Learn more about SimPowerSystems

Product Overview

On this page…
Introduction The Role of Simulation in Design SimPowerSystems Libraries Required and Related Products

Introduction

SimPowerSystems software and other products of the Physical Modeling product family work together with Simulink software to model electrical, mechanical, and control systems.

SimPowerSystems software operates in the Simulink environment. Therefore, before starting this user's guide, make yourself familiar with Simulink documentation. Or, if you perform signal processing and communications tasks (as opposed to control system design tasks), see the Signal Processing Blockset™ documentation.

Back to Top

The Role of Simulation in Design

Electrical power systems are combinations of electrical circuits and electromechanical devices like motors and generators. Engineers working in this discipline are constantly improving the performance of the systems. Requirements for drastically increased efficiency have forced power system designers to use power electronic devices and sophisticated control system concepts that tax traditional analysis tools and techniques. Further complicating the analyst's role is the fact that the system is often so nonlinear that the only way to understand it is through simulation.

Land-based power generation from hydroelectric, steam, or other devices is not the only use of power systems. A common attribute of these systems is their use of power electronics and control systems to achieve their performance objectives.

SimPowerSystems software is a modern design tool that allows scientists and engineers to rapidly and easily build models that simulate power systems. It uses the Simulink environment, allowing you to build a model using simple click and drag procedures. Not only can you draw the circuit topology rapidly, but your analysis of the circuit can include its interactions with mechanical, thermal, control, and other disciplines. This is possible because all the electrical parts of the simulation interact with the extensive Simulink modeling library. Since Simulink uses the MATLAB^® computational engine, designers can also use MATLAB toolboxes and Simulink blocksets. SimPowerSystems software belongs to the Physical Modeling product family and uses similar block and connection line interface.

Back to Top

SimPowerSystems Libraries

SimPowerSystems libraries contain models of typical power equipment such as transformers, lines, machines, and power electronics. These models are proven ones coming from textbooks, and their validity is based on the experience of the Power Systems Testing and Simulation Laboratory of Hydro-Québec, a large North American utility located in Canada, and also on the experience of École de Technologie Supérieure and Université Laval. The capabilities of SimPowerSystems software for modeling a typical electrical system are illustrated in demonstration files. And for users who want to refresh their knowledge of power system theory, there are also self-learning case studies.

The SimPowerSystems main library, powerlib, organizes its blocks into libraries according to their behavior. The powerlib library window displays the block library icons and names. Double-click a library icon to open the library and access the blocks. The main powerlib library window also contains the Powergui block that opens a graphical user interface for the steady-state analysis of electrical circuits.

Nonlinear Simulink Blocks for SimPowerSystems Models

The nonlinear Simulink blocks of the powerlib library are stored in a special block library named powerlib_models. These masked Simulink models are used by SimPowerSystems software to build the equivalent Simulink model of your circuit. See Improving Simulation Performance for a description of the powerlib_models library.

Back to Top

Required and Related Products

SimPowerSystems software requires the following products:

• MATLAB

• Simulink

In addition to SimPowerSystems software, the Physical Modeling product family includes other products for modeling and simulating mechanical and electrical systems. Use these products together to model physical systems in Simulink environment. There are also a number of closely related toolboxes and other products from The MathWorks™ that you can use with SimPowerSystems software. For more information about any of these products, see the MathWorks Web site at http://www.mathworks.com; see the "Products" section.

Back to Top

Getting Started

Using This Guide

© 1984-2009- The MathWorks, Inc.    -   Site Help   -   Patents   -   Trademarks   -   Privacy Policy   -   Preventing Piracy   -   RSS