surge-py 0.1.4

AC/DC power flow solver for large-scale transmission networks

surge-py

Python bindings for Surge.

surge-py provides the curated Python interface to Surge, a Rust-native power systems analysis engine. The package surface is intentionally small at the root and uses explicit namespaces for specialist workflows such as transfer studies, prepared contingency studies, batch runs, and advanced power-flow methods.

Installation

# Distribution name declared in pyproject metadata
pip install surge-py

# From source (requires Rust toolchain + maturin)
cd src/surge-py
pip install maturin
maturin develop --release

When surge-py is built with COPT_HOME pointing at a COPT 8.x install, the wheel bundles the Surge COPT NLP shim and the surge package auto-configures SURGE_COPT_NLP_SHIM_PATH at import time. End users still need a working COPT runtime installation and license to run nlp_solver="copt", but they do not need to build a separate shim by hand.

Source builds keep optional commercial backends runtime-loaded. If you want the build to fail unless the packaged COPT NLP shim is bundled, require it explicitly:

COPT_HOME=/opt/copt80 SURGE_PY_REQUIRE_COPT_NLP_SHIM=1 maturin develop --release

System dependencies (build from source)

• Rust stable toolchain
• libsuitesparse-dev (KLU sparse solver)
• libhighs-dev (HiGHS LP solver for OPF — install via system package manager)
• coinor-libipopt-dev (optional, open-source AC-OPF backend — install via system package manager)
• COPT 8.x install + license (optional, commercial AC-OPF backend)

Note: pip install highspy and pip install cyipopt do not provide the C shared libraries Surge needs. Both HiGHS and Ipopt must be installed via your system package manager (brew install highs ipopt / apt install libhighs-dev coinor-libipopt-dev).

Quick Start

import surge

# Load a MATPOWER/PSS-E/CIM case
net = surge.load("case118.m")
print(f"{net.n_buses} buses, {net.n_branches} branches")

# AC power flow (Newton-Raphson)
sol = surge.solve_ac_pf(net)
print(f"Converged: {sol.converged}, max mismatch: {sol.max_mismatch:.2e}")

# Results as pandas DataFrame when pandas is installed
df = sol.to_dataframe()
print(df[["bus_id", "vm_pu", "va_deg"]].head())

# DC optimal power flow
opf = surge.solve_dc_opf(net)
print(f"Total cost: ${opf.total_cost:.2f}/hr")
print(f"LMPs: {opf.lmp}")  # numpy array

# N-1 contingency analysis
ca = surge.analyze_n1_branch(net)
print(f"{ca.n_with_violations} contingencies with violations")

to_dataframe() returns a pandas DataFrame when pandas is installed and a plain column dictionary otherwise.

The repository metadata declares the distribution name surge-py and the import module surge. Publication status is a release-process question, not an unresolved naming question.

Pandas Network Construction

For pandas-native workflows, build a network directly from DataFrames:

import pandas as pd
import surge

buses = pd.DataFrame(
    [
        {"number": 1, "type": "Slack", "base_kv": 230.0, "name": "SWING"},
        {"number": 2, "type": "PV", "base_kv": 230.0, "name": "GEN"},
        {"number": 3, "type": "PQ", "base_kv": 230.0, "name": "LOAD", "pd_mw": 90.0, "qd_mvar": 30.0},
    ]
)
branches = pd.DataFrame(
    [
        {"from_bus": 1, "to_bus": 2, "r": 0.01, "x": 0.10, "rate_a": 250.0},
        {"from_bus": 2, "to_bus": 3, "r": 0.01, "x": 0.08, "rate_a": 250.0},
        {"from_bus": 1, "to_bus": 3, "r": 0.02, "x": 0.12, "rate_a": 250.0},
    ]
)
generators = pd.DataFrame(
    [
        {"bus": 1, "pg": 100.0, "pmax": 150.0, "qmax": 80.0, "qmin": -80.0},
        {"bus": 2, "pg": 40.0, "pmax": 80.0, "vs": 1.02},
    ]
)

net = surge.construction.from_dataframes(buses, branches, generators, name="pandas-demo")
sol = surge.solve_ac_pf(net)
print(sol.converged)

surge.construction.from_dataframes(...) follows a MATPOWER-like schema:

• buses: required number, base_kv; optional type, name, pd_mw, qd_mvar, vm_pu, va_deg
• branches: required from_bus, to_bus, r, x; optional b, rate_a, tap, shift, circuit
• generators: required bus, pg; optional pmax, pmin, qmax, qmin, vs, machine_id

This helper is intentionally narrow for 0.1. It does not ingest separate load tables, shunts, HVDC, topology assets, or market objects. See docs/tutorials/09-pandas-construction.md for the full schema and error semantics.

Subsystems

surge.subsystem.Subsystem gives you a named, reusable bus-set view over a network for area/zone, voltage-level, or explicit-bus filtering:

import surge

net = surge.case118()
extra_high = surge.subsystem.Subsystem(net, name="ehv", kv_min=345.0)
area_one_load = surge.subsystem.Subsystem(net, areas=[1], bus_type="PQ")

print(extra_high.bus_numbers[:5])
print(area_one_load.total_load_mw)
print(area_one_load.tie_branches[:3])

Subsystem filters intersect. branches includes only lines whose endpoints are both inside the bus set, while tie_branches includes exactly one-in / one-out connections. See docs/tutorials/10-subsystems.md for examples.

