Output Files and Format

The Challenge 2 Output Files and Format detailed description is in Appendix C of the Challenge 2 Problem Formulation.

For a submission to be scored, the solution must be written to a collection of solution files; one for the base case and one for each of the contingencies. The file names are of the form “solution_label.txt” where label is “BASECASE” for the base case and the contingency string value of label_k for contingency k.

All solution files have the same format; a fixed sequence of six sections, each section is delimited by a start line with two hyphen characters (‘--‘) in columns 1 and 2 followed by a table of comma separated values with a header row and a series of data rows.

The six sections are:

1. --bus section
2. --load section
3. --generator section
4. --line section
5. --transformer section
6. --switched shunt section

Bus section data fields

• bus number i (positive integer)
• voltage magnitude v_ik
• voltage angle theta_ik

Every bus should be reported in exactly one row of the bus section.

Load section data fields

• bus number i_j (positive integer)
• ID id_j (1- or 2-character string)
• cleared fraction t_ik

Every load should be reported in exactly one row of the load section.

Generator section data fields

• bus number i_g (positive integer)
• unit id id_g (1- or 2-character string)
• real power output p_gk
• reactive power output q_gk
• commitment status x^on_gk (1 indicates on, 0 indicates off; binary)

Every generator should be reported in exactly one row of the generator section.

Line section data fields

• origin bus number of line e: i ^o_e (positive integer)
• destination bus number of line e: i ^d_e (positive integer)
• ID of line e: id_e (1- or 2-character string)
• closed/open status x^sw_ek (1 indicates closed, 0 indicates open; binary)

Every line should be reported in exactly one row of the line section.

Transformer section data fields

• origin bus number i^o_f (positive integer)
• destination bus number i^d_f (positive integer)
• circuit id id_f (1- or 2-character string)
• closed/open status x^sw_fk (1 indicates closed, 0 indicates open; binary)
• tap position selection x^st_fk (integer)

Every transformer should be reported in exactly one row of the transformer section.

Switched shunt section data fields

• bus number i_h (positive integer)
• number of steps activated in block x^st_hak (positive integer)
• repeat for each valid value of x^st_hak. No value should be reported and no field should be indicated by commas if no value exists.

Every switched shunt should be reported in exactly one row of the switched shunt section.

The data should be written with the full numerical precision in which the solution was generated to avoid feasibility issues resulting from rounding errors.

Sample case solution file solution_label.txt

--bus section
i, v, theta
1, 1.01, 0.1
2, 0.99, -0.06
3, 0.98, 0.02
4, 1.02, -0.05
5, 1.005, 0.05
--load section
i, id, t
1, 1, 0.95
--generator section
i, id, p, q, x
1, 1, 100.0, 10.0, 1
1, 2, 50.0, 0.0, 1
--line section
iorig, idest, id, x
1, 2, 1, 1
1, 2, 2, 0
3, 4, 1, 1
--transformer section
iorig, idest, id, x, xst
2, 3, 1A, 1, 16
4, 5, 1B, 1, -16
--switched shunt section
i, xst1, xst2, xst3, xst4, xst5, xst6, xst7, xst8
1, 1, 4
2, 0, 2, 3