As mentioned previously the Power Flow and FLM applications are configured through the Configuration Assistant Feeder Management tab.

The PF Mode configures the type of Load Flow analysis performed for a feeder or island. When feeders in the same island have different modes the least accurate mode is used for the whole island - that is kVA Mode. The choices are:

Power Flow Mode: The Load Flow analysis will run a full power flow solution and utilize the full set of engineering attributes. This includes load profiles, generation profiles, equipment ratings, and the impedance model. This will calculate voltage, loading, and losses at all points on the electrical island. Power Flow Mode will provide the most accurate power flow results. Power Flow Mode is mandatory for FLA and VVO. The full set of violations can be detected using Power Flow Mode including overloads, voltage violations and protection reach (NMS 2.3+). Power Flow Mode will have the highest impact on performance.

kVA Mode: The power flow solution is solved ignoring impedance attributes. Load profiles, generation profiles, and equipment loading ratings are still utilized in kVA mode. Overload conditions can still be detected. In kVA mode the Power Flow engine typically solves in a single iteration so it has less CPU performance impact than Power Flow Mode. Utilizing this mode introduces some limitations (for each electrical island configured with one or more feeders configured in kVA mode):

kVA mode should be utilized if the utility does not have good impedance data, or if they want to limit the performance impact of the full Power Flow engine for one or more electrical islands.

The full power flow model can provide solutions both on-demand and cyclically. The on-demand solution is performed in Study Mode and on feeders where automatic solutions are disabled.

Cyclical solutions are performed on the real-time network for feeders that are configured for automatic solutions; typically on a 15 to 30 minute cycle unless there is a topology change. Topology (switch) changes trigger a near immediate parent island resolve.

The FLM Mode configures the type of Feeder Load Management solutions that are generated. There are 3 choices:

Disabled: In this situation no automatic solutions are generated for this feeder. To see real time solutions the feeder must be selected in the viewer and will be solved on demand (when the user asks for power flow information via the balloon tool).

Real-Time: In this situation the feeder is resolved periodically and weighted with SCADA data (where available) to better determine current loading conditions. The rate at which solves are performed can be selected at a global level by setting the CYCLE_TIME rule in the "Power Flow" rule-set. By default this is set to 15 minutes.

All feeders enabled for Real-Time or Forecasting (see below) are periodically re-solved at this rate. If only one feeder in an island is enabled, the whole island still needs to be solved, but only the enabled feeder is displayed in the results.

Forecasting: FLM forecasting is performed hourly (at the top of the hour) and produces hourly forecast for the next 24 hours and daily peak forecasts for the next 6 days. The loads used in these forecasts are derived by scaling load profile data with current SCADA loading information.

Load profile data is mandatory for Forecasting.