloads, then the final optimized network will have no overloads.

TOPO needs a "Flat" network to operate on. Therefore, all transformer taps should be set to unity. You can set the transformer taps to unity by selecting Network>Flat Transformers from the Main Menu. If you have open controllable switches connected between parts of the network at two different voltage levels (for instance a switch connected between a 4-kV portion of the network and a 13.2-portion), TOPO may produce strange results. TOPO provides as output the initial and final system losses, and also the monetary value of the loss savings. These loss savings are on a one year basis, and include both energy (real and reactive) and demand (real and reactive) calculated using the values you specified under Network>Economics from the Main Menu.