General Line Ampacity State Solver

Abstract

INL’s General Line Ampacity State Solver (GLASS) is a high performance software platform that enables advanced grid system operations and planning efforts to be computed in real time. It enables the combination of advanced sensors and sensor networks, communication and data transfer channels, secure and reliable data management, and real-time processing through a flexible system architecture, with the ability to support and integrate with any utility enterprise system. GLASS is designed to help resolve the problems associated with thermally limited transmission and distribution networks, namely bare overhead power transmission lines. GLASS enables the methodology of Concurrent Cooling (Dynamic Line Rating) by reducing the need of using a cost-prohibited number of weather stations (reduce the number of weather stations per mile of overhead power line) to achieve the resolution necessary for individual electric transmission line span capacity calculations. GLASS achieves this by coupling real-time grid operations data and infrastructure architecture information with real-time field deployed weather station measurements and pre-computed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based wind modeling interpolation parameters (look-up tables). GLASS uses mathematical models based on the IEEE 738 standard and builds off of the provided iterative solution using modern software paradigms and programming styles to provide a more robust and modular software system. GLASS also interfaces in real-time with utility companies using known transmission line spans and structures. GLASS provides real-time ampacity calculations based on recent weather station data as well as transmission line specifications. GLASS also allows the user to interact graphically with internal databases, which include information such as transmission line conductor types and thermal rating limits, weather station names and locations, specific transmission line span and structure locations, as well as recent ampacity calculations.