A network calculation program is generally understood to be software that enables the calculation of electrical quantities such as voltages, currents and power in electricity networks of all voltage levels and any topologies. The basis of the network calculation are numerical models that are derived from the physical properties of the equipment used in electricity networks, e.g. transformers or lines. For the calculation of dynamic network processes, models based on generally linear differential equations of higher order are used, which are numerically solved by integration methods. The results are time histories of the physical quantities such as u(t).

If the aspect of network dynamics is dispensed with, it is sufficient to use a load flow calculation or extended load flow calculation. Starting from a physically steady-state network condition (i.e. all dynamic network processes have completely decayed), voltages, currents, etc. can be calculated at any network nodes against reference potential (usually earth) or between any two network nodes as complex pointers with the help of e.g. node potential analysis. The complex pointers indicate either the magnitude (e.g. in V or A) and the absolute phase angle in degrees or real and imaginary parts in the sense of a complex number. One prerequisite for a load flow calculation is a constant mains frequency, which does not necessarily have to be the nominal frequency.

In order to recognize the full range of functions of ATPDesigner, the manuals are recommended.

• Graphical User Interface to the ATP
• • View in Tab Controls
  • Project Information Window
  • Messages Window
  • Messages Window for Protection Elements
• Interactive Design of Electrical Power Networks
• Integrated Diagram Viewer
• • Creating diagrams with currents, voltages, active power, reactive power, displacement factor
  • Signal Analysis methods e.g. calculation of the frequency spectrum
• User specific Node Names
• Automatic Identification and Coloring of Voltage Levels

• Load Flow Calculation supporting Renewable Power Plants
• • Load Adjusting: the "classical" method for load flow calculating supporting
  • • PQ-Nodes
    • PV-Nodes
    • Slack, etc.
  • Phase Adjusting: in addition new methods supporting inverter controlled power plants in the load flow calculation
  • • Wind farms
    • Photovoltaic

• Protection Relays in Electrical Power Networks - "One the Laptop Screen"
• • Generic models for protection relays with circuit-breaker and Automatic Reclosing
  • Can be used to analyze the real time behavior of protection relays in power networks
  • Creating diagrams using the real-time messages of the protection relays e.g. general starting, rip command, ...
  • Protection relays
  • • Distance Protection Z<
    • Overcurrent Protection I>
    • Over- and Under Voltage Protection V<, V>
    • IDMT-Protection
    • Differential Protection (2- and 3-legs)
    • Ground Fault Detection
    • etc.
  • Analyzing existing protection schemes "on the laptop screen"
  • Planning new protection schemes "on the laptop screen"
  • Useful for the training in protection relaying
  • Real time testing in combination with test systems CMxxx of Omicron
  • • Support of the test systems CMC156, CMC256, CMC356
    • Support of the amplifiers CMA156, CMS156