Caldera_Grid

Caldera and OpenDSS co-simulation platform using HELICS

Overview

Caldera Grid enables modeling EV charging on the electric grid. Caldera Grid co-simulation platform is built using HELICS (Hierarchical Engine for Large Scale Infrastructure Co-simulation) and cosimulates Caldera ICM with OpenDSS. The platfrom also provides an interface to apply custom control strategies to EV charge events.

Installation

Windows

The installation approach for windows is only a suggested approach which is well tested

Prerequisites

Caldera Grid has the following requirements to be able to compile on windows

1. Install git for windows
2. Install Anaconda
3. Install visual studio with C++ and cmake

Anaconda environment setup

1. Open anaconda prompt
2. Create a new conda environment

   conda create -n Caldera python=3.9      # (recommended version >= 3.7.0)
   

3. Activate the new conda environment

   conda activate Caldera
   

4. Install required python packages

   conda install pybind11                  # (recommended version >= 2.10)
   conda install numpy                     # (recommended version >= 1.23.5)
   conda install pandas                    # (recommended version >= 1.5.2)
   conda install cvxopt                    # (recommended version >= 1.2.6)
   pip install "OpenDSSDirect.py[extras]"  # (recommended version >= 0.7.0)
   pip install helics                      # (recommended version >= 3.4.0)
   

Download Caldera Grid

1. open git for windows
2. navigate to desired folder where you would like to download Caldera Grid

   cd <path_to_desired_download_folder>
   

3. clone Caldera Grid from Github

   git clone https://github.com/idaholab/Caldera_Grid.git
   

4. Swich to develop branch. Develop branch has the most recent updates and bug fixes for Caldera Grid

   git switch develop
   

Compile Caldera Grid

1. Open the downloaded Caldera Grid folder in Visual Studio

   File -> Open -> Folder -> <path_to_Caldera_Grid>
   

2. Open CMakeSettings.json

   Project -> CMake Settings
   

3. Set flages for the cmake compilation process in the CMake command arguments test box

    -DPROJECT=eMosaic -DICM=ON -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=<path_to_anaconda3>\envs\<env_name>\python.exe -Dpybind11_DIR=<path_to_anaconda3>\envs\<env_name>\Library\share\cmake\pybind11
   

   • PROJECT - options are DirectXFC, eMosaic and EVs_at_Risk
   • ICM - needs to be ON, Caldera_Grid needs ICM module
4. Configure CMake
   • Saving CMakeSettings.json will kick off the configuration in the output tab
5. Build libraries

   build -> build all
   

6. Install libraries

   build -> Install Grid
   

On Ubuntu Linux

First, installed Ubuntu.
sudo apt inatall git
mkdir ~/Documents/dev
Checked out the repos, put in ~/Documents/dev
sudo apt install cmake
sudo apt install build-essential

cd ~/Documents/
wget https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-py39_4.12.0-Linux-x86_64.sh
bash Miniconda3-py39_4.12.0-Linux-x86_64.sh

(installed anaconda)
(then restarted the terminal)

conda create -n caldera python=3.7
conda activate caldera
pip install helics
conda install pandas numpy scipy cvxopt
pip install cython
pip install 'OpenDSSDirect.py[extras]'
pip install "pybind11[global]"

cd Caldera_Grid
git switch develop
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DPROJECT=eMosaic -DICM=ON ../
make -j 4
make install

Notes for macOS

To install anaconda:
-------
brew install --cask anaconda
source /usr/local/anaconda3/bin/activate
conda create -n caldera python=3.7
conda activate caldera

Running Caldera Grid

1. Open Anaconda prompt

2. Navigate to project folder

   cd <path_to_Caldera_Grid>
   

3. Activate Anaconda environment

   conda activate Caldera
   

4. Run simulation

   python start_execution.py
   

   • start_execution.py is set up to run a simple example of EVs charging on the IEEE 34 node test feeder.

NOTE : If the excution takes longer time to run, Try using release mode to build

Usage

Please refer to usage documentation to learn on how to use the tool.

Citation

If you use Caldera Grid in your research, please cite:

Sundarrajan, Manoj Kumar Cebol, Scoffield, Don R, Rumsey, Paden D, & USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy. (2022, December 13). idaholab/Caldera_Grid [Computer software]. https://www.osti.gov//servlets/purl/1907411. https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20230103.3

Authors

1. Don Scoffield, Senior Research Engineer, Idaho National Laboratory
2. Manoj Sundarrajan, Research Software Developer, Idaho National Laboratory