Prepared DC Studies

For repeated DC power flow and sensitivity work on one network, prepare the DC study once and reuse it. The prepared study supports both single-island and multi-island AC networks:

import surge

net = surge.load("case118.m")
dc = surge.dc.prepare_study(net)

monitored = [
    surge.dc.BranchKey(net.branches[i].from_bus, net.branches[i].to_bus, net.branches[i].circuit)
    for i in (0, 3, 7)
]
outages = [
    surge.dc.BranchKey(net.branches[i].from_bus, net.branches[i].to_bus, net.branches[i].circuit)
    for i in (1, 5)
]

pf = dc.solve_pf()
ptdf = dc.compute_ptdf(
    surge.dc.PtdfRequest(monitored_branches=monitored, bus_numbers=[1, 5, 10])
)
lodf = dc.compute_lodf(
    surge.dc.LodfRequest(monitored_branches=monitored, outage_branches=outages)
)
workflow = dc.run_analysis(
    surge.dc.DcAnalysisRequest(
        monitored_branches=monitored,
        lodf_outage_branches=outages,
        n2_outage_pairs=[
            (monitored[0], monitored[1]),
            (monitored[1], monitored[0]),
        ],
    )
)

Prepared Transfer Studies

For repeated transfer work on one network, prepare the transfer study once and reuse it across ATC, AFC, and multi-interface runs:

import surge

net = surge.load("case118.m")
study = surge.transfer.prepare_transfer_study(net)

path = surge.transfer.TransferPath("north_to_south", [8], [1])
atc = study.compute_nerc_atc(
    path,
    surge.transfer.AtcOptions(
        monitored_branches=list(range(net.n_branches)),
        contingency_branches=list(range(net.n_branches)),
    ),
)
afc = study.compute_afc(
    path,
    [surge.transfer.Flowgate("fg0", 10, 500.0)],
)
multi = study.compute_multi_transfer(
    [
        surge.transfer.TransferPath("north", [8], [1]),
        surge.transfer.TransferPath("west", [10], [2]),
    ],
    weights=[1.0, 1.5],
)

For repeated contingency screening on one network, build a study object once, run it on demand, and reuse the latest analysis for follow-on corrective redispatch. The same ContingencyStudy surface is used for branch N-1, generator N-1, and branch N-2:

import surge

net = surge.load("case118.m")
n1 = surge.contingency.n1_branch_study(net, surge.ContingencyOptions(screening="lodf"))
gen_n1 = surge.contingency.n1_generator_study(net, surge.ContingencyOptions(screening="lodf"))
n2 = surge.contingency.n2_branch_study(net, surge.ContingencyOptions(screening="lodf", top_k=100))

analysis = n1.analyze()
scrd = n1.solve_corrective_dispatch()

Supported Entry Points

Solver	Function	Description
Newton-Raphson	solve_ac_pf()	Full AC power flow (KLU sparse)
Fast Decoupled	surge.powerflow.solve_fdpf()	BX/XB decoupled AC power flow
DC Power Flow	solve_dc_pf()	Linear B-theta approximation
HVDC Power Flow	solve_hvdc()	Coupled AC/DC HVDC power flow with automatic topology-aware method selection
DC-OPF	solve_dc_opf()	Optimal dispatch via LP (HiGHS)
AC-OPF	solve_ac_opf()	Optimal dispatch via NLP (auto-detected runtime backend; COPT first, then Ipopt)
SCOPF	solve_scopf()	Security-constrained OPF (DC/AC, preventive/corrective)
N-1 Contingency	analyze_n1_branch()	Parallel contingency analysis
Contingency Study	surge.contingency.n1_branch_study()	Reusable branch N-1 / generator N-1 / N-2 study object family
Prepared DC Study	surge.dc.prepare_study()	Reusable DC power flow + sensitivity study object
DC Analysis Workflow	surge.dc.run_analysis()	Canonical one-call DC flow + PTDF/LODF/N-2 sensitivities
PTDF/LODF	surge.dc.compute_ptdf() / surge.dc.compute_lodf()	Individual sensitivity matrix entry points
Prepared Transfer Study	surge.transfer.prepare_transfer_study()	Reusable ATC / AFC / multi-transfer study object
NERC ATC	surge.transfer.compute_nerc_atc()	Canonical transfer capability entry point
GSF	surge.transfer.compute_gsf()	Generation shift factors
Voltage Stress	surge.contingency.compute_voltage_stress()	Base-case exact L-index and local Q-V proxy screening

DC power flow angle reporting can be controlled independently of slack distribution. For example:

dc = surge.solve_dc_pf(
    net,
    surge.DcPfOptions(
        participation_factors={101: 0.7, 205: 0.3},
        angle_reference="distributed_load",
    ),
)

This changes only the reported bus-angle reference frame; it does not change branch flows or how the slack mismatch is shared.

The Python package intentionally does not expose unfinished or out-of-scope study surfaces such as continuation PF, planning/compliance helpers, protection convenience layers, dynamics/ride-through workflows, state estimation, fault analysis, arc flash, GIC, or distribution solves until they have a supported package contract.

Supported File Formats

Format	Read	Write
MATPOWER (.m)	Yes	Yes
PSS/E RAW (.raw)	Yes	Yes
PSS/E DYR (.dyr)	Yes	Yes
IEEE CDF	Yes	—
CGMES/CIM XML	Yes	Yes, via surge.io.cgmes.save(...)
UCTE-DEF	Yes	Yes
JSON	Yes	Yes

License

PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 — free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires a license from Amptimal.