What's New in MATPOWER 8.0
Released May 17, 2024
Below are some of the highlights of the changes since version 7.1 of
MATPOWER. See the full release notes and the CHANGES.md
file for more details. For release notes for previous versions, see
Appendix H of the MATPOWER User's Manual.
Major Redesign:
MATPOWER 8 introduces a major redesign and rewrite of all of the MATPOWER
internals in the form of the flexible, all-new MATPOWER object-oriented core
architecture (MP-Core) and new two user-level frameworks to access it.
(Previously developed under the name MP-Element in a separate repository
at https://github.com/MATPOWER/mp-element.)
- MP-Core -- Provides unparalleled flexibility and customization capabilities
at all levels. Facilitates new modeling (e.g. unbalanced multiphase elements,
FACTS devices, etc.), new controls (e.g. optimization of transformer taps,
PAR angles, etc.), new problem formulations, and more. - Flexible Framework -- Provides new top-level functions for running power
flow (PF), continuation power flow (CPF) and optimal power flow (OPF), along
with new MATPOWER Extension API for user access to the full customization
capability of MP-Core. - Legacy Framework -- Allows MP-Core modeling to be used internally by
legacy functions, facilitating use of legacy test suite.
See the new MATPOWER Developer's Manual, MATPOWER Reference Manual
and MATPOWER Technical Note 5 for details of the new architecture. The
User's Manual has not yet been updated for the flexible framework.
New Three-Phase and Hybrid Proof-of-Concept Examples
Prototype examples of PF, CPF, and OPF for:
- unbalanced three-phase models
- hybrid transmission (single-phase) / distribution (three-phase) models
- multiple problem formulations
Note: These are proof-of-concept only, with much work remaining to
define a full set of three-phase model elements and their respective
parameters and data formats. But they do work!
New Features:
- MIPS 1.5.1 adds to
mplinsolve()
the ability to save an LU
factorization and reuse it to solve for additional right-hand sides. - MP-Opt-Model 4.2 adds support for tracing solution curves of
general parameterized nonlinear equations (PNE), providing generalized
continuation power flow (CPF) capabilities to MP-Core and adds support
for Optimization Toolbox 9.5 and later (MATLAB R2023a and later). - MOST 1.3 improves speed and memory usage on certain problems, and
adds calculation of expected temporal locational marginal
price (TLMP), includes transitions into first period in ramping
reserves, and more. - SimulinkMATPOWER, included in MATPOWER Extras, enables the use
of MATPOWER from MATLAB's Simulink® environment.
Thanks to Lukas Ortmann. - New options:
- New AC power flow solver based on
fsolve()
function, selected by
setting'pf.alg'
option to'FSOLVE'
. - New Implicit Z-bus Gauss method power flow for distribution systems,
selected by settingpf.alg
option to'ZG'
.
- New AC power flow solver based on
- New functions/methods:
run_mp
- Top-level function for running any task (PF, CPF, OPF) with
the new MP-Core and flexible framework.run_pf
- Wrapper aroundrun_mp
for running PF.run_cpf
- Wrapper aroundrun_mp
for running CPF.run_opf
- Wrapper aroundrun_mp
for running OPF.
New Case Files:
- Two new European transmission system cases. Thanks to Florin Capitanescu.
- Two new Swedish distribution system cases. Thanks to Gabriel Malmer.
New Documentation:
- MATPOWER Documentation site -- new documentation website with MATPOWER
manuals, reference docs, and how-to guides - MATPOWER Developer's Manual -- describes the architecture of the
new MP-Core and MATPOWER flexible framework - MATPOWER Reference Manual -- reference for MATPOWER functions and
classes, especially those in the new MP-Core and MATPOWER flexible framework - MATPOWER Technical Note 5 "MP-Element: A Unified MATPOWER
Element Model, with Corresponding Functions and Derivatives"
Other Improvements:
- New MATPOWER Docker image (named
matpower/matpower
) is
based on the official GNU Octave image (gnuoctave/octave
) and
is available for multiple MATPOWER and Octave versions. - Update versions of included packages:
- MP-Test 8.0
- MIPS 1.5.1
- MP-Opt-Model 4.2
- MOST 1.3
- Numerous bug fixes.
Incompatible Changes:
- Remove several deprecated functions, methods and options.