This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project from PowerWorld Corporation addresses the problem faced by the electric power industry in visualizing vast quantities of power system data. The entry of new players into the electricity industry has resulted in a large new demand for tools to help them understand and analyze power systems. Areas such as system operations that have traditionally been the domain of highly trained engineers now need to be understood by a broader spectrum of professionals. The restructuring of the industry has resulted in new terms, transaction methods, and technical calculations to facilitate the many different types of transactions needed to realize promised economies and profits. The purpose of the proposed work is the development of an interactive 3D environment tailored to the needs of power system analysts. This work will include development of a prototype interactive environment and methods for visualizing power system data. The market niche that PowerWorld Corporation is attempting to exploit is the development of high-quality, yet extremely user-friendly power system visualization software to meet the expanded needs for power system visualization that are a result of industry restructuring.
