Application Examples

May 27, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

Examples for application of powerfactory exporter and controller.

The whole examples are based on the PowerFactory version 2025, but should also work with 2022 and 2024.

Export Functionalities

The jupyter notebook powerfactory_export.ipynb is provided to get in touch with the usage of the powerfactory exporter. This example is based on the PowerFactory example project.

Within the exporter example three different predefined study cases ("Base", "Industry_Park", "Outage") are to be exported.

The exporter provides functions to export

  • grid topology (raw assets),
  • topology_case (binary switching info and out of service info) and
  • steadystate_case (operation points)

to three different json files using the power system data model (psdm) schema.

Usage

Please note, that default values for the PowerFactory installation path, PowerFactory init file name and the Python version are used. If necessary, one can adapt powerfactory_path, powerfactory_service_pack, powerfactory_ini_name and python_version when initializing the PowerFactoryExporter.

By default, all assets of all active grids within the selected PowerFactory project are to be exported.

  • The preferred way for export is to assign the desired study cases to the export() function call, see export example.
  • Alternatively, one can select study cases, operation scenarios and grid variations before export for more control, see control "basic" example 7-9.

The following figure provides a short overview of the dependencies within a PowerFactory project.

PowerFactory_StudyCase_Dependencies

Extended Attributes Export

In the case an export of additional attribute data is required for elements of specified types, one can specify a dictionary and pass this as aditional parameter to the Exporter class. Such a request is performed in our export example powerfactory_export.ipynb by specifying the dict element_specific_attrs.

Control Functionalities

Control Example "Basic"

The jupyter notebook powerfactory_control__basic.ipynb is provided to get in touch with the usage of the basic powerfactory control possibilities. First the simple grid HV_3_Bus is manipulated, then a more sophisticated control is exceuted at HV_9_Bus grid.

The example includes (excerpt):

  • General request of elements
  • Selection of user defined elements (e.g. based on name or voltage level)
  • Change of object's attribute values
  • Definition of variable monitors and result objects
  • Execution of load flow - symmetrical / unsymmetrical
  • Preparation and execution of RMS/EMT simulations
  • Export of results objects as well as user defined data to json or csv
  • Request and change study cases, operation scenarios and network variations

Control Example "Add Loads"

The jupyter notebook powerfactory_control__add_loads.ipynb is provided to show how to simply add loads in the grid 3_Bus. Here, a grid variant is created first. Then, at all loads except the slack a new load is added with specified characteristics.

Non-Interactive Display Mode

As PowerFactory is started in engine mode, the user may want to take a quick look at the PowerFactory application GUI at runtime. To do so, insert the following code into your script to open the PF application window in non-interavtive mode. Attention: do not close the window by your own by clicking on the red cross, but process via the user input request.

See commented code in function run_three_bus_control_example() in powerfactory_import.ipynb:

pfi.app.Show()
time.sleep(5)   # wait for 5 seconds
input("Press Enter to continue...")  # Wait for user input before proceeding
pfi.app.Hide()

Control Example "Multiple Projects"

The jupyter notebook powerfactory_control__multiple_projects.ipynb is provided to show how to activate multiple projects in sequence. Here, three different projects are activated one after another by using the join_project() method of the PowerFactoryInterface. After finishing the operations on each project, the release_project() method is used to properly release the project and revert the temporary unit conversion.

Raw PSDM Import

The jupyter notebook powerfactory_import.ipynb is provided to see how to apply a raw import of a given (exported) PSDM grid representation.

Here, PSDM class objects are generated out of a given json-file.

PowerFactory Example Project

The related PowerFactory example project PF2025_PowerFactory-Tools.pfd is provided in grids. The project contains:

  • 3-bus high voltage grid
  • a composition of a 9-bus high voltage grid and a 2-bus medium voltage industry grid

Furthermore, four predefined study cases are provided:

  • 3_Bus (only grid "HV_3_Bus" is active)
  • Base (only grid "HV_9_Bus" is active)
  • Industry_Park ("HV_9_Bus" and "MV_2_Bus" are active)
  • Outage (only grid "HV_9_Bus" is active, additionally the operation case "outOfService_Set1" is applied)

The 3-bus high voltage grid 'HV_3_Bus'

This very simple example grid contains:

  • 110 kV voltage level
  • 3 nodes
  • 3 branches
  • 2 general loads
  • 2 static generators
  • 1 external grid

HV_3_Bus grid

The 9-bus high voltage grid 'HV_9_Bus'

This example grid contains:

  • 3 different voltage levels (110 kV, 20 kV, 0.4 kV)
  • 9 nodes, including one detailed substation
  • 9 branches
  • 2 transformers (110/20 adn 20/0.4)
  • 5 general loads, including different load models
  • 1 MV load
  • 2 LV loads
  • 1 PV system
  • 1 Battery system
  • 3 Static generators, including station controller
  • 1 compound generator model
  • 2 fuses (1 line fuse and 1 element fuse)
  • 2 external grids
  • 1 optional connection to the MV_2_Bus grid

HV_9_Bus grid

The 2-bus medium voltage industry grid 'MV_2_Bus'

This grid is an extension to the 'HV_9_Bus' grid and contains:

  • 20 kV voltage level
  • 2 nodes
  • 1 transformer (110/20) as connection to the HV_9_Bus grid
  • 1 branch
  • 1 general load (const. power)
  • 1 passive asset (capacitor bank)

MV_2_Bus grid