A topology processor that tracks network modifications

Software considerations and test results are given for a topology processor that can track the changes in the network over time. It is expected that by knowing the changes from one cycle to the next, certain steps in the network solution can be avoided or replaced with steps requiring significantly less computation. The steps of particular interest are the ordering and factoring of the network solution matrix. In the operator training simulator, where solution time is critical, the simulation computation slows down when changes take place in the network, but the presented topology processor may provide the means to keep up with real time. In the security analysis real-time time sequence, computation can be saved in the state estimator if its tracking topology processor is used. The use of this topology processor modifies the solution of the tracking mode. For large topology changes, it is the same as the conventional tracking mode. But for the more common small topology changes, the matrices are not rebuilt and considerable computation time is saved.>