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Distribution Grid Simulation (OpenDSS)

Distribution Grid Simulation (OpenDSS)

August 2026

Objective

To analyze the impact of high-capacity Electric Vehicle (EV) charging clusters on distribution grid stability and implement standard utility-scale reactive power compensation to resolve voltage violations.

Tools & Technologies

  • Simulation Software: EPRI OpenDSS
  • Data Visualization: Microsoft Excel
  • Grid Model: IEEE 13-Node Test Feeder (Unbalanced 3-Phase Distribution System)

As the adoption of electric vehicles increases, distribution feeders experience severe, localized load strain. In this simulation, a 1500 kW EV charging cluster was integrated at Node 675 of the IEEE 13-node grid. A power flow analysis revealed that the inductive reactance of the distribution line, combined with the heavy EV load, caused a significant voltage drop. The Phase C voltage profile crashed below the standard utility safety threshold of 0.95 Per-Unit (PU), triggering a simulated grid violation.

When you install OpenDSS, it includes a folder of standard test grids. Open the script for the IEEE 13-Node Test Feeder. This represents a small, standard distribution grid.

To mitigate the voltage, drop without upgrading the physical transmission lines, a local reactive power compensation strategy was implemented.

  • Iterative load flow simulations were conducted to size a standard utility-scale solution.
  • A 1200 kVAR Capacitor Bank was installed directly at the affected load node (Node 675).
  • By injecting reactive power (Q) locally, the total current draw through the high-impedance distribution line was reduced, successfully counteracting the line's voltage drop.

Results

The OpenDSS simulation confirmed that the 1200 kVAR capacitor successfully restored the grid's stability. Post-simulation data (Distance vs. Per-Unit Voltage) was exported, cleaned, and visualized in Excel. The resulting multi-phase scatter plots visually demonstrate all three electrical phases lifting out of the violation zone and stabilizing at a healthy ~0.98 PU, proving the efficacy of localized reactive power support for grid modernization.

https://github.com/hiepxuanho/Grid-Modernization-Simulation-with-OpenDSS