OATS: Optimisation and Analysis Toolbox for Power Systems

Abstract

Optimisation and Analysis Toolbox for power Systems analysis (OATS) is an open-source simulation tool for steady-state analyses of power systems problems distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPLv3). It contains implementations of classical steady-state problems, e.g. load flow, optimal power flow (OPF) and unit commitment, as well as enhancements to these classical models relative to the features available in widely used open-source tools. Enhancements implemented in the current release of OATS include: a model of voltage regulating on-load tap-changing transformers; load shedding in OPF; allowing a user to build a contingency list in the security constrained OPF analysis; implementation of a distributed slack bus; and the ability to model zonal transfer limits in unit commitment. The mathematical optimisation models are written in an open-source algebraic modelling language, which offers high-level symbolic syntax for describing optimisation problems. The flexibility offered by OATS makes it an ideal tool for teaching and academic research. This paper presents novel aspects of OATS and discusses, through demonstrative examples, how OATS can be extended to new problem classes in the area of steady-state power systems analysis.

Design of a DSO‐TSO balancing market coordination scheme for decentralised energy

“…Power balance and power flow constraints Generation capacity limits Transmission capacity limits (branch and transformer) Voltage limits. The above formulation is implemented using an open‐source power systems simulation tool (OATS) [30] and the resulting non‐linear optimisation problems are solved using an open‐source solver (ipopt) [31].…”

“…The DSO market then clears using AC optimal power flow (ACOPF) driven by OATS [30] to determine any network constraints for all DERs at their upper bounds and at their lower bounds. The objective function of the optimisation (1) is to minimise the costs of adjustments required to remove any network constraints.…”

“…(3a)-(3b) are Kirchhoff's Current Law governing real and reactive power balance, (3c)-(3d) are Kirchhoff's Voltage Law, (3e) fixes the phase angle to zero at the arbitrary reference bus, (3f)-(3h) are constraints on voltage, real and reactive power generation respectively, and (3i) is the line flow constraint.The above formulation is implemented using an open-source power systems simulation tool (OATS)[30] and the resulting nonlinear optimisation problems are solved using an open-source solver (ipopt)[31].…”

The Impact of Distribution Locational Marginal Prices on Distributed Energy Resources: An Aggregated Approach

“…As shown in Table II The OATS ACOPF [13] allows flexible demand to vary by a % for each timestep with the objective of minimising the cost of serving the total demand over a time window. This achieved at no additional cost.…”

“…In this work flexible demand is added to the SW England network model and studies are carried out with different levels of aggregation. The optimisation is carried out over a 24 hour period over which generation and flexible demand dispatch is optimised using ACOPF software [13]. The objective function of the OATS optimal power flow is simplified as follows; The following constraints were implemented in the optimisation;…”