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About NTS

What is NTS?

Electrical outages can cause severe disruption to customers and have serious financial consequences as well. Trained dispatcher however, can significantly reduce the time of system restorations and can prevent further escalations.

The Network Training Simulator (NTS) is your 21st century tool to effectively and efficiently train dispatchers and professionals operating and controlling any kind of electrical network. It is also useful for the practical training of university students specializing in electrical engineering.

Versions

  • transmission NTS for transmission system operators (TSO-s)
  • distribution NTS for electrical energy providers (DSO-s)
  • electrical auxiliary NTS for nuclear power plants (NPP-s)
  • traction power NTS for railway companies

Features

Practical features

  • Realistic and graphical user interfaces (GUI): The trainee’s GUI is the user interface of the SCADA, which is a replica of the on-line SCADA system. Thus the trainee can practise on the same GUI which is used in every-day work, while trainers can supervise and control the operation of the NTS with the help of manageable schema pictures.
  • Time machine: Trainers can set simulation time and speed up or slow down the passage of time. Thus quick events can be demonstrated, while longer, uneventful periods can be passed over.
  • Archive system: Trainers can save all changes of digital signals and analog measurements. These archived events can be replayed for didactic purposes.
  • Programming events and conditional events: Trainers can compose scenarios based on the events of the network or create events triggered by other events and conditions.
  • Time schedules: Changes in the amount of electrical energy produced and consumed can by modelled with the help of time schedules (time schedules, profiles).

Features

Modelling principles

  • Realistic power flow and voltage profile: The realistic picture of power flows and voltages is provided by the built-in fast load-flow calculation.
  • Discrete device modelling: The NTS models the network as a system of interconnected single devices (protections, automatics, switchgears, measure transformers etc.). The network-events are produced with the cooperation of the modelled devices.
  • Interlocking system: The traditional logical interlocking system and the interlocking system based on comprehensive topology analysis hinder an erroneous switching operation that trainers can disable. In case of an erroneous switching operation initiated by the trainee, the short circuit will be cleared by the protection system.

Universal, it can be connected to any kind of SCADA system

  • Standardised SCADA connection: The NTS communicates with the data transfer protocols widespread in power industry (SAM, IEC870 101 and 104), so it can be connected to any kind of SCADA system.
  • Real-time operation: The NTS provides the timestamps of signals from electrical devices (e.g. signals of protection or circuit breaker) with 1 msec resolution.
  • Scalable network model: The NTS can simulate both a single micro-grid and the whole transmission and distribution network of a country too.

Benefits

Increased continuity and reliability of power supply

Quicker system restorations and more effective disaster recovery

Cost reduction due to more effective operation of electrical power system

Realistic simulation environment

More efficient training methods

Better prepared dispatchers

References

Hungarian Independent Transmission Operator Company (MAVIR)
simulation of the whole Hungarian high voltage transmission network since 2008
28 substations and app. 200 overhead lines

Paks Nuclear Power Plant
simulation of electric auxiliary system
4 units, 8 generators

Plovdiv-Svilengrad rail-road (Bulgarian State Railways, BDZ)
simulation of traction power network
5 feeding substations, 20 stations, modelling of overhead-lines among the stations and special railway-automatics

Budapest Electricity PLC (ELMŰ)
simulation of a low voltage network in a renewable energy park
simulation of the micro-grid of renewable energy producers
Download the case study and learn more about the project!

Distribution electric network operated by E.ON
simulation of more than half of the entire Hungarian distribution network for more than 100 dispatchers, working at 8 different locations
150 substations, 1700 lines, 80 thousand pole mounted switches, 30.000 MV/LV transformers

European research project (VIKING)
simulation of a distribution network of a capital city in an imaginary country
15 bulk stations, 2 distribution network substations, 50 overhead lines

About us

NTS simulation models and basic algorithms were developed by two leading power system engineers of Astron Informatics Ltd, a Hungarian company specializing in customized software solutions for the energy, gas and telecommunication industry, and rail automation worldwide.

‘It was a pleasure to work with such a professional and prepared team!’
András Király, senior digital touchpoint manager, Telenor Hungary

‘Trustful, reliable partner with state of the art knowledge.’
Michael Ohrstedt, head of project execution mainline, Siemens Mobility

‘They’re all about hard work and achievements.’
Szabolcs Domonyik, team leader, Hungarian Gas Trade Ltd.

15+ years

of professional experience

700+ successful

international projects

+80 highly qualified

professionals

Attila Kovács

Attila Kovács

CEO|Astron Informatics Ltd.

Róbert Gaál

Róbert Gaál

Product manager|Astron Informatics Ltd.