An online dispatcher training simulator function for real-time analysis and training

Today's power systems have become so complex that it is not easy for the system dispatcher to realistically predict the results of outages. The situation is compounded whenever the power grid is not in its "normal" configuration due to maintenance switching or equipment failure. The authors feel that the dispatcher training simulator (DTS) is an excellent tool that can be used to teach the dispatcher how to react under these conditions. In this paper, the authors present an on-line implementation of the DTS which allows the user to: initialize the DTS to an EMS disturbance using data that was captured at the time of the disturbance; and place the DTS in a playback mode and go back to specific times in the scenario. The former feature allows the analyst to investigate EMS disturbances and then train the various dispatchers to be able to recognize such disturbances and to recover from them when they occur. The latter feature allows the instructor (with the trainee) to review and re-experience desired portions of the scenario. It is the authors' feeling that these two features will help the EMS operational staff understand their power system better and help their dispatchers in dealing with operational problems associated with the proper running of the system.