Impedance derivation

Line impedances can be given directly (a linecode or inline matrices) or derived from conductor geometry. This page documents the geometry inputs — wire_data (a conductor library) and line_geometry (a cross-section assembly) — and how they compile into a linecode. This is a data-model page: these objects carry no OPF variables or constraints; they produce the $\textcolor{brown}{\mathbf{Z}^{\text{s}}_c}$ and $\textcolor{brown}{\mathbf{Y}^{\text{sh}}_c}$ matrices the Lines page consumes. Symbols are defined in Notation. All quantities are SI (Ω/m, m, S/m, A, °C).

Wire data

A wire_data entry is a reusable conductor/cable construction type, referenced by line_geometry conductors.

FieldTypeUnitReq.Description
kindstringoverhead, cn_cable (concentric-neutral), or ts_cable (tape-shield)
r_dc, r_acnumberΩ/m(one)DC / AC resistance at temperature_ref (the other defaults via $r_{\text{ac}}=1.02\,r_{\text{dc}}$)
temperature_refnumber°CReference temperature (default 20)
alpha_20number1/KTemperature coefficient at 20 °C (e.g. 0.00393 Cu, 0.00403 Al)
gmr, radiusnumberm(one)Geometric mean radius / physical radius (the other defaults via $\text{gmr}=0.7788\,\text{radius}$)
cap_radiusnumbermElectrostatic radius for capacitance (defaults to radius)
i_max, i_max_emergencynumberAContinuous / emergency current rating
eps_r, t_insulation, d_insulation, d_cablenumber–, mInsulation permittivity and cable dimensions (cables)
n_strands, d_strand, gmr_strand, r_strand–, m, Ω/mConcentric-neutral strand data (cn_cable)
d_shield, t_tape, tape_lapnumberm, %, mTape-shield data (ts_cable)

Line geometry

A line_geometry entry places wire types at coordinates and maps each to a circuit terminal.

FieldTypeUnitReq.Description
conductorsobject[]Ordered placements — each has wire_data, x, y (m; y<0 = buried), and terminal
frequencynumberHzFrequency the linecode is compiled at (recorded in the derivation; no rescaling)
earth_modelstringmodified_carson (default), full_carson, or deri
earth_resistivitynumberΩ·mHomogeneous earth resistivity (default 100)
temperaturenumber°CConductor operating temperature (resistances corrected via alpha_20)

The conductors order defines the matrix row order of the compiled linecode, and each conductor maps to exactly one circuit terminal.

Compilation to a linecode

compile_linecode builds the full primitive per-metre matrices from the geometry:

  • Series impedance $\textcolor{brown}{\mathbf{Z}^{\text{s}}_c}$ (Ω/m) from the conductor self/mutual impedances (GMR, spacing) plus the earth-return correction of the selected earth_model (modified/full Carson, or Deri), with resistances temperature-corrected to temperature.
  • Shunt admittance $\textcolor{brown}{\mathbf{Y}^{\text{sh}}_c}$ (S/m) from the Maxwell potential coefficients (using cap_radius), split into the from/to half-sections.
  • Ratings carried from wire_data.i_max into the linecode's i_max.

Every conductor maps to a terminal, so the compiled matrix is the full primitive matrix — there is no Kron elimination. Grounding is expressed on the bus (perfectly_grounded_terminals), not by reducing the matrix, keeping the neutral/earth conductors explicit (consistent with the four-wire model). The compilation records its provenance (method, earth resistivity, frequency, temperature) in the linecode's derivation block.

Implementation in BMOPFTools

  • compile_linecode assembles the primitive impedance (Carson/Deri) and Maxwell potential matrices and emits a linecode object with R_series_k_j, X_series_k_j, G_from_k_j/G_to_k_j, B_from_k_j/B_to_k_j, plus i_max and a derivation provenance block.
  • Concentric-neutral and tape-shield cables build their shield/strand conductors from the cable fields before the primitive assembly.
  • The resulting linecode is consumed by the line model exactly as a hand-authored linecode; the geometry objects themselves never enter the OPF.
Relationship to the Task Force PDF

The PDF's data model documents linecode (per-metre matrices) as the impedance source. The wire_data/line_geometry geometry layer and compile_linecode are a BMOPFTools construction convenience that produces those matrices; document the geometry inputs and the earth-return/Maxwell derivation in the superseding spec so geometry-sourced linecodes are reproducible.