Journal article published summarizing working group efforts and intended uses of Test Feeders.

(2017) K. P. Schneider, B. A. Mather, B. C. Pal, C. W. Ten, G. J. Shirek, H. Zhu, J. C. Fuller, J. L. R. Pereira, L. F. Ochoa, L. R. de Araujo, R. C. Dugan, S. Matthias, S. Paudyal, T. E. McDermott, and W Kersting, “Analytic Considerations and Design Basis for the IEEE Distribution Test Feeders,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, vol. PP, no. 99, pp. 1-1, 2017.

1991 Original Test Feeders

The original test feeder paper and data are provided below. The zipped data files require Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel to read them.

  • Original Test Feeder Paper
  • Line and Cable Data (XLS)
  • 4-Bus Test Feeder Cases:  These test the capability of a program to represent transformers of various configurations, full three phase lines, and unbalanced loads. Since the problems are so small, very close agreement with the test feeder results is expected. A good match would have an error less than 0.05%.

1992 Test Feeder Cases

These systems were originally created in 1992 and approved by the DSA Subcommittee during the 2000 PES Summer Meeting. These systems were designed to evaluate and benchmark algorithms in solving unbalanced three-phase radial systems. Each of these represent reduced-order models of an actual distribution circuit.

  • 13-bus Feeder:  This circuit model is very small and used to test common features of distribution analysis software, operating at 4.16 kV. It is characterized by being short, relatively highly loaded, a single voltage regulator at the substation, overhead and underground lines, shunt capacitors, an in-line transformer, and unbalanced loading.
  • 34-bus Feeder:  This feeder is an actual feeder located in Arizona, with a nominal voltage of 24.9 kV. It is characterized by long and lightly loaded, two in-line regulators, an in-line transformer for short 4.16 kV section, unbalanced loading, and shunt capacitors.
    • Corrections:
      • 17 Sept 2010: Error regarding branch 858-864 corrected
  • 37-bus Feeder:  This feeder is an actual feeder in California, with a 4.8 kV operating voltage. It is characterized by delta configured, all line segments are underground, substation voltage regulation is two single-phase open-delta regulators, spot loads, and very unbalanced. This circuit configuration is fairly uncommon.
  • 123-bus Feeder:  The IEEE 123 node test feeder operates at a nominal voltage of 4.16 kV. While this is not a popular voltage level it does provide voltage drop problems that must be solved with the application of voltage regulators and shunt capacitors. This circuit is characterized by overhead and underground lines, unbalanced loading with constant current, impedance, and power, four voltage regulators, shunt capacitor banks, and multiple switches.This circuit is “well-behaved” with minimal convergence problems.
    • Corrections:
      • 15 Sept 2010: Node 49, Phase C load changed from 25 kvar to 20 kvar.
      • 16 Sept 2010: Matrices for Config 2 and 4 corrected.
      • 03 Feb 2014: Added line configuration for line 51-151.
  • Additional RDAP Input Files
    • 04 Jan 2012: Test feeders in RDAP text format. Provided by Bill Kersting.
  • Additional PSCAD Input Files
    • 22 Sep 2014: Test feeders in PSCAD format. Provided by Tomas Yebra and Mayssam Amiri (University of Manitoba).

2010 Test Feeder Cases

  • Comprehensive Test Feeder: This tests the capability of a program to represent a wide variety of components in one circuit.
    • 01 Apr 2014: New solutions and model files available after solution agreements between WindMil and CYME.
  • 8500-Node Test Feeder:  Will your algorithm scale up to large problems? Try it on this test feeder. 2500 primary (MV) buses, 4800 total buses including secondaries (LV) and loads. 1-, 2-, 3-phase and split-phase circuits yielding over 8500 total node points.
  • Neutral-Earth-Voltage (NEV) Test Feeder:  This tests the capability of a program to represent very detailed models of a distribution system. Based on a real system, it contains among other things a segment of line with 4 circuits sharing a common neutral. Connections to earth must be modeled.

2011 Test Feeder Cases

  • PSCE Paper describing DG Protection Test Case
    • Corrections:
      • 29 Sept 2014: Substation short-circuit MVA should be 36.61, not 16.61 as listed in paper.
  • Short Circuit Test Cases:  This tests the capability of a program to calculate short-circuit currents using all types of short circuits at each node. The models use the original radial test feeder models (13-, 34-, 37-, and 123-node systems. They have been validated using multiple software packages given the same assumptions.

2014 Test Feeder Cases

  • 342-Node Low Voltage Network Test System:  The majority of end-use customers in North America are served by radially operated distribution feeders. But in areas where there is a high load density and a need for very high reliability, Low Voltage Network (LVN) systems have been built. LVNs are fundamentally different in design and operation from typical radial distribution feeders and these differences require different methods for computational analysis. The network test system is representative of low voltage network systems that are deployed in urban cores in North America. The power system in an urban core and can be a combination of spot networks and grid networks. Note that this system is NOT an actual circuit, but rather representative of the LVN systems.
    • Example LVNT Model:  Example model provided by Kevin Schneider in GridLAB-D format (used for validation). LVTN Model

2015 Test Feeder Cases

  • European Low Voltage Test Feeder:  The current test cases are focused on North American style systems; however it is common outside of North America to see low-voltage distribution systems, both radial and meshed. It is important to make sure that tools support both dominant styles of distribution system configuration. This test case seeks to fill a benchmark gap by presenting a number of common low-voltage configurations. This circuit also introduces quasi-static time series simulations.
    • Corrections:
      • 24 Feb 2016: Updated Load_profile_2.csv (wrong file was attached).

Additional, Non-IEEE Test Cases

The following are working group suggestions for open-source feeder models. These models are not designed to stress powerflow solving algorithms (as the radial test feeders were originally designed to do), but rather as representative feeders for researchers to use in case studies. Links to the models are provided by the working group, but while the models have been validated by members of the working group, the group itself has not validated them.

  • EPRI Test Circuits.:  These models were designed as part of EPRI’s Green Circuit project database. The models have been sanitized for public consumption, and are available for public use. The models are representative of actual small-, medium-, and large-circuits from various utilities. These models are in OpenDSS format. Descriptions of each feeder are available in the Readme.txt.
  • Taxonomy of Prototypical Feeders.:  These models were created as part of a PNNL project to develop a nationally representative set of radial distribution feeders. The models have been sanitized for public consumption, and are available for public use. These models represent 24 actual utility feeders from five different climate regions. Additional resources are available for populating the models with representative loads and other technologies in the GridLAB-D format. Descriptions of each feeder are available in the Taxonomy_Feeder_Development.pdf. PG&E prototypical feeders are also available. These circuits were provided by PG&E engineers for use by the research community. See README for more details.
  • BetterGrids Grid Data Repository: A large curated collection of searchable and curated grid models can be found at BetterGrids.org